¨¨¨-===%*& &*%===-¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨-==*&@ @&*==-¨¨¨¨
¨-==%*&### ###&*%==-¨
¨-==%*&@## ##@&*%==-¨
¨-==%**&&# #&&**%==-¨
¨-==%*&@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@&*%==-¨
¨¨----==*@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @*==----¨¨
¨-==%*&@## - - - - - - - - ##@&*%==-¨
¨¨¨¨==*&@@ = = = = = = = = = = = @@&*==¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨---=%& ======================================== &%=---¨¨¨¨
¨-==%*&@## ##@&*%==-¨
¨-==%*&@## 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. ##@&*%==-¨
¨-==%*&@## ##@&*%==-¨
¨-==%*&&&@ ======================================== @&&&*%==-¨
¨¨¨-=%%*&@ = = = = = = = = = = = @&*%%=-¨¨¨
¨-==%*&@@@ - - - - - - - - @@@&*%==-¨
¨¨¨¨-==%&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ &&%==-¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨==**@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @**==¨¨¨¨¨
¨-==%*&@@@ @@@&*%==-¨
¨¨-==%***@ @***%==-¨¨
¨¨¨¨-=%*&# #&*%=-¨¨¨¨
¨-==%*&@## ##@&*%==-¨
¨-==%*&@## ##@&*%==-¨