####..###. ##.....###
###....#.. #..###..##
##..##.... ....#....#
#......### .##...##..
..####..## ....#.....
#..##..... . . . .##...####
......#### . . . . . . ....#..###
.####..### - - - - - - - - .##.....#.
..##....## » » » » » » » » » » » ....###...
#....##... //////////////////////////////////////// ###..#..##
..##....## ##.......#
.....##... 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. ##########
########## ##########
########## //////////////////////////////////////// ##########
########## » » » » » » » » » » » ##########
########## - - - - - - - - ##########
########## . . . . . . ##########
########## . . . ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########
########## ##########