The House Beneath the River

The river shifted its course long ago, but beneath its surface lay the remains of a village swallowed by floods. Locals whispered that on foggy nights, a faint glow rose from the water, outlining the roof of a house that no longer existed. Travelers who followed the light were never seen again.

Lena, a historian, dismissed the legends — until she found a map that marked the exact spot. Curious, she dove beneath the water and found, impossibly, a door waiting for her. It opened at her touch. Inside, the house was dry — and silent. Mirrors lined the walls, showing not her reflection but fragments of her past: her first lie, her last love, her unspoken regrets. The deeper she went, the older she seemed to grow, until she wasn’t sure whether she was exploring the house or being remembered by it.

At last, she found a portrait — of herself as a child, standing in front of this very door. Beneath it, words carved into the frame read: “Every memory returns home.”

When she tried to leave, the door was gone. Days later, the river rose again — and new lights shimmered beneath its surface. The villagers say the house had claimed another memory.