,,,,,~*=$@ @$=*~,,,,,
,,,..~*$$@ @$$*~..,,,
,.~~***$&@ @&$***~~.,
,.~*=$&@@# #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@## , , , ##@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@## , , , , , , ##@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@## . . . . . . . . ##@&$=*~.,
,.*=$&@@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@@&$=*.,
,.~*=$&@## **************************************** ##@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@## ##@&$=*~.,
,,,~~*=$&@ just off the coast to the baltic sea @&$=*~~,,,
,.~*=$&@@# there's a freshwater pond, secluded #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the #@@&$=*~.,
,,,~~===$@ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the @$===~~,,,
,.~*=$&@@# surrounding plains, a ninety degree #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# drop down, down, to the midnight-black #@@&$=*~.,
,,,,,.*$@@ water. @@$*.,,,,,
,.~*=$&@@# #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# ~~~~========~~~~ #@@&$=*~.,
,,,..~~*$@ ~~== ==~~ @$*~~..,,,
,,,...*$$& ~~~~~== fairies live here. ==~~~~~ &$$*...,,,
,,,,,,~*$@ ~~== ==~~ @$*~,,,,,,
,.~*=$&@@# ~~~~========~~~~ #@@&$=*~.,
,,...~=$&@ @&$=~...,,
,.~~~~*=$& they speak to the sloane, caress it, &$=*~~~~.,
,,...*$$$& urge it to grow thicker, tangled, with &$$$*...,,
,.~*=$&@@# longer and sharper thorns. they tell it #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# to stay just below the grass, so that #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@@ the animals what come to drink the @@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# water cannot see it before it draws #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# their blood. closer to the pond, the #@@&$=*~.,
,,,,~=$$$& sloane can grow taller, being able to &$$$=~,,,,
,,,~~~**$@ hide also in the juniper. @$**~~~,,,
,.~*=$&@@@ @@@&$=*~.,
,,,~**$&&@ the fairies will beckon the animals to @&&$**~,,,
,.~*=$&@@# push forward, tell them that they're #@@&$=*~.,
,,,,,~=$@@ almost at the water, that they may @@$=~,,,,,
,,,,,~=$$@ drink soon. and they will tug on the @$$=~,,,,,
,,,,,..*$& sloane to make sure that the thorns cut &$*..,,,,,
,.~*=$&&&& deep. when they finally find the path &&&&$=*~.,
,,,,.*===& down between the rocks, away from the &===*.,,,,
,.*=$&@@## bushwork and into the cleft, they are ##@@&$=*.,
,.~*=$&@@# bleeding from a thousand wounds. as #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# they drink from the dark water, it is #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# in turn drinking the animals blood. #@@&$=*~.,
,,,,,,~=$@ @$=~,,,,,,
,.~*=$&@@# the circle is complete, the contract #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@@ carried out; the animal is abandoned to @@@&$=*~.,
.~*=$&@@## find its own way back. the bushes roots ##@@&$=*~.
,.~*=$&@@# drink the nutrutious water. the fairies #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# dance in the sunbeams. #@@&$=*~.,
,,,~~==&&@ @&&==~~,,,
,,,,,.~*=& **************************************** &=*~.,,,,,
,,..**=&@@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @@&=**..,,
,.~*=$&@## . . . . . . . . ##@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@@ , , , , , , @@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@@ , , , @@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@# #@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$&@@@ @@@&$=*~.,
,.~*=$$$&@ @&$$$=*~.,
,.~*====&@ @&====*~.,
,,,~***$@@ @@$***~,,,