I rolled out of bed exhausted after staying up so late. I had a project to submit for work that I had totally forgotten about. I hadn't wanted to rush Maya, so I just drew a mental note to complete it when I got home, which happened to be well into the night. I'd spent many years now drafting, editing, and shadowing different pieces, I could do it in my sleep at this point.
After ensuring I'd received the receipt confirmation, I stared out my bedroom window to see Maya walking up the grass, heading to the door. Her bike was leaning against the large pine in the yard. Maude slithered down from the porch, offering a morning greeting, then I heard the knock. I stumbled across my room, throwing on clothing and tossing my toothbrush back towards the sink.
"Do you want to go fishing?" Maya asked. She and I would usually go fishing on the first Monday of every month and then eat whatever it was we caught, somewhat of a disgusting, yet soulful tradition, between us. I was just about to agree when it occurred to me, I'd never visited Ms. Wicks' cottage yesterday. I hadn't watered her plants. I hadn't refilled her bird feeders. And I certainly hadn't fed the stray cat that seemed to call her cottage its home.
"I completely forgot to head to Ms. Wicks' house yesterday. I'll have to go today, so you may just have to suck it up and join me." I mentioned to her. She rolled her eyes before agreeing, saying she would wait outside while I did the grunt work.
"Heading out with Maya, be back soon!" I called into the house, but there was no reply. I wasn't sure where my mum was. Maya shot me a knowing look. "I'm sure she'll guess where we are."
Just then, the rustling of footsteps came from the kitchen, and her head appeared around the door frame.
"Wait a second, girls. Come grab a quick bite first. I tried a new recipe this morning."
Before I could say anything, Maya was already striding past me, Maude cradled in her arms. I closed the door behind them and returned to the kitchen, where my mum was setting down two lemon bars on napkins.
"So, where are you two headed today?" she inquired.
"We're heading to Ms. Wicks' cottage. She asked me to house sit for her while she's away."
I responded, stuffing the bar into my mouth.
"Did I ever tell you about the folklore tale my mother used to tell me while growing up? Scared me so straight, I was nervous to go out after dark until I was 16."
My mother laughed, clearly she had heard the unseemly rumours about Ms. Wicks. Maya and I exchanged glances, before looking at her with expected eyes.
She continued-
"Cobalt Springs was not always this town of community and peace. Some say, if you listen very closely, you can still feel the thrumming of an unknown power that lurks beneath these misty valleys and shadowed peaks. Almost six centuries ago, before Cobalt Springs was truly a settled community, it was a camp for a small working lot. MenThese men toiled tirelessly in the bowels of the mountains, searching for rich ores, copious amounts of nickels and cobalts. Then, there was a murmur of a mysterious onyx stone known as Shadowvein. The men were told that this ore possessed a feeling of power, a mysterious rock that seemed to be more than what this earth was capable of. The men spoke in hushed tones about it, not wanting to attract the attention of any individual who potentially had the money to entirely dig out the shafts. To take everything for themselves and leave the underpaid and overworked miners desolate, with nothing to show for their work but broken backs and withered skin.
" The night shift, taken on by 4 men, carefully and quietly trudged into the caves one fateful evening, slowly descending into the abyss. As they delved deeper, one of them whispered, '"Maxis spotted some of that Shadowvein. He said to take two lefts after Line3 and a right at The Copper Station'". The men stared at each other silently, before one finally nodded his head, his dark eyes catching the light of their torches. His voice was gruff as he spoke,
"we could finally be free of this, working for these wealthy businessmen who stay cooped up in the safety of the cities, sending us poor folk out to do all the hard labour" . They all nodded in unison, quiet mumbles of agreement .... So they ventured off, in search of the Shadowvein. They spoke in hushed tones, as if the monsters that went bump in the night could potentially foil their plan.
"As they took the right at The Copper Station, the man in front stopped, dropping his torch. They all stared ahead at a wall of wooden planks blocking off the tunnel ahead. One by one, they ripped the pieces down and tossed them aside, unveiling a long, unlit path. As they continued forward, torches now returned to their lost hands, a faint glowing path of dim lights appeared before them. The small lights were delicately placed along both edges of the tunnel, beckoning them forwards. Their flower-like shapes were soft against the harsh edges of the stone, the iridescent glow a steep contrast to the dark cave. The men exchanged glances before one of them leaned down and plucked a flower out from the rock and stuffed it into his pocket.
"
'For the missus', he smiled, before continuing. The path was becoming rather narrow, and the tallest man was having to hunch downwards in order to avoid the top of his head being scraped off by the stone. After what had seemed like hours, though the concept of time seemed to slip whilst under the mountain, the man in front stopped and sucked in a breath. "There it is," he motioned. Ahead of them, just barely peeking out of the already dark walls, a glint shone, catching the torchlight. The men's pickaxes made quick work of the surrounding rock, and shovels tossed the gravel that fell around them.
At last, the small piece of Shadowvein was released from its grip in the wall. One of the men bent down to pick it up. The ore thrummed with an unknown energy. Power. Pleasure. Understanding. Chaos. A malevolent force that felt as though it may stir the Earth. And then it did. The surrounding walls began to quake. Small pieces of rock descended onto their heads, causing the men to lift their hands in order to protect themselves, though they had to be conscious of their light sources. One of the men mumbled, "we need to get out of here", before disaster struck. The mine collapsed, entombing the men in a stony crypt of rock and earth. Their bodies were never retrieved. When the morning shift returned to the mines the following day, confused as to where their brothers were, they found the once boarded up entrance to the tunnel that was supposedly of no use, and then found the collapsed rocks that hid them. For days, they mourned the losses. The people mourned their fathers, brothers, and sons. But the tragedy was far from over. In the weeks that followed, an ornate illness seemed to befall the settlement. Feverish and delirious, the townsfolk who were touched by the ailment writhed in agony as the plague seemed to consume them from within. In their madness, they muttered words of dark shadows and often stalked into the night, some being found the next morning inside the cave, naked and fear stricken. As the weeks turned into months, Cobalt Springs became a ghost settlement, its tents deserted and small buildings wasted away. Yet, as the years passed and the memory of the tragedy faded, new life returned. The forests reclaimed the land and new settlers arrived to breathe life back into this once grim place, but the scars of the past remained, etched into every dark corner of this now flourishing town. A grim reminder of the price of greed and the unknown power that seems to lurk beneath our surface."
My mother stared at us expectedly, hand perched against her hip. Maya had an unconvinced look on her face, the left side of her mouth drooping and her eyebrow quirked. My mother looked between us again, before Maya cut in.
"Wow. That is the most haunting bedtimebestime story I've ever heard," she exclaimed, laughing before standing up. "Now let's go follow that dark magic all the way to that crazy old lady's cottage, hope the plague doesn't catch us." she chimed, before making her way to the door. My mom rolled her eyes at Maya, handing her another lemon bar before returning to the stove.
I gave a thumbs up, letting her know that I did, in fact, enjoy her story. I quickly walked out behind Maya, but not before offering Maude a quick kiss atop her head. She purred.
Walking down the street, I glanced around as if I might very well see the dark ore my mother had talked about laying beneath one of the pine trees. Or a haggard, dishevelled man lumbering out from behind one of the houses. But, of course, nothing came. Only the beautiful humble gardens, scattered with light purple and blue flowers, standing strong before a harsh autumn arrived. The tins that people usually filled with planted vegetables that would no doubt eventually be on their plates. The people of Cobalt Springs were so unbelievably lucky, I thought, to have this simple yet wonderful town. I did enjoy it here, at least I had as I grew up. But looking down the streets, now I felt a more weathered emotion, one that I was ready to move on from.
–
We arrived at Ms. Wicks' cottage about half an hour later, the sun beating down upon us with a warm, welcoming heat. Maya propped her bike against the wooden cabin, tying her sweater around her waist as she sunned her arms. It must have rained the previous night, which would explain the bright flowers here this morning. My eyes flashed over the cabin as I waited for Maya to catch up. The cabin itself was made entirely of wood, from the creaky stairs up to the rocky chimney. From the outside, the cabin looked as though it would be one big room, but I knew how Ms. Wicks had separated the interior, making her home into separate rooms and closets.
The dark wooden door was placed in the centre of the rickety old porch, which contrasted the beautifully posh carved railings. Painted glass windows sat upon either side of the door, with a final, bigger circular window up at the top of the cabin. Vines crawled along the porch and stairs, making me wonder how many undiscovered species probably lived within its walls. I stalked up the creaky old steps before pushing the spare key into the lock and swinging the door open. I turned to Maya, who was still behind me now gingerly leaning against a tree, likely still wet from last night's showers.
"I'll wait out here. Take your time." She insisted. I wandered into the home, taking in the sights before me. It had been a while since I had been in here last, Ms. Wicks and I had sat out on her front porch, watching the sun set and the birds eat. It felt like ages ago.
The inside was somehow entirely dirty and yet quite put together. Maximalism, if you will. Things littered the counters, but all in neat stacks, yet there still was barely an inch of countertop left. There was a large, dark leather sofa to one side, facing the fireplace. With a wooden table in front of it. Sitting atop the table was the most unique lamp I had ever seen. It had a beautiful wooden carved base, with thin pillars up to a supporting platform which held a glass dome. Inside the glass dome were smaller, wooden carvings that resembled buildings and little paths. The lamp looked as though it encased a small city. At the apex of the spiralling buildings and platforms hung an iridescent wick, in the shape of a teardrop. I stared at the lamp for a few seconds, wondering how I had somehow never previously noticed it, before turning towards the kitchen. There was a tin watering can sitting beside the sink, already filled with water. Ms. Wicks had mentioned that she had some fertilizer amongst her cupboards, so I began rummaging through them, feeling bad for not visiting at all for the last few weeks.
The cupboards were chalked full of ingredients I had never heard of, encased in tiny goblets and glasses, some were even covered by a thin veil. There were jars filled with dried out substances and objects. I glanced closely at one near the back corner, my fingers rubbing against the other jars, the smudged label read 'bat wings'. I made a face of disgust as I wondered what on earth she could possibly be doing with some of these items. Peering around the cottage, I hoped to have some indications of where this fertilizer might be hiding. Walking into the bedroom, I noticed a cabinet fastened to the wall. Simple and plain. Ms. Wicks bed was made neatly, decorated with a beautiful white quilted blanket and many throw pillows. I attempted to open the cabinet, but to no avail, it would not budge. It seemed stuck. I shifted my body weight in order to get a better angle, then bent my knees and lowered my shoulder, putting myself into a prime-pushing stance.
All to open this damned cabinet.
I shoved with all my might, the cabinet not budging. My fingers slipped as I stumbled forward, directly into a large canvas mounted on the wall. The canvas was knocked loose from its nail, clattering to the ground, snagging on the edge of the multicolour carpet that covered a small portion of the floor.
"Shit", I whispered under my breath. I didn't even want to know what obscure lengths Ms. Wicks likely had to go to get that painting. I lifted it gingerly, the canvas showing a beautiful woman with long, flowing golden hair. Everything she owned had some meaningful backstory. Even her father's tin watering can. I bent over to assess the damage, the painting had left some marks on the rug. I carefully lifted the canvas back onto the wall before leaning down to the carpet once again. I scrubbed at the carpet with my hand in hopes to remove the stains, the corner fray caught against my nail and pulled. Hard. I snatched my hand back, a fleeting pain crossing through my finger as the carpet dropped, curling upon itself. I held my hand to my chest, a droplet of blood dripping from the hangnail.
Underneath, where the carpet once lay, was a wooden cutout. A square small enough for a human to pass through and a dark black handle that folded flat into the ground. I stared at it. It seemed to stare back at me, piquing my curiosity. But I was not about to go through Mrs. Wicks personal items, that felt like crossing over an unsaid boundary, so I covered the trap door, rose to my feet, and returned to the kitchen. I used the watering can to fill up all 32 plants that lay throughout the cabin, giving extra water to the ones by the windows. Once I had finished, I grabbed a scoop of seeds and a scoop of kibble to put outside for the birds and cat.
The birdfeeder was hung in a lilac bush that sprouted directly beside the porch, making it easy to refill when needed. The cat bowl sat directly beside the door, I returned and placed a second scoop of kibble into the bowl as an apology for my absence. Maya rose from beneath the tree as I walked towards her, house key in hand.
"Ready to go?" she asked. I nodded in agreement. We strode back towards my house, where I spent the rest of the day editing papers while Maya sat in the windowsill, pencil and paper glued to her hands. That was the first time in a long time that we didn't partake in our normal monthly Monday tradition.