#$*\~,.... ....,~\*$#
##$*\~,... ...,~\*$##
###$*\~,.. ..,~\*$###
####$*\~,. .,~\*$####
###$*\~,.. ..,~\*$###
##$*\~,... . . . ...,~\*$##
#$*\~,.... . . . . . . ....,~\*$#
$*\~,..... , , , , , , , , .....,~\*$
*\~,...... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ......,~\*
\~,....... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ .......,~\
~,........ ........,~
,......... 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. .......,~\
*\~,...... ......,~\*
$*\~,..... the circle is complete, the contract .....,~\*$
#$*\~,.... carried out; the animal is abandoned to ....,~\*$#
##$*\~,... find its own way back. the bushes roots ...,~\*$##
###$*\~,.. drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ..,~\*$###
####$*\~,. dance in the sunbeams. .,~\*$####
###$*\~,.. ..,~\*$###
##$*\~,... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ...,~\*$##
#$*\~,.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....,~\*$#
$*\~,..... , , , , , , , , .....,~\*$
*\~,...... . . . . . . ......,~\*
\~,....... . . . .......,~\
~,........ ........,~
,......... .........,
~,........ ........,~
\~,....... .......,~\
*\~,...... ......,~\*