...,~/*& #&&*/~,...
..,~/*&@ @#&&*/~,..
.,~/*&@# #@#&&*/~,.
..,~/*&@ @#&&*/~,..
...,~/*& #&&*/~,...
....,~/*&& . . . &&*/~,....
.....,~/*& . . . . . . &*/~,.....
......,~/* , , , , , , , , */~,......
.......,~/ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ /~,.......
........,~ //////////////////////////////////////// ~,........
........., ,.........
........,~ 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. @#&&*/~,..
...,~/*& #&&*/~,...
....,~/*&& //////////////////////////////////////// &&*/~,....
.....,~/*& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &*/~,.....
......,~/* , , , , , , , , */~,......
.......,~/ . . . . . . /~,.......
........,~ . . . ~,........
........., ,.........
........,~ ~,........
.......,~/ /~,.......
......,~/* */~,......
.....,~/*& &*/~,.....