¨.~=%*¤@## ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨¨..=%%**¤ ¤**%%=..¨¨
¨¨.~~%**@@ @@**%~~.¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~=%¤# #¤%=~.¨¨¨¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨¨¨.~=%¤¤¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤¤¤%=~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨..~%**¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤**%~..¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=%¤ . . . . . . . . ¤%=.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ======================================== ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@## 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. ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@@# #@@¤*%=~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨~%*¤@ ======================================== @¤*%~¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~%¤ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¤%~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=%*¤@## . . . . . . . . ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨~%%¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤%%~¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%***¤¤ ¤¤***%=~.¨
¨.~=%***@# #@***%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨.~=%*¤@## ##@¤*%=~.¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.=*¤ ¤*=.¨¨¨¨¨¨