##¨###¨¨¨#                                          ¨#¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨##¨¨#¨¨##                                          ###¨#¨¨¨¨#
#¨#¨##¨#¨#                                          ¨¨###¨¨¨##
####¨####¨                                          ¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨##¨¨¨#¨                                          ##¨##¨##¨#
¨¨#¨#¨¨##¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨##¨###
¨####¨#¨#¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨##¨##¨¨#
#¨¨¨###### ,     ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    , ##¨##¨#¨##
#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨ «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ¨##¨####¨¨
#¨##¨¨¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// #¨##¨¨¨#¨#
##¨#¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          ##¨#¨¨###¨
¨###¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          #¨#¨¨#¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨¨#¨#                                          ###¨##¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨¨###¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨##¨#¨##¨
###¨¨#¨¨## «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « ¨#¨####¨##
¨¨#¨##¨#¨# ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     , ###¨¨¨##¨¨
¨###¨##### ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨#¨¨
#¨¨##¨¨¨¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨####¨¨
#¨#¨#¨¨¨#¨                                          #¨##¨¨¨#¨#
#####¨¨###                                          ##¨#¨¨###¨
¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#                                          ¨###¨#¨¨##
¨¨¨####¨#¨                                          #¨¨###¨#¨#
¨¨#¨¨¨###¨                                          #¨#¨¨#####