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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. ¨~«:%%%%¤¤
¤%:~¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨~:%¤
#@@¤%%:«~¨ ««««%%%%%%%%«««« ¨~«:%%¤@@#
#@@¤%%:«~¨ ««%% %%«« ¨~«:%%¤@@#
¤¤%%:~¨¨¨¨ «««««%% 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. ¨¨¨«::%%¤¤
##@@%%:«~¨ ¨~«:%%@@##
@%%««~~~~¨ :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ¨~~~~««%%@
@%:~~~~¨¨¨ « « « « « « « « « « « ¨¨¨~~~~:%@
@@@¤%%:«~¨ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ¨~«:%%¤@@@
@¤%%%%:«~¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨~«:%%%%¤@
@¤¤%:~¨¨¨¨ ¨ ¨ ¨ ¨¨¨¨~:%¤¤@
¤¤%«¨¨¨¨¨¨ ¨¨¨¨¨¨«%¤¤
¤%::«~~¨¨¨ ¨¨¨~~«::%¤
@@@¤%%:«~¨ ¨~«:%%¤@@@
#@@¤%%:«~¨ ¨~«:%%¤@@#
@@@¤%%:«~¨ ¨~«:%%¤@@@