The Well
For the last months I have been living in a well. I fell right into it when I leaned over to see – out of curiosity – its bottom. I lost my balance and fell down. Luckily, I “landed” on the water, so I did not break anything. The first days passed by screaming for help; unfortunately, no one seemed to hear me. I was completely desperate those days. I had plenty of water but I was starving. At night, I stared at the constellations that were visible through the well’s opening and fell asleep inside a relatively dry recess of the wall.
Soon, I realised that Ι was not alone in the well. My prison served as a habitat for a number of little creatures: frogs, toads, spiders, little flies, even small fish and tiny lizards. What a remarkable interaction going on among those little animals! I noticed that the frogs fed on spiders, the spiders on little flies, the lizards on fly eggs and tiny frogs. No one suffered death by starvation. My lightless enclosure was providing like a kind womb for the sustainability of its fauna! So, the only thing to do was find a place at some level of this food pyramid. This is how I solved my starvation issue. However, I ought to be careful not to disturb the natural equilibrium: I ate a little of every species, minding not to make any discrimination between male and female.
After a while, in spite of getting accustomed and even starting to take some sort of pleasure in living there, something unhoped for occurred. While I was sitting there daydreaming and looking at the dark waters, I heard human voices coming from outside the well’s opening and getting closer. It was a young girl and a boy, probably in love, seeing a well in the middle of nowhere and coming to make a wish and throw in a coin, as people usually do. An old atavistic habit made me curl up and wait for a few minutes without giving any sign of life. Besides, in case of people approaching one must always assume a defensive attitude, even if they are in a dire situation like mine. Eventually, my forethought did not betray me. In the fieriness of love, infatuated by euphoria and forlorn hopes for the future, the couple threw a lot of coins into the well while they competed in making wishes for the sake of their relationship. That made me curl up even deeper in my hideout. I am a man who has never worked or made any fortune. Suddenly, before me appeared an unprecedented business opportunity. How many gulls were out there, ruled by superstition and prejudice, ready to throw away their money wherever their metaphysical vice gets fulfilled… So the only thing I had to do was lure them to my hole…
Then I got a divine inspiration. I spoke with a deep, imposing voice and thanks to the contribution of the natural depth of the well I pretended to be the fountain’s spectre. I also made my best to add some affectation to my words, just like ghosts and psychics usually do. And with an austere - but not too abrupt - tone of voice in order not to scare them off, I asked them what they were doing in my waters and why they were disturbing my eternal sleep. Of course, the two young lovers got frightened and pulled back. Το prove to his girlfriend he was not a coward, the unconsidered young man began to throw large rocks and big logs into my well. When he stopped, after a little while, I was able to explain them I am a friendly and favourable spirit fulfilling wishes and predicting the future.
Having coped with the first shock, they started posing all kinds of questions to which I responded accordingly. The girl even asked me the whereabouts of her lost diamond pocket mirror for which I suggested the first place that came to my mind: behind her night table in the bedroom. They threw in some more coins – following my instructions – and returned home excited.
The next day, upset human voices gathering around my well woke me up. Needless to say, I was quite convinced something like that would eventually happen which actually reinforced my confidence as a psychic. That morning the coins came down abundantly together with queries about love, work, health… And like a greedy newly-enlightened person who is led by wild intuition, I impeccably replied to every single one of them.
It went on like this, only that the crowd became larger by the day. In order to avoid any hubbub, tension or panic, I ordered my “clients” to make a priority list. I nominated the first couple that had benefited from my divination as my assistants and spokespeople for the outside world, and from that day on they never ceased to visit the well and seek my advice, always with compensation.
My affairs proceeded greatly and within a few weeks the well was filled up with coins and sovereigns. My goal was to earn a little more money and then, with the help of my partners (which, of course, had yet no idea about my plans – it is always best to keep your subordinates in the dark), leave. Of course, in stories like mine something gets in the way all the time forcing you to readjust your plans.
It was dawn when the frightened voice of my “employee” woke me up. “Spirit of the well!” she screamed, “today the Bishop and his men are coming to cement your well. But, why am I even telling you this? You would probably already know!..”. I jolted as if struck by lightning. “What? Why would they ever do that?” I inquired in terror. “The Bishop claims that the well is haunted and that you are a demon! Are you, really?”. “Of course not! What is this all about?”. “I don’t know. I just came to warn you! Although I am quite certain you are aware of their plans. I must go now! Should they find me here l shall be in great trouble!”. “Wait!” I yelled but she was already gone. That was it then, my end was near. Not only would months of work disappear into thin air, but I was about to be buried alive in here. I had to do something, but what? No matter how I succeeded in deceiving those gulls, fooling the Bishop would be impossible because he was ingenious. Besides, more or less he did the same thing and must have certainly feared the competition, which is why he wanted to destroy me. Suddenly, I heard a horse stampede. They were here. I could tell they dismounted and started preparing the cement. I had no choice but to admit my defeat and simply make an effort to limit the repercussions. I started screaming that I was a human being actually trapped here for months and that I had nothing to do with spirits or demons. They stopped to listen to me and I discerned the Bishop’s voice screeching ruthlessly: “Do not stop. He is lying”. So, they continued their work…
Then, more unexpected noises could be perceived: arrows piercing the air, hollow steps, knives being squeezed into human bodies, screaming and cursing. Fighting sounds. And after a while, an unearthly calm. The voice I heard now was the familiar and soft voice of my assistant: “Spirit, are you alright?”. Under normal circumstances, I would never risk asking her what had happened out there (since I was supposed to know already), but due to the commotion I overcame my inhibitions and requested to be informed in detail. She answered that all the benefited town people found out what was about to happen to me, rushed in my aide and upon the clash fury they killed the Metropolitan along with his men. “I knew it” I said when she finished, causing shivers– as I would like to imagine - down the spines of my faithful followers.
“What will it be from now on?” asked my good employee. I closed my eyes and began to meditate. I saw town homes burned down, dwellers crucified, women raped, fortunes pillaged, all by the forces of the Archbishop and the State that would have soon arrived to reestablish order. Their fury would fall like an iron fist upon the powerless and naïve peasants. “Everything is going to be fine” I said.