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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. ^^»»»»» .:»;^#@#
##&&;;;»:. »»^^ ^^»» .:»;;;&#
##@##&;»:. »»»»^^^^^^^^»»»» .:»;#@##
#@##&^;»:. .:»;^#@#
@@##&^;»:. 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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