“You ever notice how every time you ask someone from Kirsten Springs a question, you get… the same answer? Like, word-for-word, brochure-speak. I came down here for a research project — environmental impact, groundwater, stuff like that — but all I’ve gotten are smiles and key cards to “informational kiosks.”

I met with one of their reps this morning — Dalton something — and I asked about the waste management plan. He said, and I quote, “Kirsten Springs remains committed to sustainable partnerships that ensure a clean, forward-facing future.” I said, “Cool, but like… what does that mean?” He blinked, smiled, and handed me a pen.

It’s weird, right? The signs all say “Live Better at the Springs,” but no one can tell me where the runoff goes. The construction zone is fenced off, but if you walk the perimeter — and I did — you can smell the iron in the water. And there’s this sheen that floats on top of the creek now. It’s like oil but rainbowy, almost pretty, if you don’t think about what it is.

When I talked to residents in town, they told me the old well’s been sealed since spring. One woman said her tap water’s been cloudy ever since they started drilling. She called the hotline, and they told her it was “naturally occurring mineral content.” She said it never used to “occur naturally” before the trucks showed up.

I keep thinking — if everything’s so clean, why does everything feel so… covered up? Why are the brochures printed on thick, glossy paper, but the air tastes like metal when the wind shifts?

They’re building a paradise here, that’s what they keep saying. “A place to recharge, reconnect, renew.” Maybe I’m just supposed to “trust the process.” But honestly… when the people in charge won’t even answer a yes-or-no question, that’s when I start to worry about what’s really flowing under the surface.
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