#@&:«¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨«:&@#
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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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