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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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