§.§....§.§                                          ..§.§§...§
§.§...§§.§                                          .§§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§                                          §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ .                   .                  . §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§ .       .      .       .       .       . §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ .    .    .     .    .     .     .     . §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§ =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   = §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ ======================================== §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ 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.          §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ ======================================== §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§ =   =   =   =   =   =  =   =   =   =   = §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ .     .    .    .    .     .     .     . §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§ .       .       .      .       .       . §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§ .                  .                   . §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§                                          §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.
§.§.§§.§.§                                          §.§..§..§.
§.§..§.§.§                                          §.§.§§.§§.