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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 ....:~~^##
##£#$^*~:. to stay just below the grass, so that .:~*^$#£##
##£#$^*~:. the animals what come to drink the .:~*^$#£##
#$$$^^*~:. water cannot see it before it draws .:~*^^$$$#
##£#$^*~:. their blood. closer to the pond, the .:~*^$#£##
##£#$^*~:. sloane can grow taller, being able to .:~*^$#£##
##$*~..... hide also in the juniper. .....~*$##
##£#$^*~:. .:~*^$#£##
##$^^*:... the fairies will beckon the animals to ...:*^^$##
##£#$^*~:. push forward, tell them that they're .:~*^$#£##
##£#$^*~:. almost at the water, that they may .:~*^$#£##
££$^~:::.. drink soon. and they will tug on the ..:::~^$££
###$*~.... sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ....~*$###
£$*:...... deep. when they finally find the path ......:*$£
££$**~:... down between the rocks, away from the ...:~**$££
##£#$^*~:. bushwork and into the cleft, they are .:~*^$#£##
###£#$^*~. bleeding from a thousand wounds. as .~*^$#£###
##£#$^*~:. they drink from the dark water, it is .:~*^$#£##
#^*:...... 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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