The Spirit Guardian of Trafalgar Falls

A Skeptic in the Land of Waters

Elena Vasquez stepped off the Douglas-Charles Airport tarmac, the humid air wrapping around her like a thick cloak. She wasn’t here for ghosts or spirits—she was here for science.

As an environmental researcher, she had traveled across the Caribbean, documenting fragile ecosystems. But something about Dominica felt different. It was *wild*, untamed. It was as if the land itself was alive.

Jared Toussaint, her assigned guide, greeted her with an easy smile.

“Elena, welcome to paradise.”

“Thanks,” she said, adjusting her backpack. “I hear Dominica has more rivers than anywhere else in the Caribbean.”

Jared chuckled as they got into his jeep. “We don’t call it the ‘Nature Island’ for nothing.”

As they drove through the winding roads of Roseau, the capital, Elena took in the pastel-colored houses, the scent of grilled fish wafting through the air, and the distant hum of steel pan music.

But Jared’s words lingered with her the longest.

“You know, Dominica isn’t just about what you see. It’s also about what you *feel*.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Meaning?”

“The land speaks. The rivers whisper. And sometimes,” he said with a grin, “the spirits listen.”

Elena gave him a playful smirk. “You’re really leaning into this island folklore thing, huh?”

Jared just shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe you’ll see for yourself.”

She laughed.

She had no idea how right he was.

The Call of Trafalgar Falls

Two days later, Elena found herself on a dirt path, surrounded by the emerald canopy of Dominica’s Morne Trois Pitons National Park. The air was thick with moisture, and the distant roar of Trafalgar Falls sent a vibration through her bones.

Jared led the way, stepping over thick roots and pointing out rare orchids clinging to the trees.

“Not many places in the world like this,” he mused. “Untouched. Sacred.”

Elena, still skeptical, smirked. “And guarded by a spirit, right?”

Jared stopped and looked at her. “I wouldn’t mock it.”

She waved him off. “I respect nature. I just don’t think waterfalls need a *ghost* to protect them.”

He sighed and tossed a small stone into the underbrush. “You don’t have to believe. But you should *show respect*.”

Moments later, they emerged from the forest and stood before the twin waterfalls.

Elena’s breath caught.

Father Falls—a raging torrent, crashing down the cliffside like a beast unleashed.

Mother Falls—gentler, elegant, but no less powerful, its waters weaving through smooth rocks like a whispering stream.

It was… mesmerizing.

She approached the pool beneath Mother Falls, dipping her fingers into the cool water. But the moment her skin touched it—a ripple spread unnaturally far.

The air changed. The mist thickened.

For a fleeting second, she swore she heard something—a whisper on the wind.

“Elena…”

Her heart stopped.

“What?” she muttered under her breath.

Jared, watching from a distance, simply said, “Now you understand.”

The Whispering Waters

That night, Elena tossed and turned in bed.

The whisper haunted her. The falls had called her by *name*.

She wasn’t one for superstition, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that something—*someone*—had reached out to her.

She finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, only to be woken by a vivid dream.

She was standing at Trafalgar Falls again, mist curling around her ankles.

Then, the waters rose.

A figure emerged, its form shifting like liquid silver, eyes glowing like molten gold.

“Elena… come back… alone…”

She woke up gasping, her skin damp with sweat.

Outside, the rainforest hummed with life. But beneath it all, she swore she could still hear the roar of the falls, as if they were calling to her.

The Spirit Revealed

At dawn, unable to fight the pull, Elena returned to the falls—*alone*.

The mist was thicker than before. The jungle was eerily silent.

She stepped forward, the ground damp beneath her boots.

Then, the water at the base of Mother Falls began to swirl.

The mist condensed, forming the shape of a tall figure—its flowing robes seemed to be woven from the falls themselves.

The spirit guardian.

“Elena,” the voice whispered again.

She stumbled back. “Who… what are you?”

“I am Ayizan, guardian of these falls.”

Her mind raced. She had read about Ayizan—a revered spirit from ancient Dominican lore.

But this wasn’t a *story*. This was *real*.

“You have been called,” Ayizan said, his voice like the wind through the trees. “Because this land is in danger.”

Elena’s chest tightened. She had heard rumors—developers planning to build luxury resorts near the falls, disrupting the fragile ecosystem.

“You must help protect it,” Ayizan said. “Or all will be lost.”

The Struggle for Preservation

Elena had come to Dominica for research.

Now, she was in the middle of a battle.

Armed with data, she met with conservationists, held meetings with local activists, and reached out to international environmental groups.

But the developers were relentless, waving promises of jobs and progress.

One evening, Jared found her sitting near the Roseau Bay, staring at the horizon.

“You’ve changed,” he said.

“I *saw* something,” she admitted. “Something I can’t ignore.”

Jared smiled knowingly. “Then you know what you have to do.”

The Last Stand

At midnight, Elena received a tip—construction equipment was being moved toward the falls.

She and a group of locals rushed to the site.

Then, the ground shook.

The mist thickened.

And before their eyes, the water of Trafalgar Falls rose unnaturally high—a force not of this world.

A voice boomed through the valley:

“LEAVE THIS PLACE!”

The workers fled. The developers abandoned their plans.

The falls were safe.

The Guardian’s Blessing

Before leaving Dominica, Elena returned to the falls one last time.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

The mist swirled, and for a fleeting moment, she saw Ayizan’s golden eyes—filled with pride.

“You were chosen for a reason,” the spirit whispered.

Elena smiled.

She had come as a skeptic.

Now, she was a believer.

The End.