,,,,§,,,,,                                          ,,,,,,,,,§
,§§,,,§§§§                                          §§§§§§§§,,
,,,,§,,§§§                                          §§§§§§§,,§
,§§,,,,,§§                                          §§§§§§,,,,
,,,,§§§,,§                                          §§§§§,,§§§
,§§,,§,,,, ,                  ,                   , §§§§,,,,§,
,,,,,,,§§, ,       ,      ,       ,       ,       , §§§,,§§,,,
§§§§§§,,,, -     -    -    -     -     -    -     - §§,,,,,,§§
§§§§§,,§§§ «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,,,§§§§,,§
§§§§,,,,§§ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ §§,,§§,,,,
,§§,,§§,,§                                          ,,,,,,,§§,
,,,,,,,,,, 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.          ,,,,§§§§§§
§,,,,§§§§§                                          ,§§,,§§§§§
,,§§,,§§§, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ,,,,,,§§§§
,,,,,,,§,, «   «  «   «   «   «   «   «   «   «   « ,§§§§,,§§,
§§§§§§,,,, -    -     -    -     -     -     -    - ,,§§,,,,,,
,§§§§,,§§§ ,       ,       ,       ,      ,       , §,,,,§§§§,
,,§§,,,,§§ ,                  ,                   , ,,§§,,§§,,
§,,,,§§,,§                                          §,,,,,,,,§
,,§§,,,,,,                                          ,,§§§§§§,,
§,,,,§§§§,                                          ,,,§§§§,,§
,,§§,,§§,,                                          §§,,§§,,,,
§,,,,,,,,,                                          §,,,,,,§§§