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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. .:~:†¤¤¤##
###@¤†:~:. .:~:†¤@###
###@¤†:~:. :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: .:~:†¤@###
#@¤†:::... ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ...:::†¤@#
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