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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. ¨¨,«:§£#
###&£§:«,¨ ¨,«:§£##
####&£§:«, ««««§§§§§§§§«««« ,«:§£###
###&£§:«,¨ ««§§ §§«« ¨,«:§£##
##&£§:«,¨¨ «««««§§ 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. ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ , , , , , , , , ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,
«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«
:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:
§:«,¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨,«:§
£§:«,¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨,«:§£