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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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