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..@.@@.@@. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ .@.@@.@@.@
.@@..@..@. » » » » » » » » » » » .@..@..@.@
..@.@@.@@. //////////////////////////////////////// .@.@@.@@.@
.@@..@..@. .@..@..@.@
..@.@@.@@. 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. .@.@@.@@.@
.@@..@..@. .@..@..@.@
..@.@@.@@. //////////////////////////////////////// .@.@@.@@.@
.@@..@..@. » » » » » » » » » » » .@..@..@.@
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