..#....##. ##........
#...##.... #..#######
..#....##. ....######
....##.... .##..####.
###....### ......##..
.#..##..## . . . #####.....
.......... . . . . . . ####..####
.######### . . . . . . . . ###....##.
..#######. - - - - - - - - - - - ##..##....
#..#####.. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #......###
....###... ..####..##
.##..#..## 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. #........#
..####.... ..######..
#..##..### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #..####..#
........## - - - - - - - - - - - ....##....
#######... . . . . . . . . ###....###
######..## . . . . . . ##..##..##
#####....# . . . #........#
####..##.. ..######..
.##....... ...####...
....###### ##..##..##
.##..##### ..........
......#### ##########