The Zebulonian Curse

Along the banks of an expansive, umber-tinted river sat Ann and Luke. The friends were enjoying a mild, sunny June day.

"This is such a pretty sight," Ann said, her shoulder-length, coiled brunette hair blowing in the wind.

"Eh, it's alright. There are much nicer sights out there. Y'know, look at the Smoky Mountains or the Great Lakes," Luke countered. "Here, it's just boring, the river's brown, and there's not much to do."

She looked into Luke’s sparkling blue eyes. "But this city has its own beauty. The river is huge. Just think, we could hop on a boat and make it all the way to the Mississippi River. That's amazing!"

"True."

"See, that's what I don't get about this city. There's so much beauty here. You have this massive river, and on both sides you see these green, rolling hills. You’ve got very nice parks with lush grass and lots of colorful flowers and trees. But all of it's taken for granted, and this city does nothing with it. I don't get it."

"Welp, according to legend, there was a time when this city was up and coming, and rivaled places like LA and Chicago. Then, there was the Summer Solstice."

"The Summer Solstice?"

"Yeah, the Summer Solstice of 1919. According to local legend, that's when everything changed."