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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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