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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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