¨#¨#¨###¨¨                                          ¨¨#¨#¨¨###
######¨¨#¨                                          #¨####¨#¨¨
#¨¨¨¨¨#¨##                                          ¨##¨¨¨###¨
##¨¨¨¨###¨                                          ##¨#¨¨#¨¨#
¨¨#¨¨¨#¨¨#                                          #¨###¨##¨#
#¨##¨¨##¨# ¨                   ¨                  ¨ ¨##¨¨##¨##
¨##¨#¨#¨## ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨       ¨       ¨ ##¨#¨#¨##¨
¨#¨######¨ -     -     -     -     -    -    -    - ¨¨######¨#
####¨¨¨¨¨# «   «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   « #¨#¨¨¨¨¨##
¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨¨# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ ####¨¨¨¨#¨
¨¨¨¨##¨¨¨#                                          ¨¨¨¨#¨¨¨##
#¨¨¨#¨#¨¨# 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.          #¨##¨¨#¨¨¨
##¨##¨¨#¨#                                          ###¨#¨##¨¨
#¨##¨#¨### \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ #¨¨####¨#¨
###¨####¨¨ «   «   «   «   «  «   «   «   «   «   « ##¨#¨¨¨###
¨¨¨##¨¨¨#¨ -     -    -    -     -     -    -     - ¨¨###¨¨#¨¨
¨¨¨#¨#¨¨## ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨       ¨      ¨ ¨¨#¨¨#¨##¨
¨¨¨####¨#¨ ¨                  ¨                   ¨ ¨¨##¨###¨#
#¨¨#¨¨¨###                                          #¨#¨##¨¨##
¨#¨##¨¨#¨¨                                          ¨####¨#¨#¨
¨###¨#¨##¨                                          ¨#¨¨¨#####
##¨¨####¨#                                          ¨##¨¨#¨¨¨¨
#¨#¨#¨¨¨##                                          ##¨#¨##¨¨¨