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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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