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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 ¨¨¨¨¨,«%%#
@@##$%*«,¨ drop down, down, to the midnight-black ¨,«*%$##@@
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#%%%**«,,¨ «««««%% 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 ¨¨¨¨,,«*%#
#@$$%«,¨¨¨ hide also in the juniper. ¨¨¨,«%$$@#
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@###$%*«,¨ the fairies will beckon the animals to ¨,«*%$###@
####$%*«,¨ push forward, tell them that they're ¨,«*%$####
##@#$%*«,¨ almost at the water, that they may ¨,«*%$#@##
##@#$%*«,¨ drink soon. and they will tug on the ¨,«*%$#@##
##@#$%*«,¨ sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ¨,«*%$#@##
#%*,¨¨¨¨¨¨ 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 ¨¨¨,«*%###
##@#$%*«,¨ in turn drinking the animals blood. ¨,«*%$#@##
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##@#$%*«,¨ the circle is complete, the contract ¨,«*%$#@##
#$***«,¨¨¨ carried out; the animal is abandoned to ¨¨¨,«***$#
@###$%*«,¨ find its own way back. the bushes roots ¨,«*%$###@
@###$%*«,¨ drink the nutrutious water. the fairies ¨,«*%$###@
#$*,,¨¨¨¨¨ dance in the sunbeams. ¨¨¨¨¨,,*$#
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