,,,,,,.=^@ @^=.,,,,,,
,.=;^^^%¶# #¶%^^^;=.,
,.====;^%@ @%^;====.,
,.=;^%@¶## ##¶@%^;=.,
,,,,,,=^^@ @^^=,,,,,,
,.=;^%@### , , , ###@%^;=.,
,.=;^%@¶## , , , , , , ##¶@%^;=.,
,,,,..;^@@ . . . . . . . . @@^;..,,,,
,.=;^%@¶## = = = = = = = = = = = ##¶@%^;=.,
,.=;^^^%%¶ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¶%%^^^;=.,
,.=;^%@¶## ##¶@%^;=.,
,.=;^%@¶## 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. ¶%^===.,,,
,.=;^%@¶## ##¶@%^;=.,
,.=;^%@¶## ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ##¶@%^;=.,
,,,,,,,=^@ = = = = = = = = = = = @^=,,,,,,,
,.=;^%@¶## . . . . . . . . ##¶@%^;=.,
,.=;^%@¶¶¶ , , , , , , ¶¶¶@%^;=.,
,,,,,,=;^@ , , , @^;=,,,,,,
,=;^%@¶### ###¶@%^;=,
,.=;^%@¶## ##¶@%^;=.,
,,,,=;^@¶¶ ¶¶@^;=,,,,
,,,==;^%@# #@%^;==,,,
,,,,=;%%%@ @%%%;=,,,,