Raven's Heir | ONC 2021 honourable mention

10 - Ripples

Steph waited for us at the club. Tanned, her blond, sun-streaked hair gathered in a ponytail and clad in washed-out shorts and a bright red tank top, she was the prototype of a sailing instructor. A smile brightened her face. "San, so good to see you, it's been ages. How's work at the library, busy again?"

"Painful topic, they sacked me last year, another victim of reorganisation. But it's good to see you, too. These are Matt and Theo, my current partners in crime."

She grinned. "Partners, eh? Must be an interesting job if it involves the mouldy ruins on the lake bottom. Let's fit you out and be on our way before the thunderstorm arrives."

Matt studied the distant, threatening clouds with a frown. "That's just a build-up, I guess. The prediction says it will take a few more days until we're blessed with rain here in the lowlands."

"Possible. To be honest, it will be a relief. Still, I don't want to risk being on the lake when lightning strikes. Here." She handed us a sleek red lifejacket each. "They are automatic and inflate when you fall into the water, so no need to pull a toggle or anything. But the best choice is always to stay on the boat, right?"

Steph helped us adjust the harnesses, and we followed her down the flat slope and across a broad stretch of gravelly wasteland to the shore. The wooden jetty, now useless, sat on its floaters halfway up in the dirt, but down at the current shoreline, a red semirigid inflatable was pulled up. Together, we pushed the boat into the water and climbed aboard.

Driven by a powerful outboard, we zipped toward the eastern shore across the lake's mirror-like surface. Conversation was impossible with the noise of the motor, but I didn't mind. This trip gave me a new perspective on the landscape. Straight ahead on its perch high above the lake, Corbières' castle gleamed white in the afternoon sunlight, an impressive reminder of its history as a seat of power. The dark cumulus clouds billowing behind it added to the surreal feeling.

The trip across the shrunken lake took less than ten minutes. We were almost beneath the castle when I made out the ruins at the foot of the slope, blending in with the gravel and mud. Steph decelerated the boat and brought us closer to the shore. "Now, please guide me to the place you want to investigate."

Theo pointed at the single, well-preserved cottage. "It's this one, with the roof and the crooked chimney, right beneath the recent landslide."

The dark earth marked the place where Roberto had his accident, but I couldn't make sense of Theo's comment about the chimney at first. But when Steph steered us closer, I discovered the rough masonry, towering at an unusual angle over a shingled roof. Wooden shingles had been the traditional roofing material of the region before tiles became affordable for everyone. The walls were whitewashed stone, now turned grey and unattractive, with a row of square windows. Bare flowerpots on the windowsills contributed to the deserted feeling the building emitted.

My architectural musings were interrupted by the repeated clicks of a camera shutter. Matt sat astride the inflated side of the boat, one foot trailing in the water, in full paparazzi mode. "The roof is in extraordinary shape. How is it possible the wood survived being submerged over seven decades? All the other roofs caved in."

"Paranormal energy is intense here, I'm sure that explains a lot." I rubbed my tingling wrist. "Can we get closer, Steph? I'd like to try for the shore."

"Sure. We just have to take care we don't run aground. If the propeller hits a rock, we'll have to paddle home." A few seconds later, something scratched against the rigid bottom of the boat. Steph cut the engine. "Sorry, that's it, terminal destination. If you want to go further, you'll have to swim."

Leaning over the bow, I made out the remains of a crumbling wall under the surface. My friend was right. With the submerged masonry here, it was too dangerous to continue. I checked the distance. Fifty or sixty metres of rippling water separated us from the garden wall surrounding the house. "What do you think, fancy a refreshing swim, Matt? Theo?" The idea seemed attractive on this sultry afternoon.