##$$§===~, ,~===§$$##
#§=~~~,,,, ,,,,~~~=§#
##@#$§==~, ,~==§$#@##
##@##$==~, ,~==$##@##
##@#$§==~, ,~==§$#@##
##$§====~, , , , ,~====§$##
##§§=,,,,, , , , , , , ,,,,,=§§##
#@##$§==~, ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ,~==§$##@#
##@#$§==~, = = = = = = = = = = = ,~==§$#@##
@###$§==~, ======================================== ,~==§$###@
#$==~,,,,, ,,,,,~==$#
##$$=~~~,, just off the coast to the baltic sea ,,~~~=$$##
####$§==~, there's a freshwater pond, secluded ,~==§$####
#@##$§==~, among ashen and juniper. a cleft in the ,~==§$##@#
####$§==~, limestone bedrock, sharp-cut from the ,~==§$####
#§==~,,,,, 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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@###$§==~, ,~==§$###@
##@#$§==~, ,~==§$#@##