....«:@&&# #&&@:«....
.^«:§@&@## ##@&@§:«^.
.....«§§&# #&§§«.....
.....^:@@& &@@:^.....
....«§@&@# #@&@§«....
.^«:§@&@## . . . ##@&@§:«^.
......^:§& . . . . . . &§:^......
.^«:§@&@## ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ##@&@§:«^.
...^:§§&@# « « « « « « « « « « « #@&§§:^...
.^«:§@&@## :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ##@&@§:«^.
.^«:§@&### ###&@§:«^.
.^«:§@&@@@ 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. &§§«««^^..
.^«:§@&@## ##@&@§:«^.
..^^^«««§& :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: &§«««^^^..
.....«§&@@ « « « « « « « « « « « @@&§«.....
...^^^«§&# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #&§«^^^...
...^::::§& . . . . . . &§::::^...
.^«:§@&@## . . . ##@&@§:«^.
......^:@@ @@:^......
.^«:§@&@## ##@&@§:«^.
.^«:§@&@## ##@&@§:«^.
.^«:§@&@## ##@&@§:«^.
.^«:§@&&&@ @&&&@§:«^.