#@¶&$*\~.. ..~\*$&¶@#
@&$$$*\~.. ..~\*$$$&@
¶$\\~~~... ...~~~\\$¶
@@¶&$*\~.. ..~\*$&¶@@
##@&$*\~.. ..~\*$&@##
&$$***\~.. . . . ..~\***$$&
¶¶¶&$*\~.. . . . . . . ..~\*$&¶¶¶
¶&$\~~~~.. . . . . . . . . ..~~~~\$&¶
#@¶&$*\~.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~\*$&¶@#
#@¶&$*\~.. \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ..~\*$&¶@#
&$$$\..... .....\$$$&
@@¶&$*\~.. just off the coast to the baltic sea ..~\*$&¶@@
#@¶&$*\~.. there's a freshwater pond, secluded ..~\*$&¶@#
##@¶$*\~.. among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ..~\*$¶@##
##¶&$*\~.. limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ..~\*$&¶##
¶$\....... surrounding plains, a ninety degree .......\$¶
#@¶&$*\~.. 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 ..~\*$$&&@
¶$\~...... find its own way back. the bushes roots ......~\$¶
@¶&&$*\~.. drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ..~\*$&&¶@
##@&$*\~.. dance in the sunbeams. ..~\*$&@##
&&*~...... ......~*&&
&&$\~~.... \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ....~~\$&&
#@¶&$*\~.. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~\*$&¶@#
##¶&$*\~.. . . . . . . . . ..~\*$&¶##
¶¶&*\..... . . . . . . .....\*&¶¶
@¶¶&$*\~.. . . . ..~\*$&¶¶@
¶&&$*\\~.. ..~\\*$&&¶
¶¶&$*\\~.. ..~\\*$&¶¶
@&***~.... ....~***&@
&&$$$*\~.. ..~\*$$$&&
¶&*\...... ......\*&¶