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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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