:......... .........:
~:........ ........:~
\~:....... .......:~\
$\~:...... ......:~\$
&$\~:..... .....:~\$&
@&$\~:.... . . . ....:~\$&@
¶@&$\~:... . . . . . . ...:~\$&@¶
#¶@&$\~:.. : : : : : : : : ..:~\$&@¶#
##¶@&$\~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~\$&@¶##
#¶@&$\~:.. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ..:~\$&@¶#
¶@&$\~:... ...:~\$&@¶
@&$\~:.... just off the coast to the baltic sea ....:~\$&@
&$\~:..... 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. ........:~
:......... .........:
.......... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ..........
:......... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .........:
~:........ : : : : : : : : ........:~
\~:....... . . . . . . .......:~\
$\~:...... . . . ......:~\$
&$\~:..... .....:~\$&
@&$\~:.... ....:~\$&@
¶@&$\~:... ...:~\$&@¶
#¶@&$\~:.. ..:~\$&@¶#
##¶@&$\~:. .:~\$&@¶##