&¨¨¨&¨¨¨¨& &&¨&&&¨¨&&
&&¨¨¨&¨¨¨& &&¨&¨&&¨&¨
&&&¨¨¨&¨¨& &&¨¨¨&&¨¨¨
&¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨ &&&¨¨&&&¨¨
¨¨&&&¨¨¨&¨ &¨&&¨&¨&&¨
¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨& ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&&¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&&&¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨&¨&&¨¨ . . . . . . . . &¨&¨&&¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨¨&&&¨ = = = = = = = = = = = &¨¨¨&&&¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨&& ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &&¨¨&¨&&¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨¨&& ¨&&¨¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ 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. ¨¨¨&¨¨¨&&&
&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨¨ &¨¨¨&¨¨&¨&
&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ &&¨¨¨&¨¨¨&
¨&&¨¨&¨¨¨¨ = = = = = = = = = = = &&&¨¨¨&¨¨&
¨&&&¨¨&¨¨¨ . . . . . . . . &¨&&¨¨¨&¨¨
¨&¨&&¨¨&¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&&&¨¨¨&¨
¨¨¨&&&¨¨&¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨&¨&&¨¨¨&
&¨¨&¨&&¨¨& &¨¨¨&&&¨¨¨
¨&¨¨¨&&&¨¨ &&¨¨&¨&&¨¨
¨¨&¨¨&¨&&¨ ¨&&¨¨¨&&&¨
¨¨¨&¨¨¨&&& ¨&&&¨¨&¨&&
&¨¨¨&¨¨&¨& ¨&¨&&¨¨¨&&