,,,,,,,,~; ;~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* *;~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*¤ ¤*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,~;*¤& &¤*;~,,,,,
,,,,~;*¤ #&¤*;~,,,,
,,,~;*¤# , , , ##&¤*;~,,,
,,~;*¤## , , , , , , ###&¤*;~,,
,,,~;*¤# , , , , , , , , ##&¤*;~,,,
,,,,~;*¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ #&¤*;~,,,,
,,,,,~;*¤& ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; &¤*;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*¤ ¤*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* 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. &¤*;~,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*¤ ¤*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; *;~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~; ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ;~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,~ , , , , , , , , ~,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,~; , , , , , , ;~,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,~;* , , , *;~,,,,,,,
,,,,,,~;*¤ ¤*;~,,,,,,
,,,,,~;*¤& &¤*;~,,,,,
,,,,~;*¤ #&¤*;~,,,,
,,,~;*¤# ##&¤*;~,,,
,,~;*¤## ###&¤*;~,,