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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. ¤$$$\«¨¨¨¨
¨-«\$@¤¶## ##¶¤@$\«-¨
¨-«««\$@¶# \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ #¶@$\«««-¨
¨¨¨¨¨«\@¤¤ « « « « « « « « « « « ¤¤@\«¨¨¨¨¨
¨-«\$@¤¶## - - - - - - - - ##¶¤@$\«-¨
¨¨¨«\\\@¤# ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ #¤@\\\«¨¨¨
¨-«\$@@@@¶ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¶@@@@$\«-¨
¨-«\$¤¶### ###¶¤$\«-¨
¨¨--\\$¤¤¤ ¤¤¤$\\--¨¨
¨¨¨--\$@¤¤ ¤¤@$\--¨¨¨
¨¨¨-\\$$$¤ ¤$$$\\-¨¨¨
¨¨-««\\$¤¶ ¶¤$\\««-¨¨