......,«;= =;«,......
.......,«; ;«,.......
......,«;= =;«,......
.....,«;=¤ ¤=;«,.....
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
...,«;=¤§@ . . . @§¤=;«,...
..,«;=¤§@@ . . . . . . @@§¤=;«,..
.,«;=¤§@@# , , , , , , , , #@@§¤=;«,.
..,«;=¤§@@ « « « « « « « « « « « @@§¤=;«,..
...,«;=¤§@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @§¤=;«,...
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
.....,«;=¤ just off the coast to the baltic sea ¤=;«,.....
......,«;= there's a freshwater pond, secluded =;«,......
.......,«; among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ;«,.......
......,«;= limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the =;«,......
.....,«;=¤ surrounding plains, a ninety degree ¤=;«,.....
....,«;=¤§ drop down, down, to the midnight-black §¤=;«,....
...,«;=¤§@ water. @§¤=;«,...
..,«;=¤§@@ @@§¤=;«,..
.,«;=¤§@@# ««««========«««« #@@§¤=;«,.
..,«;=¤§@@ ««== ==«« @@§¤=;«,..
...,«;=¤§@ «««««== fairies live here. ==««««« @§¤=;«,...
....,«;=¤§ ««== ==«« §¤=;«,....
.....,«;=¤ ««««========«««« ¤=;«,.....
......,«;= =;«,......
.......,«; they speak to the sloane, caress it, ;«,.......
......,«;= urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with =;«,......
.....,«;=¤ longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ¤=;«,.....
....,«;=¤§ to stay just below the grass, so that §¤=;«,....
...,«;=¤§@ the animals what come to drink the @§¤=;«,...
..,«;=¤§@@ water cannot see it before it draws @@§¤=;«,..
.,«;=¤§@@# their blood. closer to the pond, the #@@§¤=;«,.
..,«;=¤§@@ sloane can grow taller, being able to @@§¤=;«,..
...,«;=¤§@ hide also in the juniper. @§¤=;«,...
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
.....,«;=¤ the fairies will beckon the animals to ¤=;«,.....
......,«;= push forward, tell them that they're =;«,......
.......,«; almost at the water, that they may ;«,.......
......,«;= drink soon. and they will tug on the =;«,......
.....,«;=¤ sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ¤=;«,.....
....,«;=¤§ deep. when they finally find the path §¤=;«,....
...,«;=¤§@ down between the rocks, away from the @§¤=;«,...
..,«;=¤§@@ bushwork and into the cleft, they are @@§¤=;«,..
.,«;=¤§@@# bleeding from a thousand wounds. as #@@§¤=;«,.
..,«;=¤§@@ they drink from the dark water, it is @@§¤=;«,..
...,«;=¤§@ in turn drinking the animals blood. @§¤=;«,...
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
.....,«;=¤ the circle is complete, the contract ¤=;«,.....
......,«;= carried out; the animal is abandoned to =;«,......
.......,«; find its own way back. the bushes roots ;«,.......
......,«;= drink the nutrutious water. the fairies =;«,......
.....,«;=¤ dance in the sunbeams. ¤=;«,.....
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
...,«;=¤§@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @§¤=;«,...
..,«;=¤§@@ « « « « « « « « « « « @@§¤=;«,..
.,«;=¤§@@# , , , , , , , , #@@§¤=;«,.
..,«;=¤§@@ . . . . . . @@§¤=;«,..
...,«;=¤§@ . . . @§¤=;«,...
....,«;=¤§ §¤=;«,....
.....,«;=¤ ¤=;«,.....
......,«;= =;«,......
.......,«; ;«,.......
......,«;= =;«,......