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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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