.-=*†%§#@# #@#§%†*=-.
..-=*†%§#@ @#§%†*=-..
...-=*†%§# #§%†*=-...
....-=*†%§ §%†*=-....
.....-=*†% %†*=-.....
......-=*† . . . †*=-......
.......-=* . . . . . . *=-.......
........-= - - - - - - - - =-........
.........- = = = = = = = = = = = -.........
........-= **************************************** =-........
.......-=* *=-.......
......-=*† 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. §%†*=-....
.....-=*†% %†*=-.....
......-=*† **************************************** †*=-......
.......-=* = = = = = = = = = = = *=-.......
........-= - - - - - - - - =-........
.........- . . . . . . -.........
........-= . . . =-........
.......-=* *=-.......
......-=*† †*=-......
.....-=*†% %†*=-.....
....-=*†%§ §%†*=-....
...-=*†%§# #§%†*=-...