##&&§=:=-¨ ¨-=:=§&#
&&§==:=¨¨¨ ¨¨¨=:==§&&
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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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