.....^~†%& &%†~^.....
....^~†%&& &&%†~^....
...^~†%&&# #&&%†~^...
..^~†%&&## ##&&%†~^..
.^~†%&&### ###&&%†~^.
..^~†%&&## . . . ##&&%†~^..
...^~†%&&# . . . . . . #&&%†~^...
....^~†%&& ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ &&%†~^....
.....^~†%& ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &%†~^.....
......^~†% †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† %†~^......
.......^~† †~^.......
........^~ 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. %†~^......
.......^~† †~^.......
........^~ †††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††††† ~^........
.......^~† ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ †~^.......
......^~†% ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ %†~^......
.....^~†%& . . . . . . &%†~^.....
....^~†%&& . . . &&%†~^....
...^~†%&&# #&&%†~^...
..^~†%&&## ##&&%†~^..
.^~†%&&### ###&&%†~^.
..^~†%&&## ##&&%†~^..
...^~†%&&# #&&%†~^...