Short Stories

The Water Sprites

Uncle Dimitri lived in the country side. I always enjoyed going out to see him. He always has galore’s that I loved to admire and fancy. His cuboard was stacked with old books, leaves and plants, flowers of an unusual shape, sea shells and rare rocks. I was once again at Uncle Dimitri’s house. Mum sat at the table sipping out one of his mugs. Leaning into one of Dimitri’s stories as dad sat on the couch watching a fast action packed movie that I wasn’t really into, in fact listening to Dimitri talking would be more fun than having to watch the boring movie. My gaze kept on turning over to uncle Dimitri is implausible grin as he answered the questions mum asked him and as he reencountered the story in his mind. He was more of a role model than my dad was. Who laughed at a joke on the movie? How could he not want to be Uncle Dimitri?
“Oscar, come over here” Dimitri called. I sprang from the couch, I could see dad watching me in dismay at how energetic and happy I was to get up and join them. Dimitri pulled out a small basket and placed it on the table. He pulled off the grass weaved top and revealed a small collection of chocolates. I grabbed three for my own pleasure and sat down beside mum.
“Oscar, want to do me a favor?” Uncle Dimitri asked, grinning slightly and leaning into me that he had to push his glasses back up his nose.
“Sure, anything” I replied. Uncle Dimitri looked back into the kitchen then back at me.
“We ran out of water, I need you to fetch some for me” he said. He seemed exciting. He reminded me of a giggling child. His brown hair spiked and spread out in some ways, his face still young, he was only ten years younger than mum.
“Fetch some water?” I said. He nodded.
“Yeah, do you reckon your up to it?” I looked back toward my dad who was on the couch watching the movie. Then back at Uncle Dimitri and nodded vigorously.
“Good” Dimitri stood up and walked into the kitchen and crouched down besides some cupboards. He stood back up holding a bucket. Rust had piled up on the bucket making it look very old, and part of the plastic on the handle to make it feel more comfortable was missing. He pulled out a napkin and quickly cleaned as much rust off it as possible and then handed it to me.
“That should do it” he said. I took the bucket.
“Where do I fill it up?” I asked.
“Ah well, this way.” Dimitri said and he walked toward the gauze door and opened it. I followed him, we walked out onto the patio and observed his large property. He pointed toward a large hill a kilometer away.
“It’s over there.” He said giving me a few glances as he explained. “There is a little stone well. Not hard to find, just over the hill. If you leave now you will be back before the day ends.”
“Uncle Dimitri, it doesn’t take that long to walk a kilometer.” I told him. He raised his eyebrows at me.
“Doesn’t it?” he grinned.
“Well young lad, you better get going so you can tell me and prove me right then.” He said. I nodded and started to walk. Leaving Uncle Dimitri, mum and dad behind.

I had many doubts as I headed toward the hill. Of all the things to do to me Uncle Dimitri made me go for a walk for some water. He couldn’t have filled it up before we got there? All I wanted to do was to listen to him talk about strange and wonderful things. Not to fetch water. I climbed up the hill and once at the top I found the well. It was a small well, easily distinguished by the layering of trees that surrounded it in a semi-circle. The rocks that held it together were cracked and broken, one of the rocks had completely fallen off, and must have been in the well or removed long ago. I could hear a faint whispering along the leaves of the tree, the well gave me the creeps. What if I fell in? I would die! I was just creeping myself out further now. I connected the bucket to the rope and lowered it into the well. Would this water even be safe to drink? After a while I realized it must have been in the water and I slowly pulled the rope the other day to bring it back up. Very slowly I looked down into the well to try and see it coming but instead I saw a faint glowing. Was there a glow torch down there? Or maybe a kind of glowing mushroom? I moved back and heaved the bucket up the well. The glowing got brighter and brighter. When the bucket came above the well top I had to blink and shield my eyes from the light. I covered them in my hand and slowly blunk while removing my hand in order to see what was in the bucket. I must have been mistaken. Must have been disorientated from the long walk in the sun. Little creatures sat in the bucket. Their hands and legs flailing out of the water, their hair was water itself, ebbing around in the bucket. I could hear them laughing and swimming around in the cramped bucket.