#¨###¨¨###                                          ##¨¨#¨#¨¨¨
¨¨#¨##¨#¨#                                          ¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨#                                          ¨###¨¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨#                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨#
#¨¨¨#¨##¨¨                                          ¨¨¨###¨¨¨¨
¨#¨¨¨¨###¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨#¨##¨¨¨
¨¨#¨¨¨#¨## ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨###¨¨
¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨## -     -    -     -     -     -    -    - ¨¨¨¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨ «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨###
#¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨#
##¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨¨ 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.          ###¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨###
#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨###¨¨#¨#
##¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨ «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨¨#¨##¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨#¨¨¨¨ -    -     -     -     -    -     -    - ¨¨¨¨###¨¨#
¨###¨¨#¨¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨¨¨#¨##¨¨
¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨#¨¨¨¨###¨
¨¨¨###¨¨#¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨#¨##
#¨¨#¨##¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨##
##¨¨¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨#¨
###¨¨#¨##¨                                          #¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨###                                          ##¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨