The Wishing Well

It was a sun shining day in April.My oldest son's birthday had pasted, and My youngest son's birthday was coming. Spring my favorite time of the year.Spring always offered a chance at the new. New beginnings, a fresh start to everything. The birds are slowly arriving.The air smells of a crisp freshness.The trees are awaking from their winter slumber. A new opportunity to grow a garden, spot different birds, make new friends with the animal kingdom. I love the area I live in. We are situated in a National Park.

I came from a big city to this area for work. Now after many years, I am almost ready to retire. A grandmother of six small girls and boys. The spring time offers me a new chance to create a beautiful outdoor family space. Time with the children. Watching them play and grow I believe is every grandparents' dream. My old brown eyes scanned over the yard from the wooden deck which I was standing upon.Spring a time of work and seeding. I began to really notice the dog poop graveyard, and how much work I had in front of me. There were patches of brown grass peeking through the snow and poop.I took another drag of my cigarette.Blowing the smoke out with a sigh.That is just about the moment I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.A dark black circle of soil.Off to the left of the walking path to my "Fairy garden."A little private space where one could sit and relax. Read a story to the children. Or perhaps, rest in the hammock and enjoy the sounds of summer along with the sunshine.Yes a black spot.It was not there last year. I tossed my cigarette into the outdoor ash tray, proceeded to investigate this new black spot.We have owned this property for five years now."Strange," I thought to myself as I strolled across the yard carefully avoiding any dog poop.A ringing began in my ears.Loudly along with a hum so strong, it made me fall to my knees right in front of the black spot of soil.It was so painful.I covered my ears closed my eyes and try to let the feeling pass.A couple of minutes later I realised I was gripping the soil.The soil was warm, wet, and very dark in my palms and fingers.Dark like blood black yet red.It was so confusing and exciting at the same time.The phase "wishing well" kept repeating in my mind.A smile flashed across my face "what a great idea."I'll put a wishing well here.The children will love it.With that I raced back to the house to retrieve my cell phone googled Pinterest for some ideas of a wishing well.I grabbed the key to the garage and went back outside with my two dogs following close behind.

I unlocked the garage door picked up the spade.Then headed to the black soil.I was planning in my mind to dig it up a little.Place some river rocks around it.Put some kind of bucket in the middle and fix it up over the summer.My husband would see what I started and help beautify the well.My heart and mind were exploding with excitement. I thrusted the spade into the soft black soil.Everything got loud.It seemed as if the ground moaned.There was a gush of liquid bubbling to the top.I couldn't believe my eyes; It was blood.I reached down and let it run through my fingers.I heard a voice in my mind.Clear.It was sad and desperate.A mist began to form right in front of me.A figure of a woman.No face just two eyes filled with tears.The voice echoed around in my mind words one on top of the other."You have taken from me now I must take from you" over and over again.I was shooked up. I tried to rise and return to the house.There was nothing except a mist.All around me.Misty figures in a circle all crying, all moaning. I gather up all the courage I could find in my soul and asked the misty figures what it was they wanted."What do you want?" I whispered.They replied."it's what you want a wishing well." I was so confused. "Do you want me to make it?"The misty figures seemed to move about in agreement with each other."Yes It will free us."The mist moved around me."We will grant all your wishes, and you will give us a member of your family in return."I shook my head in disagreement.In a firm voice I said " I will not do no such thing!"The mist grew thicker very quickly closing in all around me."you must, You have already taken from us.We must take from you."They continued,"we will give you until the first leaf to fall then we will collect.If you have, not pick a member of your family then we will take you."I began to cry out to them."What have I taken from you?"There was no response and in a blink the misty figures vanished.I was a complete wreck.Shaking, crying, in utter disbelief.I was still holding the spade in one hand and the other hand filled with black soil.I truely had no idea what it was that I had just experienced.I was sure to wipe all the soil back on the spot.I removed the spade.I carefully placed all the soil back into it rightful spot. Then covered the entire area with river rocks so none of the spot was visible.My dogs and I returned everything back to the garage and locked the door. I lighted up a new cigarette and took a long drag. I was replaying it over and over in my mind. Asking my self if it was real or if it was to much wine from the night before. My dogs did not seem to have noticed any thing different. They were not acting any different.This was not something a fifty year old woman could share. They would have locked me up in a hospital.I was pretty shook up, but not afraid.I made a wish over those river rocks to release those spirits from their black spot.I also promised them never to touch or distrube them again. I cut my hand with my garden knife and allowed my blood to drip on the top of the river rocks to seal my promise to those sad spirits.I felt a release.Then heard a soft ringing in my ears. I felt a heaviness leave my body, that tingled from head to toe.

I decided to keep it to myself until now. Twenty years after my encounter.There is still no wishing well.The river rocks are all in place.The misty figures have never reappeared to collect a member of my family or me yet.