###=\~:,,, ,,,:~\=###
####=\~:,, ,,:~\=####
#####=\~:, ,:~\=#####
####=\~:,, ,,:~\=####
###=\~:,,, ,,,:~\=###
##=\~:,,,, , , , ,,,,:~\=##
#=\~:,,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,,:~\=#
=\~:,,,,,, : : : : : : : : ,,,,,,:~\=
#=\~:,,,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,,,:~\=#
##=\~:,,,, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ,,,,:~\=##
###=\~:,,, ,,,:~\=###
####=\~:,, 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. ,,:~\=####
#####=\~:, ,:~\=#####
####=\~:,, \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ,,:~\=####
###=\~:,,, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,,,:~\=###
##=\~:,,,, : : : : : : : : ,,,,:~\=##
#=\~:,,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,,:~\=#
=\~:,,,,,, , , , ,,,,,,:~\=
#=\~:,,,,, ,,,,,:~\=#
##=\~:,,,, ,,,,:~\=##
###=\~:,,, ,,,:~\=###
####=\~:,, ,,:~\=####
#####=\~:, ,:~\=#####