A Message from the River
A beautiful woman walks out of the river. Her hair is a rich mud-brown, her eyes a river-water blue. She is naked as the day she was born, a meaningless phrase because this was the day she was born. She walks until she finds civilization: a fisherman’s cabin by the water, fisherman included. Approaching him, she asks, “Please help me. The river has made me to bring a message to humanity. Will you help?”
Finding his voice, the fisherman says, “Ah, sure, I’ll help if I can, miss. What can I do?” He puts down his pole.
“The river has been misused and is on the verge of catastrophe. She has sent many messages without change, so she has sent me. I need your help to tell the world.”
He clears his throat. “I’ll do what I can.” He leads her to a van parked by the cabin. “Let’s see about getting you some clothes, then we can tell folks about your message.”
“Thank you,” she says, accepting his hand up into the back of the van. “Your wisdom will save our world.” He closes the back of the van. He locks it.
“They never get any smarter,” he mutters.