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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. %%~~~~~ ##££%^~:,,
,:~^%££### ~~%% %%~~ ###££%^~:,
,,:~^%££## ~~~~%%%%%%%%~~~~ ##££%^~:,,
,:~^%££### ###££%^~:,
,,:~^%££## 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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