Gayle stuffed her head into her pillows, trying desperately to ignore the sound of the bell. The town crier, Alexa, had been up every day before sunset, waking the whole village while she was at it. As the bell continued to echo through the streets, Alexa began calling out her morning greeting, “Orcs spotted in Dearfeld, ten miles East of Sabin.”

As the message repeated, Gayle grudgingly lifted the pillow from her head to listen. Ten miles from Sabin. They were getting closer every day. Farmers had started bringing in the harvest early and stashing it in hidden locations. Just yesterday, Mrs. Ling had asked Gayle to build her family a secret bolt hole in case orcs came calling.

Sighing, Gayle sat up, sliding out of bed to prepare for the day. Mrs. Ling would need that bolt hole soon.

July 8 is International Town Crier Day. While becoming a town crier may not be on the menu, take a moment to appreciate the arrival of timely, accurate news in a time when news is often anything but.