##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
#@#§$$^~:. .:~^$$§#@#
##$^~~~~:. .:~~~~^$##
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. . . . .:~^$§#@##
#@#$~::... . . . . . . ...::~$#@#
##@#§$^~:. : : : : : : : : .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~^$§#@##
@§$$^~.... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ....~^$$§@
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
@#$~:..... JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA .....:~$#@
#$^~~:.... THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ....:~~^$#
##@#§$^~:. AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. DROP DOWN, DOWN, TO THE MIDNIGHT-BLACK .:~^$§#@##
@§§§§$^~:. WATER. .:~^$§§§§@
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
@§§$$^~~:. ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ .:~~^$$§§@
##@#§$^~:. ~~$$ $$~~ .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. ~~~~~$$ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. $$~~~~~ .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. ~~$$ $$~~ .:~^$§#@##
@@##§$^~:. ~~~~$$$$$$$$~~~~ .:~^$§##@@
@§^~~..... .....~~^§@
##@#§$^~:. THEY SPEAK TO THE SLOANE, CARESS IT, .:~^$§#@##
##$$^::... 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 ....::^§##
@@@#§$^~:. DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. .:~^$§#@@@
@#$~...... ......~$#@
#§$~:..... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .....:~$§#
##@#§$^~:. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .:~^$§#@##
#@##§$^~:. : : : : : : : : .:~^$§##@#
@@@#§$^~:. . . . . . . .:~^$§#@@@
##@#§$^~:. . . . .:~^$§#@##
##§§§$^~:. .:~^$§§§##
@#§^~:.... ....:~^§#@
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
##@#§$^~:. .:~^$§#@##
#$~~:..... .....:~~$#