&%«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«%&
&*%//,¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨,//%*&
&&%«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«%&&
#@***%/«,¨ ¨,«/%***@#
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
@&&%««,,¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨,,««%&&@
&*/,¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨,/*&
&&*%/«¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨«/%*&&
##@&*%/«,¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨,«/%*&@##
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
##@&*%/«,¨ 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. ¨¨,,//*&@#
&*%/««¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨««/%*&
##@&*%/«,¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨,«/%*&@##
@@*/««¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨««/*@@
&*%%/,,¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨,,/%%*&
@*/«,,¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨,,«/*@
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨,«/%*&@##
@**/«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«/**@
#@*%%%/«,¨ ¨,«/%%%*@#
##@&*%/«,¨ ¨,«/%*&@##