###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
#§****^~,. .,~^****§#
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
#§**^,.... ....,^**§#
#§§*~..... . . . .....~*§§#
§§§§^^^~,. . . . . . . .,~^^^§§§§
##§*~,.... , , , , , , , , ....,~*§##
###§§*^~,. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .,~^*§§###
§§*^^^~... ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ...~^^^*§§
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
###§§*^~,. 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. .....,,~*§
#§§§§*^~,. .,~^*§§§§#
#§§§^~~~,. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ .,~~~^§§§#
#§§*^~.... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ....~^*§§#
§*~....... , , , , , , , , .......~*§
###§§*^~,. . . . . . . .,~^*§§###
####§*^~,. . . . .,~^*§####
§***^^,,.. ..,,^^***§
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###
###§§*^~,. .,~^*§§###