Maybel thought that the scream was only in her mind. An after effect of the previous night's drinking.

But, no, the scream continued, louder now, straining to be heard by the one that had disturbed it.

Maybel thought that she herself must have screamed. But the cry from the well now overshadowed any sound she could have ever hoped to voice.

As she leaned over the edge of the well and peered down, it took her eyes a moment to adjust to the sudden, unexpected dimness of the well. She thought she could make out the faint outline of a human shape.

"Is there anyone down there?" Maybel cried into the well.

"Help me! Get me out!" Resonated a voice from the well.

"Oh my god! I'll get you out just try and stay above the water!" Maybel answered as she began to scan her garden for any object she might use to save the person in the well.

She now regretted keeping her garden in such a clean state. There was nothing she could see that would reach far enough into the well.

Then she caught a glimpse of an object behind a bush. Perfect, the hose she used to water her garden yesterday.

She rushed over and grabbed the hose and tied a quick knot in it as she began to lower it into the well.

"Grab hold of the knot and hold on!"

Maybel pulled with all her strength and thought, momentarily that the person seemed quite heavy considering.

She kept pulling. As the persons shoulders came into view above the level of the well, Maybel grabbed her (for indeed it was a girl who was in the well) beneath the arms and hauled her out onto the grass.

The girl, who looked to be in her late teens, let out a soft moan and began crying.

"Thank you." She said so softly the sound barely escaped her lips.

"Let me get you inside."

So, Maybel picked up the girl and carried her into her kitchen and grabbed a towel she had just cleaned and wrapped it around the girls shoulders. Maybel gave her a cup of coffee to drink as she dried her. Then quickly went in search of clothes that might fit the girl.

"What's your name?" Maybel inquired as the girl seemed to begin to recover.

"Coralia and thank you so, so much." This much the girl managed before she began to sob uncontrollably.

Maybel moved over to the girl and hugged her tightly.

As she did this, for only a moment, the girl's blue eyes momentarily flashed vividly in an unnatural green.