¨,«\$$¤@## ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«$¤# #¤$«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,\$¤¤ ¤¤$\,¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«\$$$$$@ @$$$$$\«,¨
¨,«\$$¤@## ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨¨¨¨«$$$¤¤ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¤¤$$$«¨¨¨¨
¨,«\$$¤@## ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨,«\$$¤@## , , , , , , , , ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨,«\$¤@### « « « « « « « « « « « ###@¤$\«,¨
¨¨¨,«$$$@@ \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ @@$$$«,¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨«$¤¤# #¤¤$«¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨,\$¤# 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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¨,«\$$¤¤¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤¤¤$$\«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨«$¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤$«¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«\$$¤@## ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨«$¤¤¤ ¤¤¤$«¨¨¨¨¨
¨,«\$¤@### ###@¤$\«,¨
¨,«\$$¤@## ##@¤$$\«,¨
¨¨¨¨¨,«\$¤ ¤$\«,¨¨¨¨¨