Chapter I: The River’s Secret

            The area had been in a drought for years.  Everyone knew it and knew the river was getting lower and lower.   “Wonder what secrets we’ll find when it dries up?” the younger generation would tease.  “Probably nothing that any of us want to see,” the old timers responded. 

The little rainfall the area did receive was never enough to raise the level up.  It couldn’t even maintain the level.  Instead, year after year, the water level dropped.  First the difference was noted in inches and then in feet.   

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