¨§§§§¨¨§§§                                          §§§§§¨¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨¨§¨§¨¨                                          §¨¨¨¨§¨¨§§
§§§¨¨§§§§¨                                          ¨§¨¨¨§§¨§¨
§¨¨§¨§¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§§
¨§¨§§§§¨¨§                                          §¨¨§¨§§§¨¨
¨§§§¨¨¨§¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §§¨§§§¨¨§¨
¨§¨¨§¨¨§§§ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨ ¨¨§§¨¨§¨§§
§§§¨§§¨§¨¨ ,     ,     ,    ,    ,     ,     ,    , ¨¨§¨§¨§§§¨
§¨¨§§¨§§§¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   = §¨§§§§§¨¨§
¨§¨§¨§§¨¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §§§¨¨¨¨§¨§
§§§§§§¨§¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§ 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.          §§§¨¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨¨§¨¨§§¨                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨§¨
§§¨¨§§¨§¨§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨¨¨§§¨¨¨§§
¨¨§¨§¨§§§§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   = ¨¨¨§¨§¨¨§¨
¨¨§§§§§¨¨¨ ,     ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    ,    , ¨¨¨§§§§¨§§
§¨§¨¨¨¨§¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨¨¨§¨¨¨§§¨
§§§§¨¨¨§§¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨¨§§¨¨§¨§
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §§¨§¨§¨§§§
§¨¨¨§§¨§§§                                          §¨§§§§§§¨¨
§§¨¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§¨§¨§§§¨§¨                                          ¨§¨§¨¨¨¨§§
¨§§§§¨¨§§§                                          §§§§§¨¨¨§¨