¨¨¨¨###¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨#
¨¨¨#¨¨#¨##                                          #¨¨##¨¨¨##
¨¨##¨###¨#                                          #¨#¨#¨¨#¨#
¨#¨##¨¨###                                          #####¨####
###¨#¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨#
¨¨#####¨¨# ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨¨#¨#¨¨#¨
¨#¨¨¨¨#¨#¨ ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨####¨##¨
##¨¨¨##### ,     ,     ,    ,     ,     ,    ,    , ¨#¨¨¨##¨#¨
¨#¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   « ##¨¨#¨####
##¨##¨¨¨¨# //////////////////////////////////////// ¨#¨###¨¨¨#
¨##¨#¨¨¨#¨                                          ###¨¨#¨¨#¨
#¨###¨¨### 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.          ¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨## //////////////////////////////////////// ¨####¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨#¨¨ «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «  «   « #¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨##¨¨ ,    ,    ,    ,     ,     ,     ,     , #¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨#¨#¨¨ ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨ #¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨####¨# ¨                  ¨                   ¨ #####¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨#¨¨¨###                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨##¨¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨¨¨##¨¨¨¨¨
¨#¨#¨##¨¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨¨¨¨
#####¨#¨¨¨                                          ¨####¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨###¨¨#                                          #¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨#