@.....@... @..@@..@.@
@@.....@.. .@.@@@...@
.@@.....@. ...@.@@..@
.@@@.....@ .....@@@..
.@.@@..... @....@.@@.
...@@@.... . . . @@.....@@@
@..@.@@... . . . . . . @@@....@.@
@@...@@@.. . . . . . . . . @.@@.....@
.@@..@.@@. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..@@@....@
.@@@...@@@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ..@.@@....
.@.@@..@.@ ....@@@...
...@@@...@ 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. .....@...@
@..@....@. @.....@...
.@..@....@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; @@.....@..
..@..@.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .@@.....@.
...@..@... . . . . . . . . .@@@.....@
@...@..@.. . . . . . . .@.@@.....
.@...@..@. . . . ...@@@....
..@...@..@ @..@.@@...
...@...@.. @@...@@@..
....@...@. .@@..@.@@.
.....@...@ .@@@...@@@
@.....@... .@.@@..@.@