,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@@@ @@@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,,,,.~:$$& &$$:~.,,,,
,,,,~:**@@ , , , @@**:~,,,,
,.~:$*&@## , , , , , , ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&&@# . . . . . . . . #@&&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$$*&&# #&&*$$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## just off the coast to the baltic sea ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## there's a freshwater pond, secluded ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ##@&*$:~.,
,,....:$&# surrounding plains, a ninety degree #&$:....,,
,.~:$*&@## drop down, down, to the midnight-black ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$&@### water. ###@&$:~.,
,,,,.::*&& &&*::.,,,,
,,,,~:**&@ ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ @&**:~,,,,
,.~:$*&@## ~~$$ $$~~ ##@&*$:~.,
,,,,,~~:*& ~~~~~$$ 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 @***$$:~.,
,.:$*&@### bushwork and into the cleft, they are ###@&*$:.,
,,,,.::*&@ bleeding from a thousand wounds. as @&*::.,,,,
,.~:$*&@## they drink from the dark water, it is ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## in turn drinking the animals blood. ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,..~~~~:*@ the circle is complete, the contract @*:~~~~..,
,,,,,..:*& carried out; the animal is abandoned to &*:..,,,,,
.~:$*&@### find its own way back. the bushes roots ###@&*$:~.
,.~:$**&@# drink the nutrutious water. the fairies #@&**$:~.,
,,..~:::*@ dance in the sunbeams. @*:::~..,,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## . . . . . . . . ##@&*$:~.,
,,,,.~~:$& , , , , , , &$:~~.,,,,
,,,,.~~:*& , , , &*:~~.,,,,
,.~::$$*@@ @@*$$::~.,
,,,,.~:**& &**:~.,,,,
,,,...:*@# #@*:...,,,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,
,.~:$*&@## ##@&*$:~.,