Aquanette and Hydro

         The villagers enjoyed wealth for many generations.  The village is defined between tall oak trees laden with flowers arrayed in colors of the rainbow, and strategic family cabins with architecture ahead of its time. Its forward design is confirmed by the colored architecture around windows and doors that match the flowers in the area. The early years brought prosperity and contentment through an abundance of food and water.          



         Village Wettington is in its fifth generation and has undergone three name changes. This generation is experiencing an unprecedented decline in status. It is not certain what came first, the change in the attitude of the villagers or the decline in prosperity. What is certain is the discontentment and grumbling that is prevalent. The faces of the villagers are contorted with smirks of anger and their eyes glare with hatred. They no longer honor the practice of imbibing knowledge. They go about aimless and blaming one another. They are head strong and unreachable emotionally. Often incoherent verbal fights break out, revealing their negligent uncooperative attitudes, responsible for the end of their prosperity.



         Today expressions on the faces of the children are heartbreaking, as their unhappiness shows through. Their parents and elders are slothful and uncaring. 



         The only good in the village is seen in a young girl name Aquanette and a young man named Hydro. Aquanette is from a long line of swimmers and water testers. She possesses the uniqueness to determine if water is good. Hydro is from a long line of medicine and wisdom pedagogues. He provides medical care and perspective whenever the villagers faces dilemmas. Unlike the past generation of villagers who respected these skills delivered down from generation to generation; this fifth generation rejects them.

         Once again, the villagers went to bed with their bellies unfilled and thirsty and with no greater care concerning their young. There was no stirring during the night. The villagers lay motionless and still behind creviced frowns of disaffection.



         Hydro and Aquanette dreamed during the night. Hydro dreamed he had the blue prints for a new world and Aquanette dreamt she gave birth beginning a line of decedents who recovered the village, and the wilted flowers sprang back to life.



         In the morning Hydro was the first to discover it. It was a strange well in the center of town. He walked about inspecting the well trying to make sense of it to relay to the villagers. He called out “come, villagers come.” Villagers headed in singles and small groups toward the center of town.  The procession continued until all the villagers were there. They reacted aside from what would normally be expected.  Aquanette was the last villager to arrive and was the only villager that expressed any semblance of normalcy.  She made her way through the crowd walking straight up to the well.  The soft soil gave way beneath her left foot and Hydro grabbed her just in time to prevent her from falling into the well. There had been a perfect circle of dirt around the well until she nearly fell in.  The dirt beneath her feet slid into the water and caused no disturbance. The villagers peered into the vertical pool of clear water, looking for a bottom that was not revealed.



         Mothers and their children starred blandly with parched lips. Everyone declared their thirst. The children clutched their mother’s hands. Thirsty looks could be seen on the faces of all the villagers. A little girl fell to the ground crying “I’m thirsty; I want to drink.” An elder cried mean and grumpy “We went to bed thirsty and we woke up to water. We can drink water again and restore our crops.”



         “Wait let Aquanette test the water before we drink.” Hydro called out, but the crowd ignored him. Another elder shouted out, “The streams are dry and the water in the lakes and rivers cannot be drunk. This well is for us. We went to bed thirsty. It was our needs that brought us water. Bring your pails and let’s drink.” They cried one to another. No one considered being thankful and happy for the well; their barren anger had not left their faces and neither their hearts. Hydro continued to cry out “No, no, let Aquanette test it first.” He was disregarded as the villagers drank and carried water away. Aquanette tried to speak some sense to them, but they turned on her and Hydro. The elders turned to them starring like lone wolves who were only in it for the kill. Hydro and Aquanette ran far into the forest.  A deep sleep fell upon them.

The villagers drank every day with no thought of food. On the seventh day they all disappeared and Hydro and Aquanette awaken to the sound of a gurgling brook.