Brandy is the mother of four, stepmom of two, homemaker, and lover of the mysterious. She grew up with a single mom who was in the military and spent most of her youth enveloped in books. Writing has always been a passion, though most were critical of the dark nature of her prose and poetry. A spark has recently been reignited and she would like to welcome you down the rabbit hole of her mind.
MINE
by
Brandy Cornett
Based on actual events
Glimmers of light danced off crystals strategically placed near lanterns glowing with flames of half burned wax candles. The scent of sage filled the rooms as other fragrances escaped from herb-filled jars lining a shelf above. I ran my fingers over the spines of books weathered and new alike that filled the rooms. One book in particular caught my eye and I rummaged through tales of local lore searching for our last adventure before I headed back home. Ships wrecked upon the shores; Anne had already shown me the secret places they rested. Inuit folklore peaked my interest but anything worth checking out was further north.
“Hey Sherry, how about that?” Anne asked as she pointed to an excerpt from the opposite page.
Yes! This was perfect for our last hurrah. Nearby were two sites we could explore in one fell swoop. A local pet cemetery and across a small valley, abandoned gold mines that were rumored to be haunted. This was exactly what we were looking for! We paid for the book and made our way down the winding road toward our destination.
Pulling up in the parking lot, it looked like any other hiking trail in the area. Tall trees surround a small lot, with a couple of dirt paths leading off in opposite directions. It was well past midnight, though this far north in the summer it held the perpetual dusk-dawn dim that lent itself to our little excursion. Beyond the trailhead lay our objective. Excitement and nerves set in. Stephen King’s novel was the closest I’d ever gotten to a Pet Cemetery. Add haunted gold mines to the mix and I knew this adventure would be the one to beat.
Tendrils of smoke filled the car as Anne took a hit off the joint and passed it to me. I took the opportunity to ease my anxiety and pulled deep coughing as I let out my breath.
“You ready?” Anne asked as I finished my coughing fit.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” I said opening the car door.
The misty air filled my lungs while the sounds of the sleeping forest quieted my mind. Walking toward one of the trailheads our footsteps marked a trespass that could only be felt.
Anne took the lead, investigating the expanse that lay only a hundred feet past the wooden archway sign that simply read “Pet Cemetery.” Intertwined between the trees and dirt trails, graves and makeshift headstones graced the landscape. It seemed almost never-ending, as I stopped and read epitaphs of companions lost. My mind flittered away, while memories flooded in and before I realized it, I was alone.
Looking around for any signs of life, I called out to Anne.
The space between the air stood still. It thickened around me and threatened to choke me. I caught my breath and called out once more.
My ears were ringing with the silence that echoed out from beyond.
A faint glow from across the valley caught my attention and I let out a sigh of relief. Anne must’ve ventured toward the mines without me. I walked to the edge of the cemetery where the memorials become less frequent and came to the edge of a fairly steep valley. I called out for Anne to wait for me and the light on the other side steadied.
Slowly and meticulously I made my way down through the labyrinth of bushes, fallen limbs, and foliage that grabbed at my feet pushing me off balance. The earthy smell of disturbed ground permeated my nostrils with each loss of footing. My hands scraped against the rough edges of bark and blood mixed with the elements around me. I looked toward the light and found it meandering away closing in on the black abyss that I assumed through the mist was the mine entrance.
Then suddenly I heard my name being called out behind me. I jumped at the unexpected break in silence. My heart racing I stopped in my tracks. My voice cracked.
“Anne?” I questioned as I slowly turned to look back up from where I had come.
“Sherry what the hell are you doing?” A frightened but relieved Anne asked peering down from above.
I stared at her in disbelief as I gathered my wits about me, completely ignoring her question. I looked back to the empty landscape across the valley.
“Hold on and I’ll come down. We can make our way over to the mines together.” Anne said.
“No!” My mind screamed.
“No, I’m coming back up to you. This valley is crazy steep. One of us is going to get hurt. Look, I’m already bleeding.” I held up my hand as a testament to the harrowing experience.
As I scrambled back up the hill I kept replaying what I had seen in my head. Surely I wasn’t high enough to have completely imagined the light from across the way. Anne held out her hand and crouched down to help pull me back to level ground.
“God, you’re a mess, are you okay?” Anne said taking in the scene before her. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”
Stumbling across my words I tried to explain what happened. Looking past me Anne’s face went stark white. I turned to see the light I had seen before accompanied by five more, lined up, moving in unison toward the mine entrance, embarking on their eternal graveyardshift. One by one the lights disappeared into the darkness. All except one that stopped, seemingly waiting, beckoning us to come to the mine.