It was all green and blue outside . The sun shone warm . The farm in front of him stretched out for acres , and enclosed within a fence stood several cows chewing . Then a barn . A chicken coop . It looked like a painting .
A young woman was walking towards him . “ Hi there ,” she said . Her hair was black and in the white bright white light her lips looked blue . “ I ’ m Mara . Do you need help ?”
“ Yeah ,” he began to say , then stopped . Coming at him , from across the fields , was a large white beast . Its nose was pointed straight in the air . He felt silly , but looked at Mara sideways and said softly , “ That ’ s not a …”
“ His name ’ s Jim . Great Pyrenees , they ’ re monsters in size but .” She bent down and the creature wagged its large fan and licked her face . “ Sweethearts , really .”
“ Sure .” His hands shook and avoided eye contact with the animal , whose tongue lolled lazily . I ’ m looking for my son , he wanted to say , but instead : “ What is this place ?”
Mara ’ s face glowed . “ It ’ s a sort of sanctuary ,” she said . She gestured for him to follow and they began to walk across the field . “ My dad started this farm , some fifteen years ago . He ’ s passed now , heart disease .” She made a quick T over her chest with her right hand . He scrambled to think of what it might mean . Time , he thought . Then , Thank you . Then he knew . Something about belief , something about devotion .
He put a hand at her wrist , said with great emotion , “ I ’ m so sorry .” Her eyes grew shiny . She smiled . “ I appreciate that .”
She talked about the farm , how her father worked at a church , how he collected broken souls and abandoned animals , how he made a home there for whoever was looking for one . “ A lot of people have passed through here ,” she said .
They made it to the barn , and she led him to the nearest stall . A horse , brown but painted with white splotches . “ This is Clear ,” she said .
She placed some oats in Adam ’ s palm , then held it under the horse ’ s wet muzzle . It sucked at his hand , and Adam shivered . He looked into Clear ’ s eyes and they were beautiful , brown coins .
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