Story of the Goddess of the Lake

Martina stood on Santa Cruz beach near her home, her feet pressing into the soft white sand. The sun dipped into twilight, its light shimmering in the blue-green water. Martina walked down the shore absorbed in serenity— the beach was deserted. The only sounds were the wind over the water and birds calling.

Martina paused in her step—she made out the faint sound of sobbing. She squinted her eyes, looked around, and saw a man crouched a few yards in front of her on the beach. He was a middle-aged man in a white shirt and blue pants, and Martina recognized him from town.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

He looked up, tears streaming from his eyes. His hair and clothes were soaked too. “Something terrible happened,” he said. “I was rowing across the lake with eleven others. A huge wind storm came out of nowhere! I'd never seen anything like it." He shook his head. "It was a hurricane full of human faces. Ghosts or spirits, maybe, of people who drowned in the lake. Our boat completely overturned, and I don't know where the others went.”

Martina, shaken by the story, turned to look at the lake that had appeared so peaceful minutes earlier. Instead, she saw unfamiliar boulders and trees on a path. Somehow, she had travelled to the opposite side of the lake, where she didn't usually venture. Bright, early-morning rays shone through the conifer trees and misty air. Another person cried, this time a young boy.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

“My parents drowned a week ago in the lake. They went to sell fish in Cerro de Oro market, and their boat never returned. I miss them so much, because my seven older siblings kept all the inheritance for themselves. I’m left with nothing,” he said through sobs.

Martina felt a wave of sadness and pity for the boy, but didn't know what to do to help him.

The boy looked up at Martina, questioning if he should tell her more. “That’s not all,” he said. “I’ve had strange dreams since they went away, and I think they might be underwater with the goddess.”

Those words made Martina feel even worse. “I know you want to think that, but those are old stories. You should try to move on.”

"I don't know," he shook his head. "But I should get going."

The boy hurried away, and Martina walked down the other direction of the path, led by curiosity—she hadn’t spent much time around this area before. The trees and bushes grew close together, and the winding path made it hard to see far ahead. She knew she was dreaming because she kept switching locations and could not fully control her actions, but this must have been the most realistic dream she ever had. Her senses took in each individual leaf, heard the birds and distant water, and felt the humid air and muddy path. She lifted her hand to pinch herself when something on the path in front of her caught her eye.

Through the leaves, Martina saw a glowing woman approaching, gracefully darting through the trees. Martina panicked—the woman advanced alarmingly, effortlessly fast. She stopped right in front of Martina, who noticed her bright green eyes, shimmery white hair, and transparent blue-green skin. She wore an aqua dress that rippled without wind. Piles of gold and jade jewelry covered her arms and neck. She smiled with her mouth, revealing perfect teeth, but something about her eyes remained cold and uninviting. Martina shivered.

“What are you doing here?” the woman asked. “This is a sacred place, and I am the dueña of the lake. No one can come here.”

Martina didn't know what to say—she barely even knew where she was. "Sorry...I was just going for a walk."

“It’s okay, but now you must come with me,” the goddess said. The goddess turned and began walking, and the forest path melted away. It turned instead into a winding, downward-sloping path surrounded by orchids. The goddess started singing the most beautiful song Martina had ever heard, and the flora shifted and grew to the sound of her voice. Eventually the path changed again, the ground becoming sandy and the flowers morphing into tall grass, rocks, and logs. The sun turned dim and greenish—they were completely underwater, though Martina felt dry.

A small underwater village appeared with many houses, gardens, and flowers, and the goddess retreated into the biggest home. The houses ranged colors from red and orange to blue and purple, and the gardens overflowed with flowers. Everywhere people were cooking food—tortillas, tamales, beans, chicken, and more. Someone rang a bell, and everyone sat down to eat together. Martina grabbed a tortilla, but it fell through her hands like air. Everyone else ate and enjoyed the food. A boy next to Martina reached for a tortilla, his hand passing through Martina's arm. Martina jumped back from the table, her heart pounding.

Her surroundings dissolved and she stood back on Santa Cruz beach, the goddess beside her. "Did you meet the people of my village? People claim they drowned, but they are alive and well, still with their bodies. Would you like to live there too?"

Martina quickly shook her head, knowing the people in the lake truly were dead. "No, thank you."

The goddess took off one of her golden necklaces, this one with an orchid charm on it. "Take this. If you ever change your mind, it will lead you back."

Martina reached out her hand to take the necklace, but it was just air. The goddess disappeared from sight.

Martina opened her eyes and sat bolt upright—she saw the sun setting over the lake and realized she had woken from her dream. She shivered and thought how strange that dream had been, trying to shake the feeling it had been real. She shook her head, grabbed her book, and started running down the path home, hoping to make it back in time for dinner.