§§§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §§§¨¨§§¨¨§
§§§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          ¨§§¨§¨§¨§¨
¨§§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ~    ~    ~     ~     ~     ~     ~    ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§ »   »   »   »   »   »   »  »   »   »   » §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ 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.          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§ »   »   »   »  »   »   »   »   »   »   » §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ~    ~    ~     ~     ~    ~     ~     ~ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨§§¨¨                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨
§¨§¨§¨¨§¨§                                          §¨§¨§¨§¨§¨