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¨¨¨¨¨^=^## ======================================== ##^=^¨¨¨¨¨
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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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