#@#§%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%§#@#
#@#§%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%§#@#
##@#§%*/~¨ ¨~/*%§#@##
#@#§%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%§#@#
§*/~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~/*§
§%%*/~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~/*%%§
@@#§%*/~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~/*%§#@@
#@#§%*/~.¨ . . . . . . . . ¨.~/*%§#@#
#@#§%*/~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~/*%§#@#
#@#§%*/~.¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨.~/*%§#@#
#§**~~~~.¨ ¨.~~~~**§#
##@#%*/~.¨ 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. ¨.~/*§#@##
#@#§%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%§#@#
#@#§%*/~.¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨.~/*%§#@#
#%/..¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨../%#
§§%/~.¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨.~/%§§
@§%%*/~.¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨.~/*%%§@
##§*/.¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨./*§##
§%*~~~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~~~*%§
@#§%%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%%§#@
@§§*/.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨./*§§@
#§%//~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~//%§#
#@#§%*/~.¨ ¨.~/*%§#@#