...^-*^*#@ @#*^*-^...
..^-*^*#@# #@#*^*-^..
.^-*^*#@## ##@#*^*-^.
..^-*^*#@# #@#*^*-^..
...^-*^*#@ @#*^*-^...
....^-*^*# . . . #*^*-^....
.....^-*^* . . . . . . *^*-^.....
......^-*^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^*-^......
.......^-* - - - - - - - - - - - *-^.......
........^- **************************************** -^........
.......^-* *-^.......
......^-*^ 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. -^........
.......^-* *-^.......
......^-*^ **************************************** ^*-^......
.....^-*^* - - - - - - - - - - - *^*-^.....
....^-*^*# ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ #*^*-^....
...^-*^*#@ . . . . . . @#*^*-^...
..^-*^*#@# . . . #@#*^*-^..
.^-*^*#@## ##@#*^*-^.
..^-*^*#@# #@#*^*-^..
...^-*^*#@ @#*^*-^...
....^-*^*# #*^*-^....
.....^-*^* *^*-^.....