Original Short Stories — Volume 13

A lone traveler finds himself drawn to a bleak, windswept region where a black lake lies cradled by twisted oaks and barren hills. He stays with Uncle Joseph, an aged boatman whose simple, rhythmic rowing offers a quiet refuge from the surrounding desolation. Together they venture onto the lake, casting nets in a scene that feels pulled from an ancient fable, while the fading light reveals a crumbling hut marked with a stark red cross.

Inside that ruin, Uncle Joseph recounts the haunting legend of “Old Judas,” a mysterious wanderer who lives with a solitary woman shunned by the village. Their strange partnership, the rumors of a wandering Jew, and the eerie rituals they perform stir both curiosity and unease. Listeners are invited to step into this atmospheric tale, where faith, folklore, and the stark beauty of the landscape intertwine, leaving the mystery of the wanderer's true nature lingering long after the story begins.