###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. . . . ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. . . . . . . .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. - - - - - - - - - - - .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. just off the coast to the baltic sea ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. there's a freshwater pond, secluded .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. surrounding plains, a ninety degree ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. drop down, down, to the midnight-black .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. water. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ----%%%%%%%%---- ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. --%% %%-- .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. -----%% fairies live here. %%----- ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. --%% %%-- .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ----%%%%%%%%---- ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. they speak to the sloane, caress it, ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. longer and sharper thorns. they tell it ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. to stay just below the grass, so that .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. the animals what come to drink the ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. water cannot see it before it draws .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. their blood. closer to the pond, the ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. sloane can grow taller, being able to .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. hide also in the juniper. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. the fairies will beckon the animals to ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. push forward, tell them that they're .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. almost at the water, that they may ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. drink soon. and they will tug on the .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. deep. when they finally find the path .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. down between the rocks, away from the ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. bushwork and into the cleft, they are .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. they drink from the dark water, it is .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. in turn drinking the animals blood. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. the circle is complete, the contract ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. carried out; the animal is abandoned to .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. find its own way back. the bushes roots ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. drink the nutrutious water. the fairies .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. dance in the sunbeams. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. - - - - - - - - - - - .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. . . . . . . .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. . . . ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##
##&$%;-^.. ..^-;%$#
###&$%;-^. .^-;%$##