¶$$:=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=:$$¶
#¶$$:=~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~=:$$¶#
##¶$$:=~¨¨ ¨¨~=:$$¶##
###¶$$:=~¨ ¨~=:$$¶###
##¶$$:=~¨¨ ¨¨~=:$$¶##
#¶$$:=~¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨~=:$$¶#
¶$$:=~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~=:$$¶
$$:=~¨¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨¨~=:$$
$:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:$
:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=
~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨~=:$$
¶$$:=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=:$$¶
#¶$$:=~¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨~=:$$¶#
##¶$$:=~¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = ¨¨~=:$$¶##
###¶$$:=~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~=:$$¶###
##¶$$:=~¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨~=:$$¶##
#¶$$:=~¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨~=:$$¶#
¶$$:=~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~=:$$¶
$$:=~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~=:$$
$:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:$
:=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=:
=~¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨~=