####%*/«-. .-«/*%####
###*/-.... ....-/*###
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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. .---//**##
####%*/«-. .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. //////////////////////////////////////// .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. « « « « « « « « « « « .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. - - - - - - - - .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. . . . . . . .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. . . . .-«/*%####
#%*«-..... .....-«*%#
#%%*«..... .....«*%%#
##%/-..... .....-/%##
####%*/«-. .-«/*%####
####%*/«-. .-«/*%####