The Blue Necklace (Fiction Inspired By Nature)

Image from: wikipedia.org - Author: Epmatsw - License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Once upon a time in a small town pinned at the feet of a volcano lived a young woman named Mora. Mora was beautiful, tall and lean; with straight, long, black hair and big, almond-shaped, green eyes. She used to wear long dresses with flowers on. Her favorite was a blue one, a deep blue one with purple lilies.

Mora had a boyfriend, Tico. Tico had no steady job, at least not a "legal" steady job. Robberies and illegal merchandise was his thing, but he was always cautious not to get caught. His partners were good. They kept an eye on each other.

Mora knew everything about it and was just patient, because Tico said he would change and leave all this behind... when the time is right.

On a full moon night they were in his red Beetle in the forest around the Lake. In front of them the big volcano rose tall and fierce. Mora had her long legs hanging out of the back seat window. The moonlight bathed her skin, she looked so beautiful he could not stop gazing at her and sniffing her while his face was tangled in her long hair. Outside their car the round silver moon reflected over the Lake's waters that looked like a mirror. You could see everything so clear in there on that night. The stars, the black tree tops, the huge shadow of the volcano that from her viewpoint looked as if it ended at the tip of her toes.

- Does it tickle you? Tico asked.

- What?

- The volcano, does it tickle your toes? Look!

- Haha, no.

- How about this? Does this tickle? he said and started kissing her neck so fast.

- Yes! Yes! stop, please!

A few seconds later he stopped. He reached for his pocket, took something out and with gentle moves passed his hands around her neck to place a beautiful, silver necklace with a blue stone. It was the most mesmerizing blue color you had ever seen.

- What is this?

- What does it look like?

- Tico, what did you do this time?

- Aren't I allowed to give a present to my future wife?

- To your what?!

- Mi cariña, we've been together for so long. I don't think I will ever find the words to ask you for something like this.

She burst into tears and laughter! She hugged him so strong and kissed him so hard. He returned her warm touch with passionate kisses all over her body as his grasps were going all over her body.

And the moonlight reflected on the lake seemed to shine even brighter.

Mora was on cloud nine the other day! She would proudly prance across the town with her stunning necklace around her neck. Everyone would admire the bright blue shade of the stone and even more her eyes that shone with pure happiness.

A few days after the night at the lake, Mora received a call from Tico.

- Pack up a few things. I'm picking you up in 30 minutes! Hurry, we don't have much time!

He hung up. Mora's heart started pounding like crazy. What did he do now? Who was after him and why did she have to follow him? Every time the police was looking for him he hid alone, he vanished as he didn't want to draw suspicions over her. But something is different this time. She had a weird feeling twisting her stomach.

In a rush she filled a small backpack with a few clothes and went downstairs to wait for Tico at the front door. He picked her up and headed to the Lake.

- Who are you running away from this time?

- No one, silly. Relax. It is supposed to be a surprise.

- Aargh! You scared me to death, Tico! I thought something bad had happened again. Only this time it was way too serious, since I had to come with you.

- No, cariña! I told you things would change when the time comes. So, I can honestly assure you that this time is here. And my outlaw days are over. That's why we are celebrating!

- Promise?

- Have I ever let you down?

- ...

- Promise.

The red Beetle kept driving and going through tree covered roads the led up on the volcano slopes. It was like going through a tunnel, a green tunnel made of foliage. She was playing with her necklace while looking outside the window the changing views.

- The lake looks so blue today.

- It looks blue because it's the first time you see it during daytime, he joked.

The uphill roads were getting steeper and the car sounded tired as Tico kept driving. He wanted to get her up, to see the mouth of the volcano and then take her to a small cabin that he had built to use as his hiding place. A cabin he turned to when the police or his enemies were after him. But no more. The only thing he wanted to hide from from now on was his past and the rest of the world, so that he could have Mora just for himself, just for a while, just for the rest of his life.

He stepped on the brake suddenly. Mora tossed out of her seat.

- What happened? she asked.

A car was blocking their way. A big, black jeep.

Three men with guns came out, the tallest one approached and said:

- Out.

They both got out of the red Beetle, hands above their heads. Mora's necklace was still hanging around her neck. They were panicked, scared to death, but did not dare to say a word.

The tall guy nodded to go stand against a tree at the side of the road. Below there was a frightening slope which ended to the Lake, that blue lake Mora was looking through her car window on their way up here.

Two shots.

Bodies flying, sliding, turning, hitting on stones and stumps and a necklace...

A necklace landing on a hollow rock.

It stayed there.

Then came the winter.

And snow fell.

It turned to ice.

A piece of ice with a heart of blue deep inside.

An avalanche swept the rock away.

Spring time and the snow and ice melt.

Rains pour down the slopes and the necklace makes it to the Lake.

And the Lake is bluer than ever from that day on.

Image from: commons.wikimedia.org - Author: WolfmanSF - License: CC BY-SA 3.0

Today's inspiration came from an article on a lake famous for its clear and blue waters:

Crater Lake in Oregon (Kalmath County, USA)

Created by one of the greatest volcanic eruptions ever witnessed by man, the lake appeared about 7,700 years ago, when Mount Mazama burst its rage across the area. The eruption caused the volcano to collapse in on itself and the result?

The deepest lake in the States (and ninth globally) with a maximum depth of almost 600 meters. Its diameter ranges from 8 to roughly 10 kilometers and the caldera rim elevation is 2,100-2,400 meters. Measuring about 350 meters in mean depth, the lake is also unique for another reason. There are no rivers flowing or out of it. Evaporated water is replenished solely by precipitation, snow or rainfall. According to Wikipedia, the total amount of water can be replaced every two and a half centuries that way. [2]

Ingredients?

The volcano that got bored and decided to become a lake was composed of mostly andesite, dacite, and rhyodacite. At first there was an eruption from a single vent that covered the area with pumice and created ash flows. Then came the second and "louder" part, the "detonation" of a set of ring vents. During the violent second eruption that gave birth to Crater Lake (and took place from 6-8,000 years ago) 50 cubic kilometers of rich in rhyodacite magma was erupted. Future eruptions were not as massive and spewed "material" into the caldera. These eruptions built a central platform and a series of volcanic features with really imaginative names within the caldera: cones, Wizard island, Llao rock, Phantom Ship. The "architecture" of the lake's interior was completed by landslides and sediments that ended up in the bottom. [1,2]

As time was going by, the caldera was not that aggressive any more. It started to cool down and allowed for precipitation water to sum and form a real lake. You could still see hot springs and fumaroles from time to time, as well as landslides from the caldera rim into the lake (whose bottom was getting covered in turbidite sediments). But as the "turbulent" years passed, vegetation started to grow again over the naked slopes of the caldera and within estimatedly 7 centuries the lake was filled with water. [1,2]

Is the volcano sleeping for good?

Hydrothermal activity has not ceased completely, which implies that Mazama's wrath may come back one day. [2]

Clarity

The water of the lake is among the purest in the world. No pollutants can be found in it and its pH ranges from 7-8. The lake laso has a high salt concentration, conductivity and total alkalinity. [2]

The legends

The tribes of the area have weaved myths around the formation of the lake. A myth from the Klamath tribe speaks of the fight between an underworld god, Lla-O and a sky god, Skell. The eruption was Lla-O's attack, as the skies got dark for seven days and seven nights after the god's throne burst and covered the air with objects of all sizes. [3]

The Old Man of the Lake

Another "sight" of the lake is, or better was, a tree that has been decorating the lake for almost a century. The cold temperatures of the lake have been stalling the log's decomposition and it's been standing in the waters for more than a century. [2]

A National Park

Crater Lake is now a national park that you can visit. The best time to do it is from July to September. For more information you can go to the official site of the National Park Service: www.nps.gov