¨~~**$¤@## ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## ##@¤$**~~¨
¨¨¨¨~***¤¤ ¤¤***~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~**$¤¤# #¤¤$**~¨¨¨
¨~~****¤@# ¨ ¨ ¨ #@¤****~~¨
¨~~*****$¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤$*****~~¨
¨¨¨¨~~*$¤¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤¤$*~~¨¨¨¨
¨~~**$¤@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## **************************************** ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## ##@¤$**~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨~***¤ 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 @@¤****~~¨
¨¨¨~***$¤# drink the nutrutious water. the fairies #¤$***~¨¨¨
¨~~**$¤@## dance in the sunbeams. ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~~~**¤¤# #¤¤**~~~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## **************************************** ##@¤$**~~¨
¨~~**$¤@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@¤$**~~¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~~*¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤*~~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~*$$¤@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @¤$$*~~¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨~****¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤****~¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~**¤ ¤**~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨~~~*$@# #@$*~~~¨¨¨
¨~~**$¤@@@ @@@¤$**~~¨
¨¨¨~~***$@ @$***~~¨¨¨
¨~~**$¤@## ##@¤$**~~¨