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Hermitage HollowAll the townfolk said he's a crazy old vet holed up in the evergreenscos of his limp and long grey beard Dad never let me near his shack on Halloweenhe had a dusty well a broken still and bats in his drafty barnbut with an old plow mule and some rusty tools he worked his lowland farmand the only neighbors he hadwere the nests of summer swallowsnothing was as lonely or sadas sundown in Hermitage Hollowwhen I turned sixteen I stole Dad's Jim Beam and his Chevy's keywhen two swigs of that jug mixed with my blood I ran Dad's car into a treeit's a blur but somehow a shadow pulled me out and made sure I wasn't hurtthen he flagged a truck took my whiskey jug and left mule tracks in the dirtand the only neighbors he hadwere the nests of summer swallowsnothing was as lonely or sadas sundown in Hermitage Hollowwell although my Dad was fightin' mad about that car crashhe was really steamed I stole some Jim Beam from his secret stashbut I risked my hide stole more the next night and snuck off by myselftraced those mule tracks to that old vet's shack and left a case by his wellcos the only neighbors he hadwere the nests of summer swallowsnothing was as lonely or sadas sundown in Hermitage Hollow(c)2006 Robert George