¤§=....... .......=§¤
¤*§§==^... ...^==§§*¤
##@¤*§/=^. .^=/§*¤@##
@¤§=...... ......=§¤@
@¤§/^..... .....^/§¤@
#@@¤*§/=^. . . . .^=/§*¤@@#
@@@¤*§/=^. . . . . . . .^=/§*¤@@@
@@@¤*§/=^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^=/§*¤@@@
@@@¤*§/=^. = = = = = = = = = = = .^=/§*¤@@@
¤§///^.... //////////////////////////////////////// ....^///§¤
¤§/==^^... ...^^==/§¤
#@@¤*§/=^. 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. .....==§¤¤
¤§///=^... ...^=///§¤
@¤§///=... //////////////////////////////////////// ...=///§¤@
¤§§//^.... = = = = = = = = = = = ....^//§§¤
#@@¤*§/=^. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .^=/§*¤@@#
@¤¤*/=^... . . . . . . ...^=/*¤¤@
#@@¤*§/=^. . . . .^=/§*¤@@#
#@@¤*§/=^. .^=/§*¤@@#
#@@¤*§/=^. .^=/§*¤@@#
@¤§§///=^. .^=///§§¤@
@¤§§§=.... ....=§§§¤@
##@¤*§/=^. .^=/§*¤@##