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A megadrought parched the lake, uncovering the ancient village of Silvado where, according to popular legend, hundreds drowned after a failed dam inundated the valley. Except for the roofs, Silvado’s stone dwellings emerged intact, their larders filled with ceramic and glassware, much to the delight of archeologists.
Some called Silvado’s return magic; others, a miracle. In whispers, nearby townsfolk mentioned a curse. Eggs went missing from hens’ nesting boxes, carrots and cabbages were ripped out of gardens, apples and pears plucked from orchards, merchandise stolen from shopkeepers’ shelves. Night breezes carried chilling sounds—wailing and whining that poisoned townsfolk’s sleep, leaving them unnerved and on edge. Dogs cowered, tails bent. Cows huddled, eyes watchful. Cats cringed, ears flattened. Children tugged bedcovers up over their heads. Women bolted doors and shuttered windows. Men cleaned their rifles and sharpened knives.
The elders gathered to debate solutions. Offerings, prayers, a church service, or a death knell? They summoned the bellringer to tune the church’s bells. At midnight, he began a three-hour peal, pulling the ropes over 5000 times, no sequences repeated. After the clapper’s final strike against the soundbow, an exhausted silence enveloped the town. Over the next month, a weather whiplash delivered a deluge. Roofs leaked, wells filled to the cap, mould grew on hay, and the lake buried the village. From then on, the town’s church bells rang for three hours once yearly in homage to the restless spirits of Silvado.
Elizabeth Murphy is the author of the novel 'An Imperfect Librarian' (Breakwater Books, 2008). Her short fiction has recently appeared in Quibble.Lit, the Compass Rose Literary Journal, Free Flash Fiction, Monday Microfiction, Nixes Mate Review, MoonPark Review (forthcoming) and others. A retired academic originally from Newfoundland, Elizabeth now reads and writes in Nova Scotia, Canada. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @ospreysview.
Image credit: Elias E on Unsplash