¤%;~-..... .....-~;%¤
¤¤%;~-.... ....-~;%¤¤
#¤¤%;~-... ...-~;%¤¤#
##¤¤%;~-.. ..-~;%¤¤##
###¤¤%;~-. .-~;%¤¤###
##¤¤%;~-.. . . . ..-~;%¤¤##
#¤¤%;~-... . . . . . . ...-~;%¤¤#
¤¤%;~-.... - - - - - - - - ....-~;%¤¤
¤%;~-..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....-~;%¤
%;~-...... ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ......-~;%
;~-....... .......-~;
~-........ 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. ..-~;%¤¤##
###¤¤%;~-. .-~;%¤¤###
##¤¤%;~-.. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ..-~;%¤¤##
#¤¤%;~-... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...-~;%¤¤#
¤¤%;~-.... - - - - - - - - ....-~;%¤¤
¤%;~-..... . . . . . . .....-~;%¤
%;~-...... . . . ......-~;%
;~-....... .......-~;
~-........ ........-~
-......... .........-
~-........ ........-~
;~-....... .......-~;