Voices from Below

A gaping sinkhole appeared out of nowhere after a heavy rain in the middle of my backyard. A mysterious and cavernous void drawing you into the depths of the earth. It was the type of rain that cleanses the earth and makes you feel insignificant to the mysterious wonders of time and pull of natural forces.

As suddenly as the crack in the earth appeared, the rain stopped. There was no precipitation anywhere, as though the plug was pulled from our most precious resource.

Experts attributed the phenomenon to climate change and a slight rotational change of the earth’s pull towards the sun. The offset course created a dry, desiccated land everywhere. Only top notch water dousers could lead us to ground water reserves. And I was one of them.

The practice of water dowsing is the use of utilizing a forked stick, rod, or pendulum to locate ground water, minerals, or other hidden or lost substances. It is controversial with many skeptical of its accuracy but it has been around for hundreds of years. I know from experience that this ritual is quite precise. I also know that water just simply speaks to me.

The day the earth split, I thought I heard voices from below. But being a paranoid schizophrenic with years of therapy had trained me to ignore the voices. That they didn’t really exist… but they felt so real!

Who knew I would be one of a few to help during these dire times. I was once a sad, self loathing person. With so much hate in my heart and questions of why I felt so different from others. But mankind entrusted me with its survival. An unwanted gift of sorts. A gift that lifted me from my paranoia and allowed me to reconnect to what I knew best; how to survive.

Water has always spoken to me. Even as a child. Its fluidity and calmness draw me in. Centering me with its power. I often take hikes to seek out the salvation of cool, deep watering holes. Places of both refuge and wonder. I can sit for hours listening to gurgling creeks and ponds so full of life and movement. In those quiet moments of contemplation, I often envision myself being able to breathe underwater. A visceral sensation so strong that I almost believe it to be true.

This innate connection grew into my evolution of becoming a skilled “Water Witch”. I am sought out by farmers during droughts to help locate precious ground water and have become quite successful in this unique trade. Six weeks into the worldwide drought and because of my reputation for success in locating water, the U.S. Geological Survey contacted me.

The USGS is the sole science agency for the Department of the Interior. Its role has evolved over time and has become the go-to resource for natural science expertise along with having an abundance of earth and biological data.

A team of dousers was formulated to track down viable bodies of ground water. We surveyed miles and miles of land with little success. Small reserves were found throughout our journey but nothing that could sustain large populations. People were becoming desperate. Water pirates and looters banded together making water the main form of currency and power. Humanity was pushed to the brink where civility was no more. 

As the situation worsened, I couldn’t quite shake the voices I swore I heard from the sinkhole. Even though I was miles away on a water expedition, I felt drawn to it like something was calling me. A nagging in my head that something was down there. I didn’t mention the voices to a single soul because I was too scared of my past mental health struggles haunting me and being labeled as crazy.

I came home to regroup before our next expedition. Soon after arriving, the voices were more audible and I heard a faint but distinct sound of water gurgling as well. I made the decision that I was going to venture into the sinkhole even though my water dousing tools indicated the sinkhole was dry.

I prepared for my journey, packing canned food, beef jerky, head lamps, batteries, my trusty pick axe, dousing rods and bottled water from my emergency stash. When I finally felt ready, I approached the crack in the earth with a mix of trepidation and excitement. My instincts a buzz and the voices calling to me.

I started my descent through the hole which was only 2’ wide at the surface. Once I was fully submerged, I immediately saw evidence of where water once was. I pushed deeper into the earth, traveling for miles down a winding, narrow path that had been carved by flowing water. The air was thick and noxious. A sign telling me that somewhere water was close by. In that moment, I felt a strange tingling sensation behind my ears in the exact spots where I had symmetrical birth marks on either side of my neck.

My senses dull as I trek further into the unknown abyss. I have lost all sense of time. Just as the self-doubt creeps in, the darkness started to lift. At first it was so faint, I thought I was hallucinating. I turned my head lamp off and saw a faint yellowish glow illuminating the tunnel. The tingling behind my ears became more intense. I felt blood along with strange gill-like protrusions from my neck. Questioning my mental state, and the lack of oxygen I almost thought about turning back. But I knew I had past the point of return. Just as I started losing hope, the voices grew stronger. Pulling me towards them.

I continued on getting closer to the light. The footing beneath me began to feel soggy and moist. My next step fell on unstable ground plunging me further down. I screamed as I fell further into the earth knowing no one would hear.

And then, with a splash, I landed in a pristine pool of crystal blue water. A lush oasis beneath miles of dirt warmed by the earth’s core laid before me. I stood up, shaken and bruised by my fall and find myself staring at someone with gill-like features behind their ears. The same ones that had grown behind my own ears on my journey. I reach out to touch them. I blinked, dumbfounded. No words were spoken but I heard their thoughts in my head. “Welcome home.”