¨^«:^*§@## ##@§*^:«^¨
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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. @§^^:^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨^::*@# #@*::^¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨««^^§ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: §^^««¨¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨«««^§@ « « « « « « « « « « « @§^«««¨¨¨¨
¨¨¨¨¨^«^*@ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ @*^«^¨¨¨¨¨
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¨^^^««^^§# #§^^««^^^¨
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¨¨¨¨¨^^«^§ §^«^^¨¨¨¨¨
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¨¨¨¨¨¨¨«^§ §^«¨¨¨¨¨¨¨