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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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