¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨#                                          ##¨####¨#¨
¨¨¨##¨¨¨#¨                                          ¨##¨¨¨###¨
¨¨#¨#¨¨###                                          #¨#¨¨#¨¨#¨
¨####¨#¨¨#                                          ###¨##¨##¨
#¨¨¨###¨##                                          ¨¨##¨##¨#¨
#¨¨#¨¨##¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨#¨##¨####
#¨##¨#¨### ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ###¨##¨¨¨¨
##¨####¨¨¨ ~     ~     ~     ~    ~    ~    ~     ~ ¨¨##¨#¨¨¨#
¨##¨¨¨#¨¨¨ =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = ¨#¨###¨¨#¨
#¨#¨¨##¨¨# ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ###¨¨#¨##¨
###¨#¨#¨##                                          ¨¨#¨###¨##
¨¨######¨¨ 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.          ##¨##¨#¨¨#
¨##¨###¨¨¨                                          ¨##¨###¨#¨
#¨##¨¨#¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ #¨##¨¨###¨
##¨#¨##¨¨¨ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   = ##¨#¨#¨¨##
¨####¨#¨¨# ~     ~    ~     ~    ~     ~    ~     ~ ¨#####¨#¨¨
#¨¨¨###¨#¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨¨¨¨###¨¨
#¨¨#¨¨#### ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #¨¨¨#¨¨#¨#
#¨##¨#¨¨¨¨                                          #¨¨##¨###¨
##¨###¨¨¨#                                          #¨#¨##¨¨##
¨##¨¨#¨¨##                                          ####¨#¨#¨¨
#¨#¨##¨#¨#                                          ¨¨¨#####¨¨
####¨####¨                                          ¨¨#¨¨¨¨#¨#