##¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
¶¤$^~~::¨¨ ¨¨::~~^$¤¶
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
#¤$$^:¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨:^$$¤#
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
¤¤$^:::¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨:::^$¤¤
¤$~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~$¤
##¶¤$$^~:¨ : : : : : : : : ¨:~^$$¤¶##
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
¶¤$$$$^~:¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨:~^$$$$¤¶
###¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤###
¤¤¤$$$^~:¨ 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 ¨:~^$$¤¶##
¤¤$~¨¨¨¨¨¨ dance in the sunbeams. ¨¨¨¨¨¨~$¤¤
#¶¤¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¤¶#
¶$$$$$^~:¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨:~^$$$$$¶
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
##¶¤$$^~:¨ : : : : : : : : ¨:~^$$¤¶##
###¶¤$$^~: ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ :~^$$¤¶###
###¶¤$^~:¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨:~^$¤¶###
¶¶¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶¶¶
#¤$$$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$$$¤#
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
##¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶##
¶¶¶¤$$^~:¨ ¨:~^$$¤¶¶¶