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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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