&&%%=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=%%&&
##&%=^^~.¨ ¨.~^^=%&##
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
&%^~.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.~^%&
#&====^~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~^====&#
###&%=^~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~^=%&###
#&&=~~¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨~~=&&#
###&%=^~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨.~^=%&###
&=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=&
####&%=^~¨ 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. ¨.~^=%&###
&&%^.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.^%&&
###&%=^~.¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨.~^=%&###
##&&%=^~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~^=%&&##
#&=~~~.¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨.~~~=&#
###&%=^~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
###&%=^~.¨ ¨.~^=%&###
#&%%^^~~.¨ ¨.~~^^%%&#