§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨§§§¨
§¨§§¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§¨¨¨¨§¨§¨
¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§                                          ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§                                          ¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨ ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§ :    :     :     :     :    :     :    : ¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   =   = ¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨¨§¨¨¨¨¨
¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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.          §§¨¨¨§§§¨¨
¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§¨§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §¨§§¨¨¨§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨§ =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =   =  = ¨¨§§§¨¨§¨§
§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨¨ :    :     :    :     :     :     :    : ¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨§
¨§§¨¨¨¨¨§¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨¨¨§§§¨¨§
¨§§§¨¨¨¨¨§ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨§¨§§¨¨
¨§¨§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨§§§¨¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨§§
§¨¨§¨§§¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§
§§¨¨¨§§§¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨
§§§¨¨§¨§§¨                                          §¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨