Page 3 of The Sixth Spring

Five Springs had been aptly named for all the aquifers just under their feet. That was another reason it would be stupid to try and dig here.

Something caught his attention just short of Mercale then. A small thing on the pavement, moving.

A turtle.

Will abandoned the cart and started in that direction before he even thought about it.

As he got closer, he realized it was a snapping turtle. The turtle was about a foot long and mean-looking with dark, leathery skin. Its shell was already going powdery dry in color as it dried out.

Will stared down at it. Snapping turtles were dangerous if you got on the business end of them. He’d heard of a kid in school that had nearly lost a finger to one.

He debated it for only a second. In his mind’s eyes he could see the fox.

He had to help.

Will walked around to the turtle's backside and scooped it up, keeping his fingers back and under it as it swung its head around to try and bite at him.

“I know, I know, hold on!” He told it as it started squirming.

He knew Mercale was flooded, so Will dashed in that direction, sweat dripping down the back of his neck. The turtle was heavier than it looked, or heavier the way it was thrashing at him.

Will took it to the start of Mercale and–

There was so much water.

“Shit,” he said as he set the snapping turtle down at the edge of the water. It quickly plunged forward, swimming away.

He stepped back, getting a better look at the road. The water went as far down as he could see.

How the hell had they…?

He swallowed and tasted that rot again. It felt ominous, the water. Almost unnatural, even as he knew this entire area was swampland.

But as he stared at the water, something else took hold of him. There was a tugging in his chest, a strange urge to step forward, to plunge himself into that water. If they’d hit a spring, the water would be cool, refreshing.

He could go for a swim, he could–

Will blinked, shaking his head. What?

He was at work; he couldn’t go for a swim. That–that’d been a strange thought. More than a thought, it’d felt like an urge, a tension he wanted to relieve by stepping forward.

But he’d just dropped a snapping turtle into those waters. There was no telling what other unfriendly creatures had already made it their home. Everyone knew you didn’t just go swimming in lakes like this.

Will scrubbed a hand through his hair as he stepped back again. His hair was tacky and sticking to his neck with sweat.

It would be nice to get in the water. To wash off the heat of the day. To swim out into the deep and–

And what?

Will turned and forced himself to walk back to the grocery store, ignoring the strange feeling that kept urging him toward the water.

###

Mercale connected the north side of Five Springs, so everyone who needed groceries had to drive the long way around down Woodward because of the flood.

No one was happy about it.

Through the gossiping complaints, Will learned they’d called an emergency Town Hall meeting tonight to talk about it. Folks were going to petition the Mayor to take action.