Drip drop

Drip drop, water in the well. She peers down between the moss stones and half-shadows to the water’s tenebrious surface casing ripples with each drop of dew gathering in the chill of the dark before it casts itself downward, a suicide plunge to rejoin the well of spirits gathered below.

Oh bother, she says in breathy half-whisper, pushing herself away. What’s the point in wishing anyway? It isn’t as if such wishes come true. Nothing more than fairytales written by hopeless romantics who want to believe there is some sense of control when you cast your wishes down the well.

Before long, she finds herself hopelessly drawn — first fingertips seeking the cool air, then a dangled hand and, before she knows it, she is enthralled by the drip-drop crystal of water on water and her kohl-cast eyes are once again drawn back as she leans over the empty space to gaze back down below.

Down, down to the gloaming of the waters rippling below.

Do I dare wish? she wonders aloud.

Of course you should, says one of the souls below. Tell us your wishes so that we might make them true.

A murmuring rises from the waters, a gentle choir of voices assuring her that, yes, yes, she should dare to wish. Tell us, tell us, show us your deepest desires.

She sits back, away from the lichened stone that make the mouth of the well and examines the yard-space around her, certain that Tommy Lehrer is pranking her, although she cannot imagine how he could pull it off. Say what you might about Tommy, but he was more clever than he often received credit for being. And he did like to tease her whenever he saw an opportunity to do so, especially when love was in her head.

But he was nowhere to be found, and she was not sure how he might make it so that his voice came from the down instead of the sidewise, clever as he was.

Tell us, tell us. Please! the voices cry.

She casts her eyes around once again before putting her head close to the mouth of the old well that sat still, casting dripping sounds forth. She hesitated, mouth half-open as she fought for courage to speak her most intimate desires.

I wish I belonged, she said finally, forcing out the words, almost spitting them out. I wish I had a people to whom I belonged.

It grew silent for a spell, long enough that she wondered if she had imagined it all.

You do, said a small voice. You belong with us, as you have all along.

She thought about it, but none too long, for she realized she had known this truth for a long time now.

Drip drop, water in the well. Then a splash that no one heard, because none were around. But the water did ripple as it did with every drop that fell to the shadowed surface. Another wish granted, another one to find their belong.

"the only time that you're satisfied
is with your feet in the wishing well"
- Free