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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. ¨.«^%%§¶##
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##¶§%%^«.¨ ««%% %%«« ¨.«^%%§¶##
##¶§%%^«.¨ «««««%% FAIRIES LIVE HERE. %%««««« ¨.«^%%§¶##
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##¶§%%^«.¨ ««««%%%%%%%%«««« ¨.«^%%§¶##
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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. ¨¨¨¨.^^%%¶
##¶§%%^«.¨ ¨.«^%%§¶##
##¶§%%^«.¨ 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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###¶§%^«.¨ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ¨.«^%§¶###
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