The river didn’t follow the usual rules. It ran backwards on stormy nights, defying the pull of the moon and the promise of the horizon. The water surged with a force that seemed to come from within the earth itself, as if it remembered a time when it wasn’t bound by the riverbanks. The currents didn’t just move — they swirled in complex patterns, tangling themselves into knots of foam. Those who stood on the shore could feel the force pulling at their ankles, urging them to follow.
Sometimes, the most profound changes happen when we stop trying to follow the current and instead let it take us where we were never meant to go.
Rocks That Sank and Swam
The rocks that lay beneath the surface didn’t stay where they were supposed to. Some sank into the depths, others leapt from the water like stones with wings. They floated without a care, ignoring the natural laws that had kept them still for centuries. The river wasn’t interested in keeping things steady. It was a place of constant movement, where even the earth itself could be undone and redrawn. The water seemed to erase everything in its path, leaving only memories of things once anchored.
Raindrops That Fell Upwards
As the storm came closer, the raindrops began to fall upwards. At first, it seemed like a trick of the light, but soon it was clear — the water wasn’t falling, it was rising. The rainstorm reversed itself, sending drops into the sky where they belonged. They formed clouds at ground level, rising higher, creating patterns that mimicked the riverside in strange, mirrored images. The world had flipped upside down, and for a brief moment, everything seemed to be moving in the wrong direction.
The Fog That Followed the Water
After the storm, the fog rolled in from the river. It didn’t creep; it surged, swarming like smoke that had decided to stay. The air grew thick, heavy with the moisture that clung to your skin. The fog didn’t settle — it followed the river, rolling backwards just as the water had. In the distance, the lights of the town blurred, swallowed by the mist. The river had changed the rules of nature that night, and now the world felt uncertain, as if nothing could be taken for granted anymore.
