@.@@@....@ @.@.@..@.@
@.@.@@...@ @....@...@
@...@@@..@ @@....@..@
@@..@.@@.@ .@@....@.@
.@@...@@.. .@@@.....@
.@@@..@@@. . . . .@.@@.....
.@.@@.@.@@ . . . . . . ...@@@....
...@@...@@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ...@.@@...
...@@@..@. » » » » » » » » » » » @....@@@..
...@.@@... ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .@...@.@@.
.....@@@.. ..@....@@@
@....@.@@. 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. @@@..@.@@.
..@..@..@. @.@@...@@@
@..@..@..@ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ..@@@..@.@
@@..@..@.. » » » » » » » » » » » ..@.@@...@
.@@..@..@. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @...@@@..@
.@@@..@..@ . . . . . . @@..@.@@..
.@.@@..@.. . . . .@@...@@@.
...@@@..@. .@@@..@.@@
@..@.@@..@ .@.@@...@@
@@...@@@.. ...@@@..@.
@@@..@.@@. ...@.@@...
@.@@...@@@ .....@@@..