@##@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@##@
##@#%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%#@##
#@@^^;^^^¨ ¨^^^;^^@@#
#@#@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@#@#
###@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@###
#@@@%^;-^¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨^-;^%@@@#
@@%;^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^;%@@
#@^^;--^^¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨^^--;^^@#
@^^-^¨¨¨¨¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨¨¨¨¨^-^^@
#@#@%^;-^¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨^-;^%@#@#
##@@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@@##
@@^^-¨¨¨¨¨ 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. ¨^-;^%@#@#
##@%%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%%@##
##@#@%^;^¨ ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; ¨^;^%@#@##
##@#@^;-^¨ - - - - - - - - - - - ¨^-;^@#@##
@@#@%^;-^¨ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ¨^-;^%@#@@
@@@^-^^¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨^^-^@@@
##@#@%^;^¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨^;^%@#@##
@%%^-^¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨^-^%%@
#@#@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@#@#
@%%%;^^^¨¨ ¨¨^^^;%%%@
#@#@%^;-^¨ ¨^-;^%@#@#
##@#@%;-^¨ ¨^-;%@#@##