,,~:%%&### ###&%%:~,,
,,,,,~%%&# #&%%~,,,,,
,,~:%%&@## ##@&%%:~,,
,,,,,~~%&# #&%~~,,,,,
,~:%%&@### ###@&%%:~,
,,~:%%%&@# , , , #@&%%%:~,,
,,~:%%&### , , , , , , ###&%%:~,,
,,,,,,:%%@ , , , , , , , , @%%:,,,,,,
,,~:%%&@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@&%%:~,,
,,,,,,~:%& :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: &%:~,,,,,,
,,~:%%&@## ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%%%&&# 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. ##@&%%:~,,
,,,,,,~%&# #&%~,,,,,,
,,~:%%&@## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%%&@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%%&@## , , , , , , , , ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%%&@## , , , , , , ##@&%%:~,,
,,,,::%&&& , , , &&&%::,,,,
,,~:%%&@## ##@&%%:~,,
,,,,~:%%%& &%%%:~,,,,
,,~:%%&@## ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%%&@## ##@&%%:~,,
,,~:%&@### ###@&%:~,,