Below The Waterwheels

It has come to our attention that some individuals have attempted to manually clear blockages in the grinder while the machinery is still in operation. We must emphasize that this practice is strictly prohibited due to the severe safety risks involved, including the potential for loss of limbs, or worse, loss of employment. Under no circumstances should any part of the body be placed near or within moving equipment. If access to the millstone is absolutely necessary, all water flow must be completely stopped prior to any intervention. To stop water flow, close the water gates in the waterwheel's basin.This will ensure the external water wheel ceases operation and that all related machinery is fully disabled. Please treat this matter with the utmost seriousness. Your safety is our highest priority. Sincerely, Timberwolf Logging & Co. Safety & Operations Team

Ever since the company ramped up production, I’ve noticed something off about the water. There's a strange motion in the current. An unnatural one — heavier, slower. A purple haze dances at the edge of my vision whenever I focus my eyes on the stream. I used to drink from it without a second thought. We all did. Now, we’ve been strongly discouraged from drinking the river water. Management says it’s “a precaution,” but Timberwolf Logging & Co. started offering bottled water themselves — for a price. Not up front, of course. They just dock it from our pay. Quietly, automatically. Like it’s part of the cost of doing business. I keep thinking: if I can’t drink from the land I work, if I have to buy water from the same people possibly spoiling it, what kind of freedom is that? What kind of future?