Prologue Beneath the Surface

 





Prologue – Beneath the Surface



Previously on the blog:

Welcome to Beneath the Surface—a serialized murder mystery set in rural Quebec.


Start the journey with the haunting prologue below.


The early morning mist clung to the trees as the Algonquin men paddled their birchbark canoes toward the island. Blackstone Isle, nestled in the middle of the Ottawa River, had long been a sacred place where their people gathered each year. The island’s forests whispered stories of ancient hunts and councils, while its winding streams echoed the chants of elders. Here, the Algonquin found not only sustenance but peace, a place of reunion where clans converged to renew bonds and trade with one another.


On this journey, however, something different stirred in the air. One of the men, keen-eyed and silent, had spotted unusual stones along the shore, their surfaces gleaming in the pale sunlight. He knelt by the water’s edge and held up the rock, examining its strange, golden veins. The others gathered around; their curiosity piqued.


Though gold had never held the same value to them as the earth’s bounty of fur, fish, and grain, the Algonquin had heard stories from the French settlers who had arrived in their lands. These pale-skinned men spoke of vast wealth hidden in such rocks, and they were eager to trade for it. The Algonquin, ever resourceful and aware of the changing tides brought by these newcomers, realized they had stumbled upon something that could alter the course of their exchanges.


As the men continued to search the island’s rugged terrain, more golden-streaked stones appeared, shining beneath layers of earth and moss. They understood that this discovery would be of great interest to the French, whose hunger for wealth and land seemed boundless. But for the Algonquin, it was more than just trade—it was power, a tool to navigate the fragile peace between their people and the encroaching settlers.


As the sun rose higher in the sky, casting long shadows over the island, the men made their way back to their canoes. The discovery of gold on Blackstone Isle had the potential to change everything. Yet, in the quiet of the river, the island remained as it always had—silent, mysterious, and alive with secrets waiting to be unearthed.


What did you think of the prologue?

Email me at kvlandry@hotmail.com to tell me what you think.


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