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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. ,^«*^%§###
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§^««^^,,,, ««««^^^^^^^^«««« ,,,,^^««^§
#§%^**^,,, ««^^ ^^«« ,,,^**^%§#
###§%^*«^, «««««^^ FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ^^««««« ,^«*^%§###
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##§§%^*«^, ««««^^^^^^^^«««« ,^«*^%§§##
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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. ,^«*^%§###
####§^*«^, ,^«*^§####
###§%^*«^, 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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