,,,,:***†& &†***:,,,,
,,:»»†††$& &$†††»»:,,
,,,,,,,»†& &†»,,,,,,,
,,,,,::*$@ @$*::,,,,,
,:»»»*†$&@ @&$†*»»»:,
,:»*†$&@@# , , , #@@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## , , , , , , ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## : : : : : : : : ##@&$†*»:,
,,,,,:*†&# » » » » » » » » » » » #&†*:,,,,,
,:»*†$&@## **************************************** ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&&&# #&&&$†*»:,
,:»*†$$&@# just off the coast to the baltic sea #@&$$†*»:,
,:»*†††$$@ there's a freshwater pond, secluded @$$†††*»:,
,,,,,,,»†& 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 &†»:,,,,,,
,:»*†$&@## bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## they drink from the dark water, it is ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$$$@@ in turn drinking the animals blood. @@$$$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## the circle is complete, the contract ##@&$†*»:,
,::::**†$& carried out; the animal is abandoned to &$†**::::,
,:»*†$&@## find its own way back. the bushes roots ##@&$†*»:,
,,,:*†$&&& drink the nutrutious water. the fairies &&&$†*:,,,
,:»*†$&### dance in the sunbeams. ###&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## ##@&$†*»:,
,,,,»»»†&& **************************************** &&†»»»,,,,
,,,:::*†&@ » » » » » » » » » » » @&†*:::,,,
,:»*†$&@## : : : : : : : : ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## , , , , , , ##@&$†*»:,
,:»»»†$&@# , , , #@&$†»»»:,
,:»*†$&@## ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## ##@&$†*»:,
,:»*†$&@## ##@&$†*»:,
,,,,:»*$$@ @$$*»:,,,,
,,,,:**$&@ @&$**:,,,,