####§*=;«~ ~«;=*§####
###§*=;«~. .~«;=*§###
##*=;«~... ...~«;=*##
§=;;«..... .....«;;=§
###§*=;«~. .~«;=*§###
###§*=;«~. . . . .~«;=*§###
###§*=;«~. . . . . . . .~«;=*§###
###§*=;«~. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~«;=*§###
#§§§*=;«~. « « « « « « « « « « « .~«;=*§§§#
####§*=«~. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .~«=*§####
##§§*=;«~. .~«;=*§§##
###§*=;«~. 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. .~«;=*§###
§*;«...... ......«;*§
###§*=;«~. ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; .~«;=*§###
###§*=;«~. « « « « « « « « « « « .~«;=*§###
§§==«~~... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...~~«==§§
#§*;~..... . . . . . . .....~;*§#
##§=««~... . . . ...~««=§##
§§*==««~~. .~~««==*§§
###§*=;«~. .~«;=*§###
§****=;«~. .~«;=****§
###§*=;«~. .~«;=*§###
§§§=;;;«~. .~«;;;=§§§