Two dark shapes slowly made their way up gentle slopes of ethereal white in the inky night. Having jumped the surrounding fence, they were alone with the moon, the sky, the wind and the whispers of ghosts and spirits of long ago. No animals lived here, save for birds poised to take flight.
At the base of the mountain slept a small town of a few hundred inhabitants. A town neither pretty nor charming which would, in fact, be of very little interest if not for the neighboring white limestone mountain. Not one of its inhabitants stirred in the early morning. Even the ducks on the placid lake slept.
A path, devoid of vegetation, snaked its way to the top while milky waters dribbled down forcing the trekkers to remove their shoes before ascending. The limestone surface displayed a strange pattern not unlike the scaly skin of a fish, but lacking its slippery slimy attributes. The stone was cold at first, but slowly warmed as one approached the thermal source at the summit.
The companions had reached the midpoint of their escapade when they felt a low rumble beneath their feet. It rippled from top to bottom like the satisfied purr of a cat. Their faces frozen in consternation, mouth stretched in a slightly grotesque O, they stumbled clumsily.
The mountain unfurled itself and massive clawed feet anchored the long wiry
shape to the fields below. A gigantic head, the size of a small apartment complex, lifted slowly. Thick white steam billowed from two nostrils, each the size of a grown man. The beast resembled a dragon devoid of wings with the facial traits of a cat, albeit a shorter muzzle, and perked pointy ears swiveling independently from one another.
It opened its eyes. Two icy suns split by deep dark gashes. The horror of its reptilian gaze so profound as to make the quickest mind go blank.
It slowly bared its teeth and a forked tongue ventured out tasting the air. In a huff, it opened its jaw wide. Birds launched in a disorganized flight. The trekkers held hands.
Warm pink morning glow peaked at the horizon.
The following week, posters were displayed of missing trekkers; two pairs of boots the only clue left behind.
***
As the name implied, this story was inspired by the thermal pools of Pamukkale in Turkey. The site is well known for its travertine terraces built-up over the millennia from limestone deposited by the hot springs. In some places, the patterns carved by the cascading water made the white limestone look like fish scales without the slipperiness. In some places, where the water dried up, the landscape took on some lunar qualities.
We visited another set of pools close by, Karahayit, which flowed with red waters. The unusual color of these travertines is attributed to the high iron content. It would also run hotter at the source.
Both sites’ waters are rumored to have therapeutic properties.