¨§¨¨¨¨¨¨§¨                                          §§§§¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨§§§§¨¨¨                                          §§§¨¨§§§§§
¨§¨¨§§¨¨§¨                                          §§¨¨¨¨§§§¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨                                          §¨¨§§¨¨§¨¨
§§§§§§§§§¨                                          ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§
§§§§§§§§¨¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ §§§§§§§§¨¨
¨§§§§§§¨¨¨ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ §§§§§§§¨¨¨
¨¨§§§§¨¨§§ :    :     :     :     :    :     :    : §§§§§§¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨¨ ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~  ~   ~ §§§§§¨¨¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§§§ **************************************** §§§§¨¨§§§§
§¨¨§§¨¨§§§                                          §§§¨¨¨¨§§§
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§§ 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.          ¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨§§§                                          ¨§§§§¨¨§§§
¨¨§§§§¨¨§§ **************************************** ¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§§
¨¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ~  ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~ ¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨¨
§§¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ :    :    :     :    :     :     :     : §§§§¨¨¨¨§§
§¨¨§§¨¨¨¨§ ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ¨§§¨¨§§¨¨§
¨¨¨¨¨¨§§¨¨ ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
§§§§§¨¨¨¨¨                                          ¨§§§§§§§§§
§§§§¨¨§§§§                                          ¨¨§§§§§§§§
§§§¨¨¨¨§§§                                          §¨¨§§§§§§§
§§¨¨§§¨¨§§                                          ¨¨¨¨§§§§§§
§¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨§                                          §§§¨¨§§§§§