§§§^==.... ....==^§§§
##@§&§^=~. .~=^§&§@##
##@§&§^=~. .~=^§&§@##
##@§&§^=~. .~=^§&§@##
###@§&§=~. .~=§&§@###
###@§&§=~. . . . .~=§&§@###
##@§&§^=~. . . . . . . .~=^§&§@##
##@§&§^=~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~=^§&§@##
§§^~~..... = = = = = = = = = = = .....~~^§§
###§&§^=~. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .~=^§&§###
§&&§§^=... ...=^§§&&§
##@§&§^=~. 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. ......=§§#
§&§====... ...====§&§
###@&§^=~. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .~=^§&@###
§§§§§§^=~. = = = = = = = = = = = .~=^§§§§§§
##@§&§^=~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~=^§&§@##
##@§&§^=~. . . . . . . .~=^§&§@##
@@&&&§^=~. . . . .~=^§&&&@@
@§§§&§^=~. .~=^§&§§§@
§§==~..... .....~==§§
##@§&§^=~. .~=^§&§@##
###@§§^=~. .~=^§§@###
#§§§=..... .....=§§§#