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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. ,~«:*§£###
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###£§*:«~, «««««** fairies live here. **««««« ,~«:*§£###
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##££§*:«~, 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. ,~«:*§£###
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##§§:::«~, 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. ,,,,~:§§£#
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###£§*:«~, 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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