¨¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨& &¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨ &&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨ &&&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨&¨&&¨¨ &¨&&¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨&&&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨&¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&& : : : : : : : : ¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨&&
&¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨ 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. &&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨
¨¨¨¨&&&¨¨& &¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨&&¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨¨&&&¨¨¨¨&
&¨¨¨¨¨&&&¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨¨&¨&& : : : : : : : : &¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨
¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨&& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨&¨¨&¨&&¨¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&¨¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨&¨¨&¨&&
&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨&&
&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨&¨
&&&¨¨¨¨&¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨¨
&¨&&¨¨¨¨&¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨&¨¨