¨¨¨¨¨.~\%% %%\~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~\%%¤ ¤%%\~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%%¤@ @¤%%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨.~\%%¤@@ @@¤%%\~.¨¨
¨.~\%%¤@@# #@@¤%%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%%¤@@ ¨ ¨ ¨ @@¤%%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%%¤@ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ @¤%%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~\%%¤ . . . . . . . . ¤%%\~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~\%% ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ %%\~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\% \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ %\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\ \~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\% 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. @@¤%%\~.¨¨
¨.~\%%¤@@# #@@¤%%\~.¨
¨¨.~\%%¤@@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ @@¤%%\~.¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%%¤@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @¤%%\~.¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~\%%¤ . . . . . . . . ¤%%\~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~\%% ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ %%\~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\% ¨ ¨ ¨ %\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\ \~.¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨.~\% %\~.¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨.~\%% %%\~.¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨.~\%%¤ ¤%%\~.¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨.~\%%¤@ @¤%%\~.¨¨¨