The Secret of the Silent City
Tourists in search of Instagrammable content cross a line
Jade squinted at the sky, which was still bright blue, despite it being nearly six o’clock. Satisfied that she had the right light for her picture, she called out to her friend.
“Say cheese!”
Tammi did no such thing. Instead, she smoothed her hair, stuck out her boobs, and pouted in a sultry fashion. Jade clicked her camera phone and immediately began to upload the image to their social media. This place might be known as the silent city, but with the help of her best friend, Jade could make it look edgy and cool.
“Damn! They have stocks.” Tammi’s voice rose with excitement. “Let’s get a picture of you incarcerated.”
Jade got into position. Bending forward she put her cleavage on display, ideal for encouraging followers.
“So hot, babe! I could spank your ass and you couldn’t move away,” Tammi giggled, but it turned into a pout. “I wanna be in the picture with you, but there’s nobody here to take it.”
That’s when Jade realized her friend was right. They’d got off the ferry and walked against the crowd, most tourists were leaving the city. They’d passed a few visitors on the bridge but, looking around now, at the dark window of the souvenir shop and the cafe with chairs on tables and the parasols down. The place was closed.
“I guess we have the silent city to ourselves,” she agreed. “But it’s just a normal Friday, right?”
Her friend consulted the tourist guide app.
“Yeah… Oh, there’s an asterisk here,” Tammi read more. “It’s a feast day … for Kilvarjo, whoever he is.”
I knelt, with all my doors and windows locked, clutching my rosary in one hand. I pressed its beads with sweaty fingers while repeating the prayers I knew by heart. I was tempted to re-check the locks and bolts, but once the sun set, I knew my protection rested on my prayers and the holy water I’d sprinkled along each threshold.
Jade took a picture of Tammi at the deserted cafe, as she straddled a chair backwards, striking the infamous Christine Keeler pose. She wasn’t bothered that her short skirt hiked higher, so her thong was visible.
Tammi skipped ahead, calling for Jade that she had discovered an ancient well in a deserted courtyard. Topiary trees stood in terracotta pots framing thick front doors. Apparently, people really lived here, but for now, it seemed closed up — and eerily silent.
Voices outside made my heart leap to my throat. I intended to close my ears and ignore the groaning of the monstrosity who could roam freely just this one night of the year. Who knew what obscenities it would scream or lies it might whisper? But then I realised, with shock, the voices were female. Young women’s laughter drifted through the cracks of my window, innocently chatting about sharing pictures on Instagram.
No! This was terrible. Naïve people couldn’t be here in our city, unaware and unprotected. What should I do? How could I warn them? But my fear got the better of me, held me immobile, poured ice-water in my bowels. I lowered my head and continued to pray.
Jade and Tammi stood together, tanned shoulders rubbing as Jade held her phone at arm’s length. They posed for a picture, their faces relaxed and smiling. After scrutinizing the burst of images, they decided to try for a better shot. Tammi climbed onto the well, resting her feet on the iron mesh that covered the aperture so that nobody could accidentally fall in. Her shoes caused a little stonework inside the rim to crumble. There was a long pause, before a muffled splash.
“Shit!” Jade cursed, “You damaged it.”
Tammi looked contrite. Both women peered down into the well’s darkness.
“That’s deep,” Jade concluded, “the splash sounded very far away.”
There was a noise, an eerie groan, or a growl, and Jade’s eyes flew wide. “Did you hear that?”
Goosebumps raised on her arms, and the nape of her neck prickled. Suddenly it seemed the opposite of cool to be the only ones there.
“What was that?” Tammi looked around them, but Jade knew it came from within the well.
“We should go,” her unease grew exponentially. She pushed her phone into her bag and grabbed Tammi by the arm. “C’mon girl, let’s get a taxi.”
The young women hurried along, attempting to retrace their steps, but it was not so straightforward. All the paved streets looked similar, they were trapped in a stone maze. Jade dreaded admitting that they’d lost their way. Then she heard the noise again, the unearthly groan was like a heavy rusted gate hinge, making her stomach roil with panic.
Tammi threw her a look, wild eyes in a pale face, confirming that Jade hadn’t imagined the sound.
“What the fuck is that?”
“I don’t know, but it’s freaking me out. Down here,” Jade suggested.
Darting down a narrower street, they pass a closed front door with a polished brass knocker, shaped like a lion’s head. The noise reverberated again, like some kind of roar. Its close proximity made Tammi squeal with fear.
The alley they ran along opened to a courtyard, one they hadn’t visited before. Ahead was a grand building with pillars and steps, like a courthouse or a library. It would have made a great photo opportunity, but fear had shoved Instagram and social media posts to the bottom of the young women’s agenda. All they wanted to do was leave, to cross the high stone bridge and escape this city, whether by taxi or boat, they didn’t much care.
“Which way now?” Tammi frantically searched the surroundings for familiarity.
Each corner of the courtyard offered an option. They needed the fastest escape route - both of them were desperate to get away.
To be continued ~ This story originally appeared on Medium but was inspired by a trip to Malta.