###&$*^~-¨ ¨-~^*$&###
&&&$**^~-¨ ¨-~^**$&&&
#&*^^----¨ ¨----^^*&#
&$$^~--¨¨¨ ¨¨¨--~^$$&
&&$^-¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨-^$&&
###&$*^~-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-~^*$&###
#$*^^~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~^^*$#
&***~--¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨--~***&
###&$*^~-¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨-~^*$&###
##$^^-¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨-^^$##
###&$*^~-¨ ¨-~^*$&###
###&$*^~-¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨-~^*$&###
#&&*~¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨-~^***&##
###&$*^~-¨ ¨-~^*$&###
&$***~¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨¨~***$&
#$*^^---¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨---^^*$#
###&$*^~-¨ - - - - - - - - ¨-~^*$&###
###&$*^~-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-~^*$&###
##$$^~---¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨---~^$$##
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#&&$$*^~-¨ ¨-~^*$$&&#
#&**^~~-¨¨ ¨¨-~~^**&#
#&**~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~**&#
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