The Secret Spring [SP2019]

Baet topped the last hill of three progressively larger ones overlooking her village.
It was the year 1783 and a beautiful spring morning, the three hills covered in damp grass and clover dotted with small white flowers intermixed with large leafed dark purple ones. Sheep santered the hillsides and the forest off to the South of the village went out from her view as far as her eye could see.

Behind their well built Village the crops grew green with sprouts of newly planted beans, corn, pumpkins, squash, and rye planted on gently rolling hills of deep rich soil.
To Baet the hills to the North of her village looked unnatural as they well could be,there was evidence of rocky manmade ancient structures throughout the forest nearby

The closest hill to the village was more of a mound really, the next slightly larger and the last was a great tall mound with a wondrous view of the surroundings on all sides. Baet climbed up here whenever she had a break in her work.
The village was founded here because the group of hills protection from the northern winds and the resources in the nearby Forest, wood that built their homes, nuts and berries and animal life of many and varied kinds. This and the rich soil made the small valley perfect!

The one need that was not readily met was water, as the village took shape well over 100 years ago under experienced hands, hands that had built ships and tools readily having been trained since childhood. A well was progressing nicely dug in the soft soil by Men also experienced in finding and bring good water to the surface.
While the well was being dug the Women traveled into the Forest where a small stream ran and brought home water from a good half mile away or brought their cloths the distance to the stream for washing. The well would be a godsend when it was ready!

As time progressed however the People of her village which had in time began to find that not only did this pretty little stream in the Forest taste beautifully sweet but it also seemed to make everyone feel good. When Baets Grandmother Marisse had fallen gravely ill before Baet was born her Family had bathed her in the pure waters of the little stream and fed her the water and she had healed. Because the water of the stream made everyone feel energetic and healthy eventually the well was abandoned at some decent depth but still had not produced water.

The villagers started to work earnestly on a huge project to turn the stream and bring it to their village a half mile of digging and rocking a canal. The head of the stream was explored and found to be an artesian spring simply bursting from a mountainside deep in the forest.
So here they were many years later having found that the stream provided not only water but long life. People of Baet's village all lived to be over 100 as their grave stones could testify while the normal life span in the area and time was 35-40 years!

They tried to keep People from visiting their village and learning what they had there, but births were always healthy for human and animals who partook of the artesian waters and so they needed mates, how long could it last! Bringing new People risked each time the visits of their Families from distant villages? How long before some other would take what they had as the news Spread?
News of their secret! Their secret Spring!

Enjoyed your story. Beautifully written. Looking forward to Chapter 2.

originally posted by: Justso
Enjoyed your story. Beautifully written. Looking forward to Chapter 2.

Wow high praise! thank you, keeping short it really harder than I expected!

originally posted by: Justso
Enjoyed your story. Beautifully written. Looking forward to Chapter 2.

i think I needed grandma to have some adventurous injury some excitement and maybe more description of what the water did for her, the whole is a little boring.

a reply to: SeaWorthy

I like it very much as is.
The mystery and the conundrum of keeping a secret yet expanding the community.

originally posted by: pthena
a reply to: SeaWorthy

I like it very much as is.
The mystery and the conundrum of keeping a secret yet expanding the community.

Based on a true story!
Years ago I saw a TV show one of those on mysteries, it was about a 1600's village I think it was in Connecticut. This place had the things in my story, they showed the dry canal still there, I think it was much longer than my story. Then the guy took us into the forest to the artesian well, it has been covered by a building like a pump house and was padlocked.

The people did live to be 100 plus and they believed it was the water because they had worked so hard to bring the artesian spring to the village. I have searched many times and cannot find the story and would love to see it again if anyone comes across it and maybe a thread.

The place has no trespassing signs and they said the whole area was bought by someone but no one knew who, the ownership hidden behind a sting of corporate stuff.

a reply to: SeaWorthy


Very enchanting! Well done.

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Well done SW,

A brilliant take on the season.

Kind regards,

bally

a reply to: bally001

Thank you much appreciated!

a reply to: SeaWorthy


That was a great read and though I want more, that is perhaps the strength of it. Left me wondering if this was a post apocalyptic society, an ancient one...just what is so special about the stream... Would Baet have a go at digging into the hill, maybe find a secret entrance.

So many ways for this to go, great work

a reply to: SprocketUK

Thank you, so many great stories this time around my little effort is left in the dust!