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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. .^=\^§¶###
###§$^\=^. .^=\^$§###
##¶§$^\=^. the fairies will beckon the animals to .^=\^$§¶##
###¶$^\=^. push forward, tell them that they're .^=\^$¶###
#¶§§$^\=^. almost at the water, that they may .^=\^$§§¶#
##¶§$^\=^. drink soon. and they will tug on the .^=\^$§¶##
#§§$\\^... sloane to make sure that the thorns cut ...^\\$§§#
¶$\\\\\=^. deep. when they finally find the path .^=\\\\\$¶
¶$\=^..... 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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