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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. ¨.=^*%####
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####%*^=.¨ =====** fairies live here. **===== ¨.=^*%####
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###%%*^=.¨ 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. ¨...=^***#
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##£#%*^=.¨ 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. ¨.=^*%#£##
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###£%*^=.¨ 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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