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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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