Small Town Dreams by Melissa Davis
A newlywed couple move to an idyllic village with a screaming problem; by Melissa Davis.
Mountain Village - sounds like a quaint little town, right? That's what I thought, too. I was looking to get out of the big city and spend some quality time with my new husband. Things were going to be perfect. We'd been having some trouble, but then, don't all newlyweds? We just needed to get away from the stress of the city - the work, the traffic, the noise, our families. I first heard about Mountain Village in a travel magazine. It seemed beautiful. It had fresh springs, wooden cabins, and an assortment of spas and yoga studios. A community that consisted mainly of young married couples like us and retired women's groups. What wasn't to love? The prices were also great. Dan, my husband, and I pulled our savings together and put a down payment on a cabin after our first visit. We never wanted to leave.
We moved to Mountain Village a month later. At first, it was so quiet. Almost too quiet for us city folk. We adapted quickly, though. Soon we both had favorite spas. I was getting a massage and facial every week and going to yoga every morning. It was better than we could have imagined. We would spend the weekends swimming and frolicking in one of the natural springs. Then, one night it started. Screaming. Dan and I ran outside. We couldn't see a thing; we could only hear the blood curdling screams. We thought it might be a coyote or something until the ambulance came. It pulled up to a cabin down the street and the screaming stopped. For a while at least.
One weekend Dan got an idea. He thought we could save money by drinking the water from the springs. I had always insisted on using a purifier before. I wasn't sure about Dan's idea, but I decided to go along with it, at least for a few weeks. The water was delicious - the most tasty, crisp, always cool water that I had ever had. Dan and I couldn't get enough. We drank and drank. And when, a few nights later, we heard more screaming, we didn't even bother to go outside to see what it was.
After a few weeks though, Dan began to feel odd. He said his neck ached, then his back, then his ankles. We began to argue again - about any and everything. Finally, he was in so much pain he couldn't even eat - he just drank more spring water. I took him for massages and to the chiropractor. He was still in pain. I took him to a doctor, but nothing could be done to help him and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with him, as far as he could tell. Then, one night I woke up to the screaming. It wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from Dan. He was sitting up in bed with terror frozen on his face. His mouth was wide open and the most horrible sound was coming from deep inside him.
I tried to hug and comfort him but nothing worked. Within minutes, two men in white burst through our cabin door and loaded Dan into an ambulance. I haven't seen him since. In fact, all the men at Mountain Village seem to be disappearing. I think that it's the water that does something to them. But I'm okay. I've made a lot of new female friends. They lost their husbands, too. We still hear the screaming coming from the newer houses and now we know. But I just close my eyes and think of those early, quiet days.
Mountain Village - sounds like a quaint little town, right? That's what I thought, too. I was looking to get out of the big city and spend some quality time with my new husband. Things were going to be perfect. We'd been having some trouble, but then, don't all newlyweds? We just needed to get away from the stress of the city - the work, the traffic, the noise, our families. I first heard about Mountain Village in a travel magazine. It seemed beautiful. It had fresh springs, wooden cabins, and an assortment of spas and yoga studios. A community that consisted mainly of young married couples like us and retired women's groups. What wasn't to love? The prices were also great. Dan, my husband, and I pulled our savings together and put a down payment on a cabin after our first visit. We never wanted to leave.
We moved to Mountain Village a month later. At first, it was so quiet. Almost too quiet for us city folk. We adapted quickly, though. Soon we both had favorite spas. I was getting a massage and facial every week and going to yoga every morning. It was better than we could have imagined. We would spend the weekends swimming and frolicking in one of the natural springs. Then, one night it started. Screaming. Dan and I ran outside. We couldn't see a thing; we could only hear the blood curdling screams. We thought it might be a coyote or something until the ambulance came. It pulled up to a cabin down the street and the screaming stopped. For a while at least.
One weekend Dan got an idea. He thought we could save money by drinking the water from the springs. I had always insisted on using a purifier before. I wasn't sure about Dan's idea, but I decided to go along with it, at least for a few weeks. The water was delicious - the most tasty, crisp, always cool water that I had ever had. Dan and I couldn't get enough. We drank and drank. And when, a few nights later, we heard more screaming, we didn't even bother to go outside to see what it was.
After a few weeks though, Dan began to feel odd. He said his neck ached, then his back, then his ankles. We began to argue again - about any and everything. Finally, he was in so much pain he couldn't even eat - he just drank more spring water. I took him for massages and to the chiropractor. He was still in pain. I took him to a doctor, but nothing could be done to help him and the doctor said there was nothing wrong with him, as far as he could tell. Then, one night I woke up to the screaming. It wasn't coming from outside. It was coming from Dan. He was sitting up in bed with terror frozen on his face. His mouth was wide open and the most horrible sound was coming from deep inside him.
I tried to hug and comfort him but nothing worked. Within minutes, two men in white burst through our cabin door and loaded Dan into an ambulance. I haven't seen him since. In fact, all the men at Mountain Village seem to be disappearing. I think that it's the water that does something to them. But I'm okay. I've made a lot of new female friends. They lost their husbands, too. We still hear the screaming coming from the newer houses and now we know. But I just close my eyes and think of those early, quiet days.
really good. for such a short story you´ve put such a lot into it. very clever!
ReplyDeleteMichael McCarthy
Hehehe, it could have been named Feminists' Dreams as well. Creepy indeed, and well written.
ReplyDeleteGives new meaning to the phase DOn't Drink the Water!
ReplyDeleteThose poor men! Sounds like the water is doing something less intrusive but equally horrible to the women as well. Great story. Thanks,
ReplyDelete