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,,^«/^$§## , , , ##§$^/«^,,
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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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