..&.....&. ...&.&&&&&
.&&....&&& ..&&&....&
&.&...&..& .&..&...&&
&&&..&&.&. &&.&&..&..
..&.&.&&&. .&&.&.&&.&
.&&&&&..&. . . . &.&&&&.&&&
&....&.&&. . . . . . . &&...&&..&
&...&&&.&& , , , , , , , , .&..&.&.&.
&..&..&&.& » » » » » » » » » » » &&.&&&&&&&
&.&&.&.&&& **************************************** .&&.......
&&.&&&&..& &.&......&
.&&...&.&& 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. &&.&&&&.&&
.&.&..&.&. .&&...&&.&
&&&&.&&&&. **************************************** &.&..&.&&&
...&&...&& » » » » » » » » » » » &&&.&&&...
..&.&..&.& , , , , , , , , ..&&..&...
.&&&&.&&&& . . . . . . .&.&.&&...
&...&&...& . . . &&&&&.&...
&..&.&..&. ....&&&..&
&.&&&&.&&& ...&..&.&.
&&...&&..& ..&&.&&&&&
.&..&.&.&& .&.&&.....
&&.&&&&&.& &&&.&.....