Curse of the Sacred Fountain -1- by Melanie Brown

Melanie Brown

Copyright © 2024

Part 1

“Uncle Neil. I think it’s time to pull the plug on your expedition,” complained my insufferable niece Denise. “You can’t find something that never existed.”

“Nonsense!” I asserted. “I feel we’re very close. I was heartened by the discovery of the remains of Percy Fawcett. It won’t be long now.”

“Yeah, of course,” drawled the equally insufferable husband of Denise, Billy. A used car salesman. “I always think of a fountain of youth when I find a rotting pile of bones in a jungle.”

I scowled at Denise. “I told you we should have left that… that salesman back in the States!” That was our little troupe. Myself, my niece, her miserable husband and our photographer.  Hey, if there are no pictures, it didn’t happen, right? Each of us carried a radio in case we got separated. They were short-range. I didn’t want to be tracked.

Our trek through the jungles of the Amazon Basin has taken longer than expected. I should have picked a more scholarly crew, but all the professors I could have brought were all glory-stealing mongrels who would deprive me of my proper glory in locating the lost city of Z and the fabled fountain of youth. I was following the writings, and some say ravings, of Percy Fawcett, who had also set out to find this lost city using a native guide who claimed to have been there.

Denise shook her head. “Be fair, Uncle Neil. You needed someone who could help bring the equipment and you don’t trust anyone. So Billy was the obvious choice.”

“Sorry, Dr. Forscher. But I really didn’t think I was signing up to be a pack mule. I may not have all those degrees that you have, but I have to agree with Denise that we’re not going to find anything out here.” He took off his broad-brimmed hat to wipe sweat from his brow.

“We can’t quit now,” I pleaded. “I feel we’re so close.”

Billy set his pack on the ground. “I’ll be honest with you, doc. Feelings don’t cut it. There’s no solid evidence that there’s anything more here than snakes and spiders.” He swiped a spider from his sleeve.

Billy turned towards our photographer. “What do you think, Eric?” Eric had also been conscripted into carrying some gear since the last of our guides abandoned us.

Eric shrugged. “I’m not paid to think. I’m just here to document this little expedition. As long as I’m paid, what do I care?” Eric was probably mid-fifties with a muscular frame. He’s known for his photography of exotic locations.

Billy scowled at Eric. “Lousy mercenary. Let me tell you what I think. I…aaaiii!” Billy stepped on a rock, twisted his ankle and went tumbling down a rocky slope.

Denise ran after him, “Billy!” She got halfway down the hill when she came to a sudden halt. She stood for a moment, peering into the distance.

“Help…” mumbled Billy.

“Uncle!” shouted Denise, pointing in the distance.  “Come here! Look!”

I hurried as best as I could over the rocky terrain. “What do you see, Denise?”

“Help…”

Grinning with excitement, Denise pointed. “Uncle, look! The two pointer stones your book describes! They’re here!”

“Help…”

I stepped near Denise. “I’ll be damned. You’re right.”  Sticking up above the jungle were two rocky peaks jutting into the air. According to the map in Fawcett’s book, the pointer rocks could only be seen while facing north within half a click from the lost city.

Could we have actually found it? The fountain should be found by drawing a line between the peaks and at a point of approximately thirty percent between the points, you look straight down and…and…

“Help…”

I shouted down the hill, “Will you please stop that caterwauling?  I’m trying to think.”

“I… I can’t move my leg.”

I turned to Denise. “Can you tell him to shut up? I’m trying to think.”

Denise shouted, “Can you be quiet a second, honey? I’ll be down there in just a minute.”

“Help…”

Despite the noise, I focused on the peaks and tried to mentally calculate the thirty percent mark. I looked down and saw a small pile of rubble showing through the jungle.

In my excitement, I almost lost my footing and slipped. “Denise! I think I found the fountain! Look! Just right down there!”

“I see it!” cried Denise. “That’s wonderful, uncle. You and Eric go on down to it. I have to tend to my big baby hubby.”

“Help…”

I started down the hill. “Come along, Eric. Get ready to film the historic moment.”

Being careful where I stepped, I hurried down the hill. To get to my target destination, I would have to cross a ravine at the bottom of the hill then climb up to an escarpment covered in thick undergrowth. I could hear Eric behind me grunting and groaning as we began to climb out of the ravine.

I lost sight of what I had hoped to be the fountain. Tumbled stones of an ancient city had fallen across my path. The jungle had fallen away to reveal stone paving with grass growing between the stones. The ruins of tumbled buildings surrounded us. This once great city has been totally reduced to rubble by the encroachment of the jungle.

And there it was. In a clearing of the stones and jungle, there was the fountain jutting from the jungle floor. The main shape of the fountain was ruined and would no longer hold water. There obviously used to be a pool surrounding the stone sticking up, with a stream of water trickling down the side. It’s the fabled fountain!

I picked up my radio and said, “Denise! I’ve found it! Hurry to the city center!”

“Rodger dodger, uncle. We’re on our way. Billy didn’t even have a sprain.”

In the background, I could hear Billy before Denise cut him off, “I swear my leg was broken!”

I walked up to the fountain and let the water trickle over my fingers. “Behold, Eric! The fabled fountain of youth! Think of what this means!”

Eric took some pictures. He said, “Be careful doc. That could just be an ordinary fountain. We should have that water tested.”

I shook my head. “Nonsense. These markings match the inscriptions described in detail in Fawcett’s book.

“Uncle! We’re coming!” I looked up to see Denise and what’s-his-name climbing over some fallen stones. I should wait for them to arrive at the fountain, but I just have to find out.

I cupped my hand and caught a handful of water. As I brought it to my lips, Eric said, “Hey, doc. Maybe you should wait before you drink any of that.”

I shrugged. “Why wait? I’m thirsty.”

“Uncle!” shouted Denise as she ran towards me. “Don’t drink that yet! We need to test it first!”

“Nonsense!” I shouted back. All the water had drained from between my fingers. To hell with it. I stuck my mouth over the hole the water was bubbling out from.

Gah! The water tasted nasty with a strong mineral taste. My stomach started churning, and I felt nauseous. 

“Uncle!” shouted Denise upon her arrival at the fountain. “Have you lost your mind? That water could be poisonous.”

I held my stomach as I felt sick. Have I made a terrible mistake?

As Billy hobbled up, he pointed at me and said, “Denise, look. He does look younger.”

Eric grinned. “Well, then I’m going to try it too!”

Denise said, “I have to test it!”

Eric pushed past her. He filled his mouth several times with water from the fountain. He grinned and said, “I can’t wait to be young again!” He stopped grinning as his eyes grew large, and he held his stomach. “Bleech!” His face turned beet red, and he collapsed onto the stones.

We all watched in horror as Eric was reduced to a throbbing gelatinous mass of quivering tissue. Denise screamed. I slipped out of consciousness.

End of Part 1