The River's Tithe

Every autumn, the isolated town of Blackwood offers a 'River Bride' to the dark waters below to ensure the ancient levee holds for another year. This season, the black stone fell to the Mayor's daughter, Alice. The ceremony proceeded at midnight—a weeping figure in a heavy veil was cast into the churning depths, and the town prayed for safety. Yet, before sunrise, the levee shattered, obliterating the valley. As the survivors scrambled up the ridge, screaming that the God had rejected the offering, the town's ferryman stood apart. He wasn't praying. He was calmly lighting a cigarette, watching the Mayor's mansion disappear beneath the waves.