#$//~---¨¨ ¨¨---~//$#
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
¤$$$$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$$$$¤
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
#¤%/-¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨-/%¤#
¤$/~--¨¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨¨--~/$¤
###¤$%/~-¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨-~/%$¤###
#¤$%%%/~-¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨-~/%%%$¤#
###¤$%/~-¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨-~/%$¤###
#¤$$$%/~-¨ 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 ¨¨¨-~~/$$#
#¤%%~---¨¨ SLOANE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THORNS CUT ¨¨---~%%¤#
###¤$%/~-¨ DEEP. WHEN THEY FINALLY FIND THE PATH ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ DOWN BETWEEN THE ROCKS, AWAY FROM THE ¨-~/%$¤###
¤$/--¨¨¨¨¨ BUSHWORK AND INTO THE CLEFT, THEY ARE ¨¨¨¨¨--/$¤
###¤$%/~-¨ BLEEDING FROM A THOUSAND WOUNDS. AS ¨-~/%$¤###
¤%~~¨¨¨¨¨¨ THEY DRINK FROM THE DARK WATER, IT IS ¨¨¨¨¨¨~~%¤
#¤¤%%%/~-¨ IN TURN DRINKING THE ANIMALS BLOOD. ¨-~/%%%¤¤#
#¤$%/~¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨~/%$¤#
##$///~~-¨ THE CIRCLE IS COMPLETE, THE CONTRACT ¨-~~///$##
###¤$%/~-¨ CARRIED OUT; THE ANIMAL IS ABANDONED TO ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ FIND ITS OWN WAY BACK. THE BUSHES ROOTS ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ DRINK THE NUTRUTIOUS WATER. THE FAIRIES ¨-~/%$¤###
###¤$%/~-¨ DANCE IN THE SUNBEAMS. ¨-~/%$¤###
##¤%~~--¨¨ ¨¨--~~%¤##
¤%/-¨¨¨¨¨¨ //////////////////////////////////////// ¨¨¨¨¨¨-/%¤
#¤$$///~-¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨-~///$$¤#
#$/~-¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨-~/$#
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###¤$%/~-¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨-~/%$¤###
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#¤¤¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤¤¤#
¤¤¤$//--¨¨ ¨¨--//$¤¤¤
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###¤$%/~-¨ ¨-~/%$¤###