,,,,,::^$& &$^::,,,,,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:$&@### ###@&$:~:,
,:~:^$&@## , , , ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## , , , , , , ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^^$$&# : : : : : : : : #&$$^^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$$&&# :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: #&&$$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## just off the coast to the baltic sea ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## there's a freshwater pond, secluded ##@&$^:~:,
,,:::~^$$& among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the &$$^~:::,,
,:~^$&@### limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ###@&$^~:,
,:~:^$&@## surrounding plains, a ninety degree ##@&$^:~:,
,:~^$&@### drop down, down, to the midnight-black ###@&$^~:,
,:~:^$&@## water. ##@&$^:~:,
,,,,,,::$& &$::,,,,,,
,:~:^$$&@@ ~~~~^^^^^^^^~~~~ @@&$$^:~:,
,:~:^$&&&& ~~^^ ^^~~ &&&&$^:~:,
,,,:~~~^$& ~~~~~^^ fairies live here. ^^~~~~~ &$^~~~:,,,
,,,::~^&@# ~~^^ ^^~~ #@&^~::,,,
,::~~~:^$@ ~~~~^^^^^^^^~~~~ @$^:~~~::,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,,,::^$&&& they speak to the sloane, caress it, &&&$^::,,,
,,,,:~~^&@ 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 @&&^:::~:,
,:~:^$&@## drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## dance in the sunbeams. ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^&@### ###@&^:~:,
,:~:^$&### :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ###&$^:~:,
,,,,:~:$&# ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #&$:~:,,,,
,:~:^$&@@# : : : : : : : : #@@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&### , , , , , , ###&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&&&# , , , #&&&$^:~:,
,,:::~^&@@ @@&^~:::,,
,:~:^$&&&& &&&&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,:~:^$&@## ##@&$^:~:,
,,:~~^^&&& &&&^^~~:,,