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