§,,,,,,,,,                                          ,§§§,,,§,,
§§,,,,,,,,                                          §§,,§,,§§,
§,§,,,,,,,                                          ,,§,§§,§,§
,§§§,,,,,,                                          §,§§§,§§§§
§§,,§,,,,,                                          §§§,,§§,,,
§,§,§§,,,, ,                  ,                   , §,,§,§,§,,
§§§§§,§,,, ,      ,       ,       ,       ,       , ,§,§§§§§§,
§,,,,§§§,, ,     ,     ,     ,     ,    ,    ,    , ,§§§,,,,,§
,§,,,§,,§, =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   = ,§,,§,,,,§
§§§,,§§,§§ ======================================== §§§,§§,,,§
,,,§,§,§§,                                          ,,,§§,§,,§
§,,§§§§§,§ 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.          ,§§,,,,§,§
,,§,,,,§,§                                          §§,§,,,§§§
§,§§,,,§§§ ======================================== §,§§§,,§,,
§§§,§,,§,, =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   =   = ,§§,,§,§§,
§,,§§§,§§, ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     ,    ,     , §§,§,§§§,§
,§,§,,§§,§ ,       ,       ,      ,       ,       , §,§§§§,,§§
§§§§§,§,§§ ,                  ,                   , ,§§,,,§,§,
§,,,,§§§§,                                          §§,§,,§§§§
,§,,,§,,,§                                          ,,§§§,§,,,
,§§,,§§,,§                                          §,§,,§§§,,
,§,§,§,§,§                                          §§§§,§,,§,
,§§§§§§§§§                                          §,,,§§§,§§