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. When he stirred himself, he hurried into Petal's
room and saw that she had left. Nearly panic-stricken that
he had lost an opportunity, Aron grabbed his stick, a
lantern, and a net, and he hurried outside and passed
between the two tulip trees.
By the time he reached the pond, Petal was already
standing on its banks and calling toward the abandoned
beaver dam, "My love, my love, take me to your home."
Then she slipped off her gown and stepped into the water.
Aron waited. He wanted to catch both Petal and
whoever came to her. When the water reached Petal's neck,
her long fair hair floating behind her, Aron sprang out and
tossed the net across the water. But Petal dropped below too
quickly, and Aron pulled in only a turtle and two frogs. He
quickly lit his lantern and held it over the water. What he
saw below horrified him.
Just beneath the surface, but sinking ever deeper, was the
pale form of Petal, hand-in-hand with another being, a
shadowy creature made indistinct by both night and water.
Aron pressed so close to the water to see that his nose and
lantern went under, the flame extinguishing with a hiss. The
two forms disappeared.
Aron pulled back and sat on the bank near his
daughter's gown, which he took in his hand
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