..,~=†§§#@ @#§§†=~,..
...,~=†§§# #§§†=~,...
....,~=†§§ §§†=~,....
.....,~=†§ §†=~,.....
......,~=† †=~,......
.......,~= . . . =~,.......
........,~ . . . . . . ~,........
.......,~= , , , , , , , , =~,.......
......,~=† ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ †=~,......
.....,~=†§ ======================================== §†=~,.....
....,~=†§§ §§†=~,....
...,~=†§§# 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. §†=~,.....
....,~=†§§ §§†=~,....
...,~=†§§# ======================================== #§§†=~,...
..,~=†§§#@ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ @#§§†=~,..
.,~=†§§#@# , , , , , , , , #@#§§†=~,.
..,~=†§§#@ . . . . . . @#§§†=~,..
...,~=†§§# . . . #§§†=~,...
....,~=†§§ §§†=~,....
.....,~=†§ §†=~,.....
......,~=† †=~,......
.......,~= =~,.......
........,~ ~,........