@@##*$/=:, ,:=/$*##@@
@#*/:,,,,, ,,,,,:/*#@
#@##*$/=:, ,:=/$*##@#
#@##*$/=:, ,:=/$*##@#
@@##*$/=:, ,:=/$*##@@
####*$/=:, , , , ,:=/$*####
@#**/::,,, , , , , , , ,,,::/**#@
@#$$/:,,,, : : : : : : : : ,,,,:/$$#@
#@##*$/=:, = = = = = = = = = = = ,:=/$*##@#
@@##*$/=:, //////////////////////////////////////// ,:=/$*##@@
@@##*$/=:, ,:=/$*##@@
##@##*/=:, 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. ,,,===$$*#
####*$/=:, ,:=/$*####
##$$$$/=:, //////////////////////////////////////// ,:=/$$$$##
####*$/=:, = = = = = = = = = = = ,:=/$*####
@@##*$/=:, : : : : : : : : ,:=/$*##@@
@#$/=::,,, , , , , , , ,,,::=/$#@
#@##*$/=:, , , , ,:=/$*##@#
#*/==:,,,, ,,,,:==/*#
##@#*$/=:, ,:=/$*#@##
##$//:,,,, ,,,,://$##
##**$/=,,, ,,,=/$**##
#*////:,,, ,,,:////*#