#$;.¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨.;$#
##@#$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$#@##
@$$$*;;~.¨ ¨.~;;*$$$@
##$$*;~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~;*$$##
#*;;.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.;;*#
##@#$*;~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~;*$#@##
@@@#$*;~.¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨.~;*$#@@@
#*;~.¨¨¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . ¨¨¨¨¨.~;*#
###**~~~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~~~**###
@$;~~~~¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨~~~~;$@
##@#$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$#@##
###@$*;~.¨ just off the coast to the baltic sea ¨.~;*$@###
##@#$*;~.¨ there's a freshwater pond, secluded ¨.~;*$#@##
##@#$*;~.¨ among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ¨.~;*$#@##
##@#$*;~.¨ limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ¨.~;*$#@##
##@#$*;~.¨ surrounding plains, a ninety degree ¨.~;*$#@##
##***~¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨.~;***###
@$$;.¨¨¨¨¨ sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ¨¨¨¨¨.;$$@
@#$$;~~¨¨¨ deep. when they finally find the path ¨¨¨~~;$$#@
##@#$*;~.¨ down between the rocks, away from the ¨.~;*$#@##
#$;..¨¨¨¨¨ bushwork and into the cleft, they are ¨¨¨¨¨..;$#
##@#$*;~.¨ bleeding from a thousand wounds. as ¨.~;*$#@##
##@#$*;~.¨ they drink from the dark water, it is ¨.~;*$#@##
@##$$*;~.¨ in turn drinking the animals blood. ¨.~;*$$##@
@$$$;.¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨.;$$$@
@#$;~¨¨¨¨¨ the circle is complete, the contract ¨¨¨¨¨~;$#@
@$**~¨¨¨¨¨ carried out; the animal is abandoned to ¨¨¨¨¨~**$@
###@$*;~.¨ find its own way back. the bushes roots ¨.~;*$@###
#$*;.¨¨¨¨¨ drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ¨¨¨¨¨.;*$#
####$*;~.¨ dance in the sunbeams. ¨.~;*$####
##@#$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$#@##
@$;;~.¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨.~;;$@
##@#$*;~.¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨.~;*$#@##
##@#$*;~.¨ . . . . . . . . ¨.~;*$#@##
@@#*;~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~;*#@@
@@$;.¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨.;$@@
@$;;~..¨¨¨ ¨¨¨..~;;$@
#@@#$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$#@@#
#@@#$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$#@@#
####$*;~.¨ ¨.~;*$####
#*~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~*#