,,,,.~*$%# #%$*~.,,,,
,,,.~*$%## ##%$*~.,,,
,,.~*$%### ###%$*~.,,
,.~*$%#### ####%$*~.,
,,.~*$%### ###%$*~.,,
,,,.~*$%## , , , ##%$*~.,,,
,,,,.~*$%# , , , , , , #%$*~.,,,,
,,,,,.~*$% . . . . . . . . %$*~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*$ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ $*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*$% **************************************** %$*~.,,,,,
,,,,.~*$%# #%$*~.,,,,
,,,.~*$%## 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. ##%$*~.,,,
,,.~*$%### ###%$*~.,,
,.~*$%#### **************************************** ####%$*~.,
,,.~*$%### ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ###%$*~.,,
,,,.~*$%## . . . . . . . . ##%$*~.,,,
,,,,.~*$%# , , , , , , #%$*~.,,,,
,,,,,.~*$% , , , %$*~.,,,,,
,,,,,,.~*$ $*~.,,,,,,
,,,,,.~*$% %$*~.,,,,,
,,,,.~*$%# #%$*~.,,,,
,,,.~*$%## ##%$*~.,,,
,,.~*$%### ###%$*~.,,