The river had finally dried up, the waterfalls were now less than the occasional sluggish drip and the bones at the bottom of the lake, that had only been rumours up until that point, now felt sunlight for the first time since their deaths. Livestock added to their numbers, desperately trying to suck moisture from dirt and rotting algae and choking on their dry texture.
In short - the area was dying a slow and arid death.
Meadows soon became little more than brown patches of dead grass and clusters of flies buzzing over the moist remains of field mice who'd succumbed far faster than everything else, the lucky little bastards. They didn't have to gaze down into the gaping void where the reservoir once sat, full to the brim a mere two months ago.
There were bones in its depths too, peeping out of the mud and basking in their newfound warmth with the smug ease that tended to surround the long dead. It gave us an idea - the idea - that brought the rain back at long, long last.
Surprisingly people volunteered in droves, not wanting to spend another day thirsty and drenched in their own, undrinkable sweat. We narrowed it down to thirty five people and sent them to the areas where the old bones were clustered.
Just like our ancestors had done some several thousand years earlier, we wet the ground with blood. The rain came back the very next morning and filled our river, our reservoir, our faces running with rivulets of cool, clean water.
We wondered if we would have to do this again in our lifetimes... a part of us hoped so.
In short - the area was dying a slow and arid death.
Meadows soon became little more than brown patches of dead grass and clusters of flies buzzing over the moist remains of field mice who'd succumbed far faster than everything else, the lucky little bastards. They didn't have to gaze down into the gaping void where the reservoir once sat, full to the brim a mere two months ago.
There were bones in its depths too, peeping out of the mud and basking in their newfound warmth with the smug ease that tended to surround the long dead. It gave us an idea - the idea - that brought the rain back at long, long last.
Surprisingly people volunteered in droves, not wanting to spend another day thirsty and drenched in their own, undrinkable sweat. We narrowed it down to thirty five people and sent them to the areas where the old bones were clustered.
Just like our ancestors had done some several thousand years earlier, we wet the ground with blood. The rain came back the very next morning and filled our river, our reservoir, our faces running with rivulets of cool, clean water.
We wondered if we would have to do this again in our lifetimes... a part of us hoped so.
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