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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. #$$=«:,,,,
,,,,,:«=$$ $$=«:,,,,,
,,,,,,:«=$ ======================================== $=«:,,,,,,
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,,,:«=$$#@ @#$$=«:,,,