¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/                                          /~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/*                                          */~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~/*§                                          §*/~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~/*§£                                          £§*/~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~/*§£¶                                          ¶£§*/~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~/*§£¶# ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #¶£§*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*§£¶## ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¶£§*/~,¨
¨¨,~/*§£¶# ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,    , #¶£§*/~,¨¨
¨¨¨,~/*§£¶ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¶£§*/~,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~/*§£ //////////////////////////////////////// £§*/~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~/*§                                          §*/~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/* 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.          £§*/~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~/*§                                          §*/~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/* //////////////////////////////////////// */~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ /~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     , ~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ /~,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨,~/* ¨                   ¨                  ¨ */~,¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,~/*§                                          §*/~,¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨,~/*§£                                          £§*/~,¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨,~/*§£¶                                          ¶£§*/~,¨¨¨
¨¨,~/*§£¶#                                          #¶£§*/~,¨¨
¨,~/*§£¶##                                          ##¶£§*/~,¨