CHATEAUGAY LAKE STEAMBOAT GAZETTE CO.

Incident #17: The Saranac “Flow Bathing” Immersion Project

The Aftermath

Plattsburgh, September 3

Plattsburgh is cloaked in an unnatural stillness, the remnants of the “Burble” performance lingering like a faint echo. A woman, drenched by an inexplicably animated fire hydrant, stands motionless, her gaze unfocused as she listens to the whispers in the water, urging her to “flow with the current.” In the background, a houseplant sways rhythmically, its leaves mimicking the undulating motions of the Deer River. Across town, pets and livestock behave strangely, responding to unheard commands, their actions choreographed by some unseen force.

—

The Performance

Saranac Town Square, August 29

Flashback to the chaotic day. Reverend Zenda Crane, a libertine spinster whose past as a wayward student at the Santa Clara Hillsdale School for Wayward Girls is whispered about in hushed tones, takes center stage. Her eyes gleam with a mix of mischief and purpose as she leads the Deer River Heron Stomp Skunk Funk Co. in their impromptu performance. The group’s crude instruments—crafted from crystal healing bowls, cobblestones, and the babbling brook itself—fill the air with a hypnotic, chaotic soundscape.

The market square, usually bustling with the noise of commerce, falls silent as the first notes reverberate. The townspeople pause, their attention irresistibly drawn to the dissonant harmony. Reverend Crane, her body swaying in time with the music, seems to command the very elements. A rooster crows, but the sound is swallowed by the performance, leaving only its eerie silence behind. The brook’s babble becomes a chorus, blending with the crystal bowls until the line between the natural and the artificial blurs.

—

The Echoes

A Hidden Library beneath the Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, NYC, August 28

Days before the performance, Reverend Crane meets with Dr. Masaru Emoto in a secret library beneath the church. The dimly lit room is filled with ancient texts, their pages yellowed with age, discussing the mystical connections between sound, water, and the human psyche. Crane, who has long left behind the constraints of her formal education, is fascinated by the idea of “Flow Bathing”—a ritual believed to awaken deep, primal forces within the mind.

Dr. Emoto, with his meticulous research into the impact of sound on water, warns Crane of the potential dangers. However, Crane, ever the rebellious spirit, sees only the possibilities. She believes that by perfecting the ritual, she can unlock new dimensions of consciousness, blurring the boundaries between reality and imagination. Their conversation is filled with tension, hinting at Crane’s true intention: to use the “Burble” performance as a gateway to something far greater than a mere sonic experience.

—

The Prelude

Duane, NY, August 25

A flashback to Duane, NY, where the Deer River Heron Stomp Skunk Funk Co. first formed. The group, a mix of eccentric mystics and artists, gathers in a dilapidated barn by the Deer River. The air is thick with the scent of earth and water, and the sounds of the river provide a natural rhythm for their experimental music.

Reverend Crane, her once-rigid demeanor softened by years of libertine exploration, directs the group with a confident hand. They discuss the upcoming performance in Saranac, excitedly planning how they will transform the town square into a living, breathing soundscape. The group is united in their vision: to create a performance that will not just entertain, but fundamentally alter the perception of all who witness it.

—

The Ripple Effect

Plattsburgh, September 5

Back in Plattsburgh, the aftermath of the performance continues to unfold. A gardener, attempting to water his plants, is caught off guard as his garden hose comes to life, drenching him in a torrent of water that seems to have a mind of its own.

The air is charged with an invisible energy, and the town’s residents begin to notice strange phenomena: water dripping in patterns that form symbols, objects moving of their own accord, and an inexplicable sense of being watched.

A group of townsfolk, alarmed by the escalating events, decide to investigate. They trace the origins of the disturbance back to the performance in Saranac, discovering cryptic references to ancient rituals and the power of sound. Their search for answers leads them deeper into a web of mystery, as they uncover the true extent of Reverend Crane’s experiment—a blending of alchemy, sound, and water that threatens to unravel reality itself.

—

The Return

Saranac Town Square, September 8

We return to Saranac, where the echoes of the performance still reverberate through the town square. The Deer River Heron Stomp Skunk Funk Co. has disbanded, but the energy they unleashed remains, swirling in the air like a lingering mist. Reverend Crane, her libertine spirit now shadowed by the consequences of her actions, wanders the square alone, her once-bright eyes now dulled by the weight of what she has unleashed.

The townspeople who were present at the performance are forever changed, their minds touched by the primal forces awakened that day. Some speak in whispers of visions they cannot shake, of water that seems to speak, and of a river that now holds secrets far deeper than its current. As the story closes, a child by the brook begins to hum the melody of “Burble,” unaware that the simple tune carries with it the echoes of a power that may yet rise again.

—

Epilogue: The Last Ripple

A Small Farmhouse near Saranac, September 10

An elderly woman sits by her window, watching the brook as it flows past her farmhouse. She remembers the day of the performance, and unlike others, she feels a deep connection to the events that unfolded. The brook’s babble is a constant companion, and she has come to understand its language, recognizing the patterns and rhythms that most overlook.

As she closes her eyes, she allows herself to drift into the current, her form dissolving as she becomes one with the water. The brook carries her essence onward, merging her consciousness with the flow, and spreading the influence of the “Burble” performance to distant places, ensuring that its effects will continue to ripple through time and space.