¶*%^~..... .....~^%*¶
*%^~...... ......~^%*
%^~....... .......~^%
^~........ ........~^
~......... .........~
^~........ . . . ........~^
%^~....... . . . . . . .......~^%
*%^~...... . . . . . . . . ......~^%*
¶*%^~..... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .....~^%*¶
#¶*%^~.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....~^%*¶#
##¶*%^~... ...~^%*¶##
###¶*%^~.. 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. ....~^%*¶#
##¶*%^~... ...~^%*¶##
###¶*%^~.. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ..~^%*¶###
##¶*%^~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~^%*¶##
#¶*%^~.... . . . . . . . . ....~^%*¶#
¶*%^~..... . . . . . . .....~^%*¶
*%^~...... . . . ......~^%*
%^~....... .......~^%
^~........ ........~^
~......... .........~
^~........ ........~^
%^~....... .......~^%