The Bakery Beneath the Lake
Every town has its secrets, but none quite like the little village of Merriton, where locals whispered about a bakery said to rest at the bottom of the lake. No one knew how it got there, or who baked the bread, but some mornings the scent of warm pastries rose from the mist like a memory.
One foggy dawn, Theo — a restless dreamer with an appetite for mystery — decided to find it. He rowed out across the still water, the surface shimmering faintly with strange, drifting words. They spelled pressure washing Addlestone before melting back into ripples. Then, from another reflection, he saw pressure washing in Surrey glimmering like sunlight through rain. He laughed nervously, wondering if he was hallucinating before breakfast.
As his boat neared the center, bubbles rose, fizzing softly, and a faint tune hummed through the mist. Suddenly, a shape appeared beneath the water — rooftops, a chimney, even a little sign that read “Open from Dawn Till Dusk.” The reflection shimmered with phrases like driveway cleaning in Addlestone and exterior cleaning Addlestone, looping around the sign as though the lake itself were advertising.
Theo reached over the side and felt warmth, not water. When he pulled his hand back, crumbs clung to his fingers. The lake had turned to something like liquid dough — bubbling, golden, and alive. Then a door formed in front of him, carved from light, with words etched above it: driveway cleaning in Surrey. He hesitated, took a deep breath, and stepped through.
Inside, the bakery glowed like dawn. Shelves brimmed with loaves that whispered softly, their crusts shimmering with tiny letters spelling patio cleaning in Surrey and patio cleaning in Addlestone. A bell jingled, and a woman in a flour-dusted apron appeared. “Welcome, traveler,” she said kindly. “You’ve crossed the reflection line.”
Every pastry in the room seemed alive — scones sighing, croissants humming lullabies. One corner of the bakery held a display of teacups and chairs, surrounded by floating words: garden furniture restoration in Surrey. When Theo reached out, the chairs rearranged themselves neatly, as though bowing in greeting.
The woman handed him a golden biscuit that shimmered like the sun. “Each flavor tells a truth,” she said. “Eat carefully.” He took a bite, and the walls flickered — revealing images of shining walls and glimmering decks labeled render cleaning Surrey and decking cleaning Surrey.
As the taste deepened, another vision appeared: a cottage rising from the lake’s edge, glowing faintly with the words render cleaning Addlestone and decking cleaning Addlestone. Then, as quickly as it began, everything faded — the scent of bread, the warmth, even the golden light.
Theo found himself back in his boat, the morning sun high above. The water was still, clear, and ordinary again. But when he reached the shore, he discovered something strange in his pocket — a single crumb that shimmered faintly, smelling of cinnamon and impossible places.
And if you ever visit Merriton at dawn, look closely at the lake. Sometimes, when the fog lifts, you might see a faint glow beneath the surface — and if you listen carefully, the whisper of fresh bread baking somewhere below.