The Malvern Mystery

Prelude'Hurry now, Ruth; we have to get there by dawn.' The frantic rustle of her skirt emphasised the urgency of Sarah's words. Gasping as they pitted their strength against the slope, they moved upwards through the wind-cropped grass with the hill always rising before them and the chill of the night brushing against their skin. 'There's the sun coming through now.' Sarah pointed eastward across the broad Worcestershire plain. An infinitesimal gleam of light showed on the far horizon. 'Come on Ruth; it's not far. Think of Harry.' Ruth nodded and lengthened her stride so that every step snapped the material of her skirt against her legs. 'Is that somebody over there?' Ruth stopped and took hold of Sarah's arm. 'I'm not doing anything if there is anybody else here. I'm sure I saw some men.' 'There's nobody there; it's only your imagination; come on,' Sarah pushed Ruth upwards. They stumbled over a steep ridge and down into one of the deep ditches that corrugated the side of the hill. 'I'm not sure I want to do this,' Ruth said. 'Harry will be pleased,' Sarah encouraged. 'Come on and don't hesitate.' 'Here we are.' They stopped before a slight depression in the ground. A sad mountain ash leaned over them, its branches winter- bare. 'Take a deep breath now. The sun has still not properly risen.' A breeze ruffled the dark surface of a pool of water, pushing tiny whispering waves against a bank of rough grass. 'Are you sure this is the right place?' Ruth looked around, narrowing her eyes against the bite of the pre-dawn wind. 'It's very dark.' 'This is Alfreck Well,' Sarah assured her. 'I've been here before,' she hesitated for a moment. 'I had to come here too, Ruth, and it worked. Three times it worked.' The two women exchanged glances. Ruth gave a nervous smile. 'What do I do now?' 'Strip naked,' Sarah said. 'Quickly now, before the sun rises.' 'What if those men come?' Ruth tried to peer into the dark. 'There are no men foolish enough to come up here,' Sarah said and sighed. 'I'll keep watch just in case. Come on now!' She poked Ruth in the arm. 'Hurry!' 'It's cold!' Ruth said but slipped off her short cloak and then, fingers trembling, unfastened her skirt and top. She placed her clothes in a neat pile and stood, arms-folded and shivering in her shift. 'Stark! You must be completely stark!' Sarah said. Ruth gave one last pleading glance at Sarah before divesting herself of the last of her clothes, to stand smoothly naked and white beside the black pool of water. 'In you get,' Sarah eyed her briefly and smiled. 'Harry's a lucky man.' She picked up the bundle of clothes and tucked them under her arm. 'You have to be completely immersed as the sun rises or it won't work.' 'It's cold,' Ruth said again. She put a single foot into the water, made a small exclamation of shock, and stepped in further. Sarah watched as the water rose above Ruth's knees, and then lapped at her thighs. 'Get right in!' Sarah said. 'Go on! You won't die! Think of Harry when you give him the good news.' Ruth whimpered with the shock as the water reached her waist, but set her mouth and stepped on until she was breast deep. 'I thought it would be thick mud underfoot,' she said, 'but it's not.' 'Here it comes,' Sarah ignored Ruth's words. The sun slid above the eastern plain, a sliver of silver-gold that slowly set the sky aglow. Red and orange streaks radiated from the central orb to fade into the darkness beyond, but even as Sarah watched, the light strengthened to illuminate the land. She saw small islands of trees amid the dark, then villages emerged as beams of sunlight glinted on windows and the tan and gold of thatched roofs. Worcestershire smiled upward to greet another day. 'Now!' Sarah shouted, 'take a deep breath and get right under the water! Now!' With one last appealing look, Ruth ducked under the surface. For a second Sarah saw her blonde hair floating on top, and then she vanished completely in the still dark water. Sarah stretched across and pushed her head down, struggling to hold her under the surface as she fought frantically to escape. 'No you don't, my girl,' Sarah said. 'You have to be completely under.' The sun eased higher, sending soft beams of light over the countryside, picking out trees and copses, casting long shadows toward the west, reflecting from windows and glinting from the serpentine Severn as it wound its lazy passage across the awakening landscape. Sarah watched its progress, glanced down to where Ruth crouched submerged in the dark pool and counted the seconds. 'Stay still' she ordered as she felt Ruth's frantic movements within the water. 'You can't come up yet.' At last the slow beams of the sun crept across the rough grass and touched the pool. The transformation was immediate; the water gleamed silver, with the tiny wavelets glimmering in the light as if alive. 'Up you get,' Sarah said and lifted her hand from Ruth's head. 'Let me out!' The words exploded from Ruth's mouth along with a spurt of water, 'there's something in here with me. For God's sake let me out!' 'There's nothing…' Sarah began until Ruth clutched at her with frantic hands. 'Please Sarah! Get me out of here! Please!' Sarah grabbed Ruth's arms and hauled her from the water without any regard for her dignity or the flesh she scraped from the rough grass. Both women stared into the disturbing depths. 'There's something down there, I tell you,' Ruth was nearly sobbing, careless of her nakedness. 'Something soft and terrible.' She screamed again, 'Oh God help us; it's coming up!' They backed away, holding each other, as something burst feet-first out of the water and floated on top. 'It's a man!' Sarah shouted, high pitched. She took hold of Ruth in a close embrace, 'a naked man!' 'And he's dead,' Ruth screamed. Forgetting about her clothes, Ruth began to run with Sarah frantic at her back. Behind them, floating on the surface of the well, the naked man bobbed unheeded, with his wrists and ankles tied with green cord.