A Circle in the Hollow buddy story

Kneeling on the dry carpet of pine needles, I set about gathering tiny relics scattered within reach of the stone hollow. To prepare for the ritual you imagined, I picked up three pale quartz pebbles, a weathered twig, and a dried seed husk nestled in the cranny. Using the steel needle from my bib, I etched a gentle circle into the packed earth floor. Around its rim, I arranged the long pine needles in outward radiating lines, placing the quartz stones at equal points to catch the sliver of morning light entering the cavern. Resting the seed husk in the very center, the little sanctuary felt awake and full of quiet power.