§§&^~~.... ....~~^&§§
§§%^~..... .....~^%§§
##@§&%^~~. .~~^%&§@##
##@§&%^~~. .~~^%&§@##
##@§&%^~~. .~~^%&§@##
@&^^^^^~~. . . . .~~^^^^^&@
#§%~~~~... . . . . . . ...~~~~%§#
§&%%%%^~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~^%%%%&§
##@§&%^~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~^%&§@##
###@§&%~~. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .~~%&§@###
@@§&%^^~~. .~~^^%&§@@
#§%%%~~... 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. .~~^&§@###
@@§&%^~~.. ..~~^%&§@@
###@§&^~~. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .~~^&§@###
###@§%^~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~^%§@###
###@§%^~~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~~^%§@###
##@§&%^~~. . . . . . . .~~^%&§@##
@§&%^~~~.. . . . ..~~~^%&§@
@@&%^^~~~. .~~~^^%&@@
@&^~~~.... ....~~~^&@
@&^^~..... .....~^^&@
@§&%~~.... ....~~%&§@
§%^^^~.... ....~^^^%§