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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. ¨.«/*¤§£##
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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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