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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 ¨¨¨^^^»^§¤
@¤¤$$§^»^¨ surrounding plains, a ninety degree ¨^»^§$$¤¤@
#@#¤$§^»^¨ drop down, down, to the midnight-black ¨^»^§$¤#@#
#$§§§^^»^¨ water. ¨^»^^§§§$#
###¤$§^»^¨ ¨^»^§$¤###
#¤¤$$§^»^¨ »»»»§§§§§§§§»»»» ¨^»^§$$¤¤#
#¤§§»^¨¨¨¨ »»§§ §§»» ¨¨¨¨^»§§¤#
##@#$§^»^¨ »»»»»§§ fairies live here. §§»»»»» ¨^»^§$#@##
#¤§§»¨¨¨¨¨ »»§§ §§»» ¨¨¨¨¨»§§¤#
#@#¤$§^»^¨ »»»»§§§§§§§§»»»» ¨^»^§$¤#@#
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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. ¨¨¨¨^^»§¤¤
¤$§^^¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨^^§$¤
#$$^»¨¨¨¨¨ the fairies will beckon the animals to ¨¨¨¨¨»^$$#
##$§§^»¨¨¨ push forward, tell them that they're ¨¨¨»^§§$##
@@#¤$§^»^¨ almost at the water, that they may ¨^»^§$¤#@@
#$§»»»^¨¨¨ drink soon. and they will tug on the ¨¨¨^»»»§$#
##@#¤§^»^¨ 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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