¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨¨¨===**%¤ ¤%**===¨¨¨
¨¨¨:=****¤ ¤****=:¨¨¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@¤%*==:¨
¨¨:====*¤¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤¤*====:¨¨
¨:====%%@# : : : : : : : : #@%%====:¨
¨¨¨:::==*¤ = = = = = = = = = = = ¤*==:::¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨:=**¤@ ======================================== @¤**=:¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨==%@ @%==¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨=*%¤# 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. #¤**====:¨
¨:===*%%@@ @@%%*===:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ======================================== ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## = = = = = = = = = = = ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## : : : : : : : : ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@¤%*==:¨
¨¨¨¨¨===%¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤%===¨¨¨¨¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨:==*%¤@## ##@¤%*==:¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨=*¤# #¤*=¨¨¨¨¨¨