##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##$:~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~:$##
##@#$*:-~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨~-:*$#@##
##****:-~¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨~-:****##
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ JUST OFF THE COAST TO THE BALTIC SEA ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ THERE'S A FRESHWATER POND, SECLUDED ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ AMONG ASHEN AND JUNIPER. A CLEFT IN THE ¨~-:*$#@##
##@#$*:-~¨ LIMESTONE BEDROCK, SHARP-CUT FROM THE ¨~-:*$#@##
#$:~¨¨¨¨¨¨ SURROUNDING PLAINS, A NINETY DEGREE ¨¨¨¨¨¨~:$#
##*-~¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨~-::**###
##$*::-~~¨ ¨~~-::*$##
###@$*:-~¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨~-:*$@###
##@#$*:-~¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨~-:*$#@##
###$:--¨¨¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨¨¨--:$###
#*:-¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨-:*#
#$:-~¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨~-:$#
@@@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@@@
#$:::-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-:::$#
#$$$::-¨¨¨ ¨¨¨-::$$$#
#@$::-¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨-::$@#
##@#$*:-~¨ ¨~-:*$#@##