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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 #$$\\^^¨¨¨
¨^«\†$§### WATER. ###§$†\«^¨
¨^«««\$$## ##$$\«««^¨
¨¨¨¨«««\†§ ««««††††††††«««« §†\«««¨¨¨¨
¨^«\†$§### ««†† ††«« ###§$†\«^¨
¨^«\†$§### «««««†† FAIRIES LIVE HERE. ††««««« ###§$†\«^¨
¨^«\†$§### ««†† ††«« ###§$†\«^¨
¨¨^^^«««†§ ««««††††††††«««« §†«««^^^¨¨
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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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