The next morning he got up and saw his parents on the porch.  He went and stood quietly behind them and peered around them at the black water.  It was deeper now than it had been last night.  They had three steps up to their porch and while only a couple of inches deep last night, the evil water was now lapping at the top of the second step.  Angry swirls had appeared in the yard and the water looked agitated, restless, waiting and wanting something, but what?

His heart beating in his throat, the boy turned and hurried back into his room.  He got into his bed, covering his head with the covers.  Tears of fear were running freely down his face and he didn’t want his little sister to see him crying.

That afternoon, with the putrid water still slowly rising, his parents left in a boat filled with other grownups.  His dad said they were going to a meeting at the church and would be back soon.  They were going to make a plan, to see what they could do about the awful water.  He tried to be brave as he watched them battle the water until the small boat turned the corner several blocks away and he could no longer see them.  He and his sister huddled together on the couch, waiting and listening to the sound of the water getting closer to the top step for what seemed like hours.

Finally, he was awakened at the sound of his parents returning home.  It was dark and he could barely make out their faces, but it looked like his mother had been crying, a lot.  Her eyes were red and puffy and she was still leaking a few tears.  He started to ask what was wrong, but she only hugged him to her and started crying harder.  She held him so tight he thought he might have bruises in the morning.  She kissed him all over his face and told him how much she loved him, took his sister’s hand and led her into the bedroom and quietly closed the door.  He heard her murmuring to his sister and then he heard his little sister cry out, but her cries were quickly muffled by his mom.

Puzzled, he looked to his father for answers.  Tears were shining in his dad’s eyes as he took him by the hand and led him to the boat where other men and their sons were waiting.

Anxiously, he looked around at the men and could see tears in most of their eyes, too.  He glanced at the boys, most of whom he knew and saw mirrored there the same puzzled anxiety he was feeling.

As they took their seats in the boat, it dawned on him that the water seemed to be smoother, less agitated.  He looked back at the house and saw that the water had stopped rising.  He even thought it had gone down a tiny bit.  A current was taking the boat down the street and he snuggled in next to his dad.  The silent boat picked up speed and was soon moving out of town toward the old sulpher mine.  At some point he noticed that a few other silent boats had joined theirs, all filled with fathers and sons and all being taken by the same unseen force.

The boy could tell his father was crying and he tried to comfort him, but no sound could pass his lips.  He could feel his own tears and was beginning to understand what was taking place.  He felt the boat begin to slow and he looked out over the black water and saw the still partially submerged sign for the sulpher mine.  He knew they should be just about over the dark, open mouth of the mine.  The boat stopped and he watched with horror as each father picked up his son and placed him in the water.  He watched in the eerie silence as each boy was sucked down into the darkness.

It was his turn.  He slowly faced his father and saw the anguish that was there.  Still, no sound would come.  He raised his hand and touched his father’s cheek and then caressed his lips.  The tears ran unchecked from both their eyes as he slowly turned and stepped over the side of the boat.  He sank instantly into the dark water, watching his father’s face until the darkness completely took him.