fairy tales of a different sort

Well of Souls

The waves hurled themselves against the rocks along the shore. Adele could hear the lull of it through her open window as she gazed longingly out at St. Michael's Mount. The home was beautiful; the history and secrets it held in its walls appealed to her love of curiosity. Though as serene and sombering as she found the view, it couldn't distract her from the call that was enticing her to the sea.

Some mystery, dark and beautiful, had been calling for her for some time now. When she finally gave in and told her family, they thought she was mad when she told them she was hearing a man from the depths of the sea, that he was calling for her. For the most part, she ignored it, knowing from hours spent at the pub that it was best not to go answer mysterious voices from the ocean.

Those men in the pubs, she had idolized them with the tales they spewed over hours of drinking. She had spent a lot of time there listening quietly, loving the way their eyes would light up mischievously with a hint of longing for days long past as they told their stories to any who cared to listen or offered them a free drink. She had adored them and their vast knowledge, though at the same time wondered how someone with such knowledge of fairy folk and the likes, more often than not, ended up in such said trouble.

Come down, come down, to the old man in the sea. Come, take him from me.

She shook her head, enough was enough already. Perhaps she was a little mad, maybe. When her grandmother heard her talking about hearing voices she insisted she should go drink from the sacred well. Adele had thought her grandmother crazy for suggesting it, at first, but that was what she planned on doing today. Though it may not be the sacred well, there was believed to be more than one well to cure lunacy and at this point she was more than willing to try anything.

Come down, come down, to the old man in the sea. Come down, come down, drink him for tea!

Adele shivered, though not from the cold, as she headed out the door. The voices were captivating and angelic, but the words were menacing and malicious in intent.

"Adele, you're not going to spend all day in the pub again, are you?" Her mother asked as she spotted her leaving while folding the laundry.

"No, Mum," Adele said, and for a change was actually telling the truth. She didn't want another lecture about listening to old wives' tales while she should be out enjoying her summer. She didn't need her head filled with anymore nonsense, her mum would say.

"Alright, go on then," her mum smiled at her.

Adele smiled back, knowing her mum wouldn't appreciate what she had planned for today. She only felt slightly guilty, but a girl gotta' do what a girl gotta' do... Even the slightly insane ones. She set herself to her task at hand, straightening her back and her resolve.

"Alright, Alice, time to embrace the inevitable and jump down the rabbit hole," she mumbled, ignoring the odd looks people gave her as she passed by.

She walked further and further out of the village, her eyes on the ground as she watched each step taking her closer to her destination. Rocks and pavement started to give way to grass as it pushed its way out of the earth wherever it wanted to, and the sun made an appearance, radiating down on her after the rain they had earlier that morning.

Tears are falling, he is weeping, though no longer can he see. Eyes are frothing; he was naughty, body left rotting, brewing for tea.

Adele looked off to the ocean, breathing in the smell that only comes from rain reaching the living earth; the trees, wild grass, and flowers.

"Stop!" she shouted in anger at the voices, hoping that the well she heard of wasn't too much further on. She was about to kick her foot at a rock for emphasis when a white hare jumped into her path.