.§......§.                                          §§..§§....
...§§§§...                                          §......§§§
.§..§§..§.                                          ..§§§§..§.
..........                                          §..§§.....
§§§§§§§§§§                                          ......§§§§
§§§§§§§§§§ .                  .                   . .§§§§..§§§
§§§§§§§§§. .       .       .       .       .      . ..§§....§§
§§§§§§§§.. -     -     -     -    -    -     -    - .....§§..§
§§§§§§§..§ -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   -   -   - §§§§......
.§§§§§.... ======================================== §§§..§§§§.
..§§§..§§.                                          §§....§§..
§..§...... 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.          .§§§§§§§§.
§§§§......                                          ..§§§§§§..
.§§..§§§§. ======================================== ...§§§§...
......§§.. -   -   -   -   -  -   -   -   -   -   - §§..§§..§§
.§§§§..... -    -     -    -    -     -     -     - ..........
..§§..§§§§ .       .      .       .       .       . §§§§§§§§§§
.......§§§ .                  .                   . .§§§§§§§§.
§§§§§§..§§                                          ..§§§§§§..
.§§§§....§                                          ...§§§§...
..§§..§§..                                          §§..§§..§§
..........                                          ..........
§§§§§§§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§§§