The Tommie Knocker by Mickey Minner

The Tommie Knocker

Mickey Minner

Copyrighted 2020

“Here we are,” Marilyn Sanders announced steering her car off the dirt road she had been following for the past hour. Looking about at the half a dozen cars partially hidden in the evening’s shadows, she noted, “Looks like we’re late again.”

“Story of your life,” Kylie Bolivia commented pulling her cell phone from her jacket pocket, the bright glow emanating from the screen lit the car’s dark interior. “Actually, we’re five minutes early.” Staring through the windshield, she noticed the lack of any movement around the cars parked nearby. “This may be your shindig but you don’t appear to be in charge. Where is everyone?”

“Darn, I told them to wait for me in the parking lot,” Marilyn said shoving her door open.

Kylie grinned. “Apparently, they didn’t listen,” she teased her friend.

“They must have started up the trail. Come on, we need to catch up,” Marilyn directed stepping out into the cool evening air. “Are you coming or what?” she asked bending down to look at her yet unmoving friend.

“I’m still thinking if this is a good idea,” Kylie answered from the front seat.

Marilyn straightened and pushed the door shut before walking to the back of the car and lifting up the hatch back. “Did you have something better to do tonight?” She waited a moment before answering for her silent friend, “That would be a no.”

“If you gave me more time, I could have thought of something.”

“Right,” Marilyn scoffed. She removed two day-packs then slammed the hatchback shut. “Get out,” she ordered moments later after yanking the passenger door open.

Kylie jerked around to glare at her demanding friend. “Slow down!” she exclaimed. “Seriously,” she continued pensively, “it’s been a while since I’ve been to a social event.”

Exasperated, Marilyn sighed. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s long past time you were.”

“It hasn’t been that long,” Kylie protested. “And you’re perfectly aware that I don’t know half the people you’ve invited.”

“They’re all good people; including,” Marilyn grinned, “some unattached. Who knows, you might meet someone interesting.”

“I really don’t think I’m ready,” Kylie muttered having grown quite uncomfortable at the thought of spending the next few hours with complete strangers.

“It’s been six months. Sheesh, get over the bitch already. She dumped you… remember. She’s not coming back… and good riddance to her.”

Kylie glowered. “All right, already,” she groaned.

“Thank goodness. Now get your butt out of the car so we can get this night started,” Marilyn urged plopping one of the packs into Kylie’s lap. “Come on, it’s Halloween. Let’s go have some fun.”

“In an abandoned gold mine,” Kylie objected, again questioning the wisdom of their destination. “A haunted abandoned gold mine,” she added dropping her pack onto the ground so she could exit the car. Standing, she closed the door then retrieved her pack. “Haunted,” she repeated for emphasis.

“That’s never been proven.”

“So you don’t believe the stories?” Kylie asked hefting her pack over her shoulder.

“I told you,” Marilyn stated locking the car, “all the times I’ve been inside this mine, I’ve never seen or heard anything weird.”

Kylie shook her head. “Doesn’t mean they’re not there. With my luck, tonight they’ll make an appearance.”

Chuckling, Marilyn grabbed her unenthusiastic friend’s sleeve. “Just because it’s Halloween, you expect the mine to be full of Tommie Knockers?” she asked setting off for the trail, tugging her friend behind. “You can wait in the car if you’re afraid,” she offered knowing her suggestion would most likely be rejected.

“Like that would be any safer,” Kylie grumbled pulling her arm free. Noticing the dark shadows beginning to retreat, she looked skyward to see the clouds parting. “Great,” she moaned, “the moon is coming out… and it’s full.”

Marilyn laughed. “Don’t worry, since moonlight doesn’t reach inside the mine, you’ll be the only one howling at it. Besides, inside will be too dark to see any Tommie Knockers about.”

“That is not reassuring,” Kylie snarled hurrying to catch up with her giggling friend.

“Welcome to my Halloween party. Is everyone ready to enter the unknown?” Marilyn asked standing before a dozen similarly clad men and women. Jeans, sweatshirts, and hiking boots seemed to be the wardrobe of choice for the group of invitees. As instructed, all carried a large flashlight in their hands while a day-pack holding extra batteries, snacks, and water rested on their backs. “I hoped everyone checked their flashlights before now.” A dozen beams of bright light were aimed at her face. “Okay, okay, I was just checking,” she chuckled holding her arms in front of her eyes until the beams were re-directed. “Here are the rules—”

“Rules,” a voice protested. “I thought this was supposed to be a night of fun.”

“It is, Todd,” Marilyn responded. “But this is a very old mine so let’s not be stupid. We don’t want anyone hurt… agreed?” The question was answered by nodding heads and a chorus of affirmative replies. “Good. So the rules… pick a buddy or two and stick together; no one goes off on their own. Make sure where you’re walking… we don’t need any broken ankles or worse. If you stay in the main tunnel, you shouldn’t have any problems. And, any Halloween pranks—make sure they’re done in fun.”

“Boy, talk about spoiling my plans,” Todd teased.

“I’m sure you’ll survive,” Marilyn assured her friend. “Besides, you’re the biggest scare-dy cat in this group,” she reminded her timid friend; the others laughed, tossing playful jabs at Todd.

Marilyn patiently waited. “Alright,” she said when the teasing stopped, “one more thing. If you hear or see anything,” she hesitated to find the right word, “unusual—”

“Don’t you mean supernatural?” Kylie suggested.

“The ghost stories are just that, stories,” Marilyn repeated forcefully, “and nothing to fear.” She smiled at the gathering before her. “But, in honor of the occasion, I have rigged up a few surprises. Nothing too creepy… all good fun, I promise.”

“Are you sure this mine is safe?” Todd asked.

“As safe as any mine over a hundred and fifty years old,” Kylie muttered.

In the mid-1800s, gold and silver had been discovered in the surrounding mountains and hundreds of mines had been dug into the rock formations. By the late 1890s, the ore was mined out leaving the non-profitable tunnels and shafts deserted by all but the curious.

“Don’t chicken out on me now, guys,” Marilyn pleaded hearing doubtful mumbles ripple though the group. “I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to make this a fun Halloween.”

Realizing her comments had caused others to doubt the evening’s activity, Kylie spoke up from the back of the group. “Hey, no reason to freak out; we all know Marilyn would never have suggested this if it was dangerous.”

Marilyn smiled appreciating the welcomed support. Before anyone had a chance to change their minds, she said, “Shall we go inside?” With a wave of her arm, she encouraged the others forward.

“Might as well,” Todd said leading the way toward a dark opening in the slope behind Marilyn. “I mean what’s there to be scared of… right?” he added nervously.

The mine’s adit was shaped by three large, squared, wooden timbers that were scarred by years of exposure to hot summers and cold, snowy winters. The sides of the entrance were braced by two of the oversized girders; having sunk unevenly into the ground. Wrapped around the bottom of these beams were mounds of debris formed by rocks and dirt sliding down the unsteady slope over the decades. The third timber, tilting precariously, created a cross beam atop the other two. The mine’s once sizeable entry was greatly restricted by the debris and sunken beams.

“Watch your heads,” Marilyn warned as her friends began to move through the adit. After everyone disappeared inside the mine, she told her Kylie, “For a minute, I was freaking out thinking they were going to bolt. Thanks for coming to my rescue.”

Kylie grinned. “I couldn’t let Todd ruin the night. He is a nervous Nellie, after all.”

“I think the others got nervous waiting,” Marilyn reluctantly admitted.

“Maybe, you should have just sent them inside without the preamble.”

“I think you might be right.”

“One of your surprises?” Kylie asked when a high-pitched scream followed by nervous laughter echoed out through the adit.

“Well, the invitation did say Halloween frights and thrills,” Marilyn reminded. “But it’s all fun… nothing too scary.”

Tossing her friend a cynical look, Kylie said, “We’ll see about that.”

“Shall we join them?”

Kylie sighed. “What could happen?” she asked ducking under the cross beam.

Marilyn giggled. “What indeed.”

Turning on her flashlight, Kylie carefully stepped inside the mine. Unlike the adit, the tunnel was roomy and she had no trouble standing. Some distance down the passageway, flashlight beams danced around the mine’s walls and the bedrock floor marking the locations of the other party attendees. Their explorations were occasionally interrupted by startled screams and nervous laughter whenever one of Marilyn’s surprises made an appearance. Focusing her flashlight at the rocky floor, she tentatively moved further into the mountain. “You better warn me if I’m about to be scared,” she cautioned her friend walking behind her.

“That ruins the suspense, don’t you think?” Marilyn teased.

“Too bad.”

Marilyn shrugged. “Okay… if that’s the way you want it. I’d move to the right, if I were you.” Grinning, she shuffled back a couple of steps.

Quickly shifting against the right wall, Kylie’s boot scraped what she assumed to be a rock. “Uh, oh,” she exclaimed loosing her balance. Reaching out to steady herself against the wall, she barely noticed her hand brushing an unseen wire.

Dropping from a cleft above the women, a life-size specter manifested, emitting a horrific snarl that ricocheted off the rock walls.

Screaming, Kylie batted at the ghoul as it danced about on a hidden string. “Damn it, Marilyn,” she yelled, her voice echoing down the tunnel.

“Or maybe it was move to your left,” Marilyn giggled.

Grabbing the ghoul, Kylie yanked as hard as she could. Freeing the apparition, she spun about and threw the creepy form at her laughing friend.

“Sorry,” Marilyn managed a weak apology between fits of laughter, “I couldn’t resist.”

“You are a shit!” Kylie shouted. “I think that scared ten years off my life,” she declared holding her chest; her heart beating so fast she wasn’t sure it would ever slow down.

“Everything okay back there?” Todd called out.

“Kylie just ran into the ghoul.”

“That sucker was freaky,” Todd confirmed with a laugh before turning back to his buddies.

Marilyn bent down to retrieve the jumble of mask, cloth, and string. “You killed my ghoul,” she accused her friend.

“Good. That better be the last one.”

Giggling, Marilyn tossed the destroyed ghoul to the side where it would be out of the way and not create a hazard. “Oh, the night is young.”

“I think I’ll walk behind you from now on.”

“Chicken.”

“I didn’t bring a change of undies.”

“Point taken.”

The pair restarted their walk down the tunnel.

“Well, we’ve reached the end of our night,” Marilyn explained when the group could go no further.

Teasing groans of disappointment filled the tunnel’s still air.

“Already?” Todd protested.

“I’m afraid so. But, we do have to walk back to the adit.”

“More tricks?” Todd asked hopefully.

“I think you found them all.”

“As much as I hate to admit it, I had a ton of fun,” Todd cheerfully announced, followed by several similar comments offered by others. “Hey, thanks for setting this up, Marilyn. Who knew a dusty, old, gold mine could be so entertaining.”

Marilyn smiled at her friends. “I’m glad tonight was a success.”

As the group turned to retrace their steps to the adit, Kylie hung back suspecting Marilyn wouldn’t object to some help collecting all the ghosts, goblins, and spooks she had rigged for the night. “Todd’s right… this was a lot of fun,” she said retrieving a witch and her cauldron.

“Thanks,” Marilyn said pulling a pair of large trash bags from her pack. After handing one to her friend, she gathered up a pair of evil looking zombies and shoved them into her bag. “I was a little nervous that I might have gone too far with some of these,” Marilyn admitted.

“Nah, after the first shock, it was kinda fun to anticipate what might jump out at me next.”

Moving toward a bloody, decapitated skull, Kylie paused and cocked her head to listen. “Did you hear something?”

“Huh?” Marilyn asked reaching behind a boulder to retrieve one of her ghosts.

“Did you hear something? I thought I heard…” Kylie’s voice dropped off as she struggled to identify the sound.

“What?”

Puzzled, Kylie slowly shook her head, “I’m not sure. It sounded like voices… but not… really.”

“Must have been Todd or one of the others,” Marilyn said looking toward the end of the tunnel where she could still see beams of light bouncing about as her friends made their way out through the partially blocked adit.

“No… I’m sure it came from down there.” Kylie pointed to the other end of the tunnel.

“Maybe an echo,” Marilyn suggested, too tired to be truly interested. “Come on, let’s get this stuff and go home. I’m zonked.”

Still questioning the source of the unusual sound, Kylie listened intently. When no repetition reached her ears, she turned away. “You’re probably right… just an echo.”

“That’s what I sa—” Marilyn froze. “Do you hear that?” she whispered uneasily.

The unmistakable sound of a pick axe striking rock reverberated through the mine.

“Y— y— yes,” Kylie muttered tensely.

Both women pointed their flashlights toward the end of the tunnel but the extreme darkness swallowed up the beams.

“Who can be down there?” Marilyn whispered.

Thinking a member of their group might be lagging behind, Kylie said, “It has to be one of your friends. Who’s there?” she called out.

“Not possible… I counted heads,” Marilyn insisted. “And we’re the last.”

“You don’t think it’s… Tommie Knockers?” Kylie stuttered, her voice barely audible.

“No! It has to be Todd or one of the others trying to freak us out,” Marilyn answered tensely. “Sound echoes in this place… you can’t tell where it’s coming from. Hey guys, knock it off,” she yelled.

While no response came from the adit, the sound of the pick axe striking stone grew louder at the back of the tunnel.

“Let’s get out of here,” Kylie shrieked.

Marilyn was already racing for the adit.

Her legs shaking almost to the point of being useless, Kylie followed her friend. A moment later, her progress was abruptly halted when she tripped and fell. Attempting to regain her feet, she heard stone splitting with a loud, sustained crack. Realizing a gap was opening in the wall beside her, she froze; her eyes clearly displaying the panic growing within her.

“GET OUT!” an unknown voice ordered. “NOW!”

The split widened. Then, with a deafening roar, a rumble could be heard, and felt, from deep inside the mountain. Moments later, rocks and boulders of all sizes began to fall around her. Kylie watched in horror as the tunnel filled with debris and the adit disappeared in a cloud of choking rock dust. Half running, half crawling, she scrambled away from the cave-in seeking any refuge that might keep her from being buried alive. The dust grew thicker forcing her to close her stinging eyes. Unable to see, she trailed her fingers along the tunnel’s wall to guide her. About to give up, her hand left stone and jutted into open air. Without thinking, she dove into what she hoped was a recess big enough to protect her.

Pressed against hard, rough stone, Kylie’s back was uncomfortably cushioned by her day-pack. She wasn’t sure how long she had sat frozen in place, her knees tucked against her chest and her arms clinging tightly to them. The dust from the cave-in made breathing difficult and seeing impossible. She craved a wet cloth to clear her eyes but was too afraid to move, concerned any attempt to pull her pack free could cause more rocks to fall. ‘‘If I get out of here, Marilyn… you’re toast,” she hissed through clinched teeth. “This is not how I want to die.”

“Hey, you okay?”

The voice startled Kylie out of her morbid thoughts. So happy to hear a human voice, she didn’t realize it was unfamiliar. “I’m covered in who knows how many pounds of rock dust and scared to death,” she said forcing a stinging eye open. Squinting through the dust, she swept her flashlight around until it illuminated a shadowy form. “But I’m alive. Thanks for coming back for me,” she added wiping her sleeve across her eyes, the action only serving to make the orbs hurt more. “Sorry, I’m not seeing too well… you don’t sound like Marilyn.”

“Marilyn?” the voice asked.

“Are you one of the others?”

“Um… I don’t know who the others are. Here… use this to clear your eyes.”

Kylie felt something brush her hands. “Thanks,” she said accepting the offered cloth. “I was just thinking I should dig in my pack for something to use.” Lifting the dampened cloth to her face, she carefully pressed it to her eyes.

“The dust is starting to settle. We’ll be able to see how bad things are soon.”

Curious to know the owner of the voice, Kylie quickly opened her freshly washed eyes. It took a moment for them to focus on the person kneeling beside her. The woman definitely wasn’t Marilyn or any of the women who had been part of the Halloween group. “Who are you? How did you get here?”

“Same way you did, I’m guessing… through the adit.”

Kylie shook her head. “There was nobody else in here.” Her comment was answered by a smile.

“Did you check the whole mine?”

“No. We were in the main tunnel.”

The woman laughed. “This is a pretty big mine. I was two levels down checking out the dumps.”

“Dumps?” Kylie asked slipping her pack free to retrieve a water bottle.

“Pits the miners used to dump waste rock or broken equipment. I came up when I heard the commotion.”

Kylie re-wet the cloth.

“You should be careful with your water,” the woman stated when an excess of the precious liquid dripped off the saturated cloth and onto the dirt floor. “You may need every drop you have.”

“I’ve got a second bottle,” Kylie replied casually before wiping her face free of its dust covering.

“I’d still be careful.” The woman pushed up to a standing position. “Doesn’t look like we can get out the way we came in,” she observed having walked out from alcove.

Standing, Kylie took a moment to stretch out her stiff knees before following the woman. “Oh, crap,” she exclaimed as soon as she saw the extent of the cave-in. A few feet in front of her, a solid stone barrier plugged the tunnel. “Is it filled all the way to the adit?”

The woman shrugged. “Doesn’t really matter,” she said turning back to the alcove. “We couldn’t dig through a few feet of that mess… let alone all the way to the adit.”

“We’re trapped?!” Kylie cried out in shock, her whole body suddenly quivering while her breathing quickly changed to rapid panting. She barely noticed when her arms were grabbed and her body was given a brisk shake.

“Hey, calm down. I don’t want to have to slap you. We’re not trapped.”

Kylie stared at the women in disbelief. With a trembling hand, she pointed at the choked tunnel, “What do you call that?”

“A cave-in. But it doesn’t mean we’re trapped.”

“You’re nuts,” Kylie yelled.

Releasing her grip, the woman laughed. “Don’t you think the miners would have planned for cave-ins?”

Having trouble comprehending the woman’s meaning, Kylie could only gawk blankly at her.

“Miners weren’t stupid… they always had escape routes; for cave-ins, for fires, for anything that might prevent them from getting out through the main adits. All we have to do is find one of their escape routes.”

“How are we going to do that?

“First, we start walking.”

The woman’s unruffled demeanor was starting to have a calming effect on Kylie. “I can’t tell if you’re crazy or what… but, at the risk, of giving you the benefit of the doubt, walk where?”

“Down the drifts?”

“Drifts?”

“The tunnels that branch off from the portage tunnel… they’re called drifts.”

“Portage tunnel?”

“The main tunnel… you’re standing in it. It’s what the miners used to get the ore out of the mine… hence, the name portage.”

“Oh,” Kylie muttered reaching up to scratch her nose still itching from the dust. “What will we look for?”

“You don’t know much about mines, do you?”

Kylie shook her head. “First one I’ve been in.”

“If I might ask, why in the heck were you in here?”

“For a Halloween party. Marilyn put it together for a bunch of us.”

Now it was the woman’s turn to look confused. “Odd place for a party.”

Unable to think of a valid rebuttal, Kylie just shrugged. “She said it would be fun.”

“Was it?”

Frowning, Kylie replied, “Right up until the roof caved-in.”

“I can understand that,” the woman said shining her flashlight down the unblocked part of the tunnel. “Let’s go check out the drifts. If we’re lucky, we won’t have to walk far before we find a stope or ore chutes,” she commented setting off.

“What are those?”

“A stope is an open area left after the miners removed pockets of ore bearing rock. Ore chutes were used to drop the ore down to the waiting ore carts. Those were then moved to the ore bins outside the mine using—”

“The portage tunnel,” Kylie proudly displayed her newly gained mine terminology.

“Right.”

“And we’re looking for those why?”

“Because they are how we can access the mine’s upper levels.”

“And the reason for accessing those is?”

“Escape routes… it didn’t make much sense to try to get under a cave-in to escape. So, the miners put them on higher levels.”

Agreeing with the logic, Kylie murmured, “That makes sense.”

Carefully stepping over a jumble of small rocks, the woman peered further down the tunnel.

“Hey, I have another question,” Kylie stated as she followed.

“Yes.”

“Do you have a name?”

“Do you?”

“Kylie.”

“Grace.”

“Nice to meet you… I think.”

“Ditto.”

Walking in silence, the women followed the beams of their flashlights into the third drift they came upon. The first two drifts had led to dead-ends forcing them to backtrack to the portage tunnel.

“This one looks promising,” Grace said.

“What makes you say that?”

“Ore cart tracks,” Grace explained pointing to the parallel metal rails on the drift’s floor. “Can’t move ore carts without them and, where there were ore carts, there must be ore chutes and stopes. Might want to watch your head in here,” she warned as the drift narrowed.

“Why’s that?”

Grace shined her flashlight down the right side of the drift. Starting approximately thirty feet from where they stood, a series of structures jutted out past the rock wall. “Ore chutes.”

Curious, Kylie moved closer to study the chute’s construction. Shaped by nailing long boards together, they resembled incomplete square troughs, without tops. Hanging out over the cart tracks, the boards at the end of the chute were cut at a sharp forty-five degree angle and a thick slab of wood prevented ore from being emptied if no cart was positioned to collect it.

“You’re not thinking of climbing up this are you?” Kylie asked eyeing the chute’s steep angle as it traveled upward.

“Not unless you want to slide all the way back down with a butt full of splinters.”

“Not really.”

“Didn’t think so. But we are going to climb up into that stope,” Grace said indicating a wide, empty space above them. “Looks like there’s a drift up there and the stope is the only way to reach it,” she explained.

Kylie peered at the stope. It was quite large but she noticed that, except for a void where the ore pocket had been completely removed, the miners had left barren rock virtually untouched. This resulted in ledges of various heights and inclines being accessible for anyone wanting to climb up into the stope. “What are those for?” she asked of a scattering of stone columns at the highest reaches of the stope.

“Pillars… they support the hanging wall.”

“Hanging wall?”

“The roof of the cavern… if the miners didn’t support it, the whole mountain could collapse on top of them.”

Swallowing hard, Kylie forced down her newfound fear. “You just had to tell me that,” she muttered grimacing.

“It’s lucky for us the pillars are there. We can use them to get up to the drift.”

“There’s no other way up?” Kylie asked estimating the climb to the drift to be at least two hundred feet and more difficult the higher they had to go. “Elevator, perhaps.”

Grace smiled. “You ready?”

“Just one question... what if we get up there and there’s no exit in that drift?”

“We come back down and look for another way.”

“I knew you were going to say that.”

“If this drift is a bust, we really don’t have any option but to look for another.”

Frowning, Kylie considered the woman’s words. “Did I happen to mention, I have a fear of heights?” she asked after several minutes.

Grace grinned. “Just don’t look down,” she suggested helpfully.

At first, the women could easily climb the lower, gentler slopes but the ascent grew more difficult the higher they moved into the empty ore pocket.

Kylie voiced no argument when Grace suggested they rest upon reaching the first pillar. “How far up are we?” she asked too afraid to look down to the drift level.

“Maybe two hundred feet,” Grace estimated sitting on a suitably positioned ledge. “We don’t have far to go but it won’t be easy from here.”

Shifting to stand directly behind the pillar, Kylie placed her palms against the hard stone and sucked in a deep breath. After a few moments, she released the held air. “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” she murmured with eyes closed. “Marilyn, you’re going to owe me big time,” she whispered.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Grace began hesitantly, “who is Marilyn?”

“My best friend.”

“Ah.”

“Is there a meaning behind that ah?” Kylie asked twisting her head to look at the other woman.

“You speak of her in loving terms.”

A laugh burst from Kylie’s lips. “Loving? I want to kill her… if I survive this.”

Smiling, Grace shook her head. “I rather doubt that.”

“Killing her or surviving this?”

“The first,” Grace clarified. “You might be more comfortable sitting here,” she said watching Kylie shuffle about to lean her back against the pillar.

“No, thank you. I’d rather not see how high we are.”

“Tell me about Marilyn.”

“We were roommates in college and we’ve been best friends ever since. She’s always been there when I needed someone to believe in me.”

“Why would that be?”

Kylie chewed her lower lip. She wasn’t pleased to be asked such personal questions but she sensed Grace might be trying to divert her thoughts from her predicament. And since she had nothing better to do right then, she answered. “I’ve gone through a couple of lousy breakups that left me with some pretty low self esteem.”

“And Marilyn changed that.”

“Oh, yeah. She always seems to know what to say to make me see a different take on a situation,” Kylie told the inquisitive woman. “Like with my last girlfriend… six months ago, she up and dumped me. No warning, no explanation… nothing. I came home from work and she was gone. She didn’t even bother to leave a note,” she added sadly. “I was pretty confused about the whole thing.”

“What did Marilyn say?”

Kylie chuckled. “It was about time the worthless piece of poo… her words… cut me loose.”

“And that helped.”

“When she said it, I thought she was being cruel. But, today, I know she was right. I seem to have a habit of picking the wrong women, and that relationship was bad from the start. But, then, what relationship is perfect?”

“Maybe you’re looking in the wrong places,” Grace observed.

“I don’t suppose you have an idea as to where I should be looking?” Kylie asked harshly.

“I think I’ve said too much,” Grace suggested contritely.

Kylie glared. “Don’t stop now… I’d like to hear your ideas. After all, I’m used to being told about my faults.” She shifted to stand with her back to the other woman.

Grace considered her options. “I’m sad to say, I used to be a lot like you… jumping from one bad relationship to another. Then one day, I heard a song and it changed my whole life. I decided to stop pre-judging and to keep an open mind.”

Fuming, Kylie remained silent.

A soft voice began singing…

“There is someone walking behind you,

Turn around, look at me.

There’s someone to love and guide you,

Look at someone, who really loves you,

Turn around, look at me.”

“Sorry, I’m sure I’ve messed up the words but, hopefully, you get my point.”

Kylie turned to face the singer. “You’re daft,” she blurted out. “We barely know each other.”

Grace let loose a hearty laugh that echoed around the stope. “Oh, I think you’ve mistaken my meaning.”

“Which is?” Kylie demanded.

Grace stood. “I think we should—”

“Oh, no… we are not moving from here until you explain yourself.”

With a tip of her head, Grace agreed. “You said it your self, Marilyn has always been there when you needed someone to believe in you. Maybe you should be looking closer to home for that perfect relationship,” she recommended slipping past Kylie to continue their climb.

For several minutes, Kylie remained rooted in place. The song’s lyrics repeating in her mind as Marilyn’s grinning face materialized in front of her eyes. “Damn,” she muttered, “it can’t be that easy… Can it?”

“Are you staying there?” Grace called out.

Kylie forced her brain to reboot. “I’m coming,” she said pushing off the pillar.

The drift was quite long with several side tunnels splitting off of it. The women had found little in those tunnels but dead ends and piles of rocks.

“How in the heck did the miners not get lost in this place?” Kylie asked nearing a bend in the drift.

“Watch your step,” Grace warned when the woman headed straight for a hole in the drift’s floor.

Kylie redirected her steps. “What did you call those?” she asked moving cautiously around the edge of the gap.

“Winze. Miners used them to drop ore to the levels below.”

“What kept the miners from falling down them?”

“Nothing if they weren’t paying attention.

“Ha, ha.” Kylie moved around the bend. “Splits into three more tunnels,” she informed Grace walking several steps behind her. “Hey, there’s a breeze coming out of this one.”

“That’s good,” Grace said excitedly.

“Why?

“Wind has to come from somewhere,” Grace answered moving quickly down the middle tunnel, “and it’s not from inside the mine.”

Following Grace, Kylie pumped her fists. “That means we found the emergency exit… right?” she asked excitedly.

“It’s a good possibility.”

The tunnel changed directions again and the women eagerly hurried around the sharp corner.

Kylie came to an abrupt stop, her eyes squinting at the sight before her.

Shining through a narrow crevice at the top of another stope, a ray of sunlight cut through the harsh darkness of the tunnel.

“Damn, that’s beautiful,” Kylie exclaimed shielding her eyes from the bright beam. “I seriously thought I’d never see daylight again,” she said moving closer to the lit section of tunnel. “How do we get up there?”

“You won’t like it.”

“I want out of this mine,” Kylie said vehemently. “So, if I have to climb up another stope to get up there I will.”

“We’ll climb the stope but—”

Spinning about to face Grace, Kylie snapped, “But what?”

“The stope doesn’t reach that crevice.”

“Oh, no, I have not come this far to be prevented from getting outside,” Kylie said, her head shaking side-to-side aggressively.

“Calm down,” Grace implored the furious woman. “I didn’t say anything about not getting out. It’s just—”

“Just what?”

“We’ll have to climb some ladders.”

“So?”

Pointing up into the stope, Grace explained, “Those ladders.”

Tilting her head upward, Kylie looked where Grace was pointing. Hanging from their potential escape point, three ladders stretched down a vertical wall above the stope. “What’s holding them together?” Kylie asked of the precariously dangling ladders.

“Probably ropes.”

“Hundred year old ropes?”

“More like a hundred and forty year old ropes.”

“Are they safe?”

“Won’t know until we try to climb them.”

Spinning about for the second time, Kylie screamed, “Are you freakin’ crazy?”

“Well, we could always wait down here for rescue. That’s assuming anyone knows where that opening is.”

“Oh, pooters,” Kylie moaned dejectedly. She peered at Grace then up to the ladders and back at Grace. “I don’t want to stay in here,” she said softly.”

Grace nodded. “Then let’s get out,” she said before picking a way up the stope.

Fortunately, the stope wasn’t nearly as steep or high as the previous one; and the women soon found themselves standing next to the bottom ladder.

“I hope they’re as study as they look,” Kylie commented giving the wooden frame a good shake.

“Only one way to find out.”

Glancing disbelievingly at the other woman, Kylie asked, “How is it you’re so calm though all this?”

“I don’t think getting upset would help… do you?”

“Grrr. You sound just like Marilyn. I can be pulling my hair out and she’ll say exactly that.”

Grace smiled. “Is she right?”

Chuckling, Kylie said, “Yeah… usually.” Turning her attention to the ladder, she asked, “Are we sure these will hold our weight?”

“Most likely, the ladders will. It’s the ropes you have to worry about.”

Kylie gazed up to the point where the first ladder was tied to the second. Swallowing hard, she swore she could see the ropes unraveling before her eyes. “Is it possible you could hold the truth from me? I mean, just don’t tell me everything.”

Laughing, Grace shook her head.

“You’re terrible at encouragement,” Kylie groused.

“Stand here and fret; or climb up those ladders and get out of this mine. How’s that?”

Frowning, Kylie replied, “Needs work.” Lifting a booted foot, she placed it on the first rung. “All right, let’s climb.”

“Wait,” Grace said. “Put your foot as close to the side rails as you can… that will be the stronger part of the rung,” she instructed.

“Any other suggestions?”

“Once you start up… don’t stop. If it sounds like a rung is breaking, get up on the next one. And keep going.”

“Wait a minute. If I break rungs getting out of here, how will you get out?”

“I rather doubt you’ll break all of them.”

“You’re awfully optimistic.”

Grace grinned. “I have faith in you. I’ll wait until you’re all the way up before I start. Now get going.”

“Thank you,” Kylie said wrapping her arms around the woman. “I never would have made it this far without you,” she added sincerely.

Returning the hug, Grace replied, “You’re a lot braver than you think.”

Kylie stepped back. “If something happens, don’t move. I’ll get help and be back… I promise.”

“I know you will. Go on,” Grace said motioning with her head upward.

Kylie took Grace’s advice and, once started, kept moving up the ladders. Shifting from one ladder to the next was scarier than she’d anticipated as the wooden steps were indeed held together by fraying ropes. But she forced down her fears and powered past those transitions. Before she knew it, she had reached the top of the last ladder and she was looking out at a small clearing surrounded by pine trees. Kylie took a moment to wave at Grace before she crawled off the ladder and onto solid ground.

Intending to watch Grace make her own climb, Kylie started to poke her head back inside the mine but stopped when she heard her name being called. Quickly backing away from the crevice, she turned to see several people rushing out of the woods and in her direction. She smiled recognizing Marilyn at the head of the group and running at full speed toward her.

“Hot damn,” Marilyn squealed grabbing her lost friend in a bear hug. “We’ve been looking for a way into the mine for hours. How’d you escape the cave-in? I was so scared you were trapped under it. You’re not hurt are you?” The questions tumbled from her mouth.

“Whoa, with the questions,” Kylie laughed when her friend paused to draw in a much needed breath. Freeing herself from Marilyn’s grasp, she started back to the hole she had just exited.

Grabbing an arm, Marilyn stopped her. “What are you doing?”

“I need to make sure Grace makes it up the ladders,” Kylie explained brushing the hand off her forearm.

“Who’s Grace?”

“A friend,” Kylie said kneeling down at the edge of the crevice. “She helped me get out.”

“Be careful,” Marilyn warned seeing Kylie leaning forward into the abyss.

“Grace,” Kylie called out. “Grace, where are you?” she called louder. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she was guided away from the edge. “Where’d she go?”

“Let us take a look,” the owner of the hand offered.

Kylie looked up to see a middle aged woman standing beside her.

“I’m Captain Martin… I head the rescue team,” the woman told Kylie. “Another woman was with you?”

“Yes,” Kylie said emphatically. “Grace… she found me after the cave-in and helped me find a way out,” she informed the rescue team leader. “She was waiting for me to get up the ladders. Then she was going to climb out. I don’t know why she would leave.”

“I’m ready, Captain.” Equipped with climbing gear, a younger man approached the woman.

The captain nodded at the man then asked Kylie, “You say her name was Grace?”

“Yes.”

The rescuers exchanged knowing glances.

“Let’s get you away from this hole,” the captain told Kylie.

Kylie resisted. “You need to help her.”

“Grace will be fine… she doesn’t need our help.”

“What?”

“Let’s get you back where I can check you over. Then I have something to show you.”

“But—”

“I know you’re worried about her but you’ll understand soon enough.”

After verifying Kylie had suffered no injuries more serious than scratches and bruises, Captain Martin led her and Marilyn into the forest. After a short walk, the women entered a meadow overlooking the mine’s adit and parking lot. In the middle of the meadow, a beautifully crafted wrought iron fence enclosed a grave.

“You’re not the only one Grace has saved,” Captain Martin said standing next to the fence. “For the past fifty years, whenever there’s a full moon around Halloween and someone gets lost in that mine, Grace always finds them and guides them back to the adit.”

Kylie approached the fence. Carefully releasing the latch, she pulled open a gate. For a moment she stood at the foot of the grave deep in thought. Then, with deliberate steps, she walked to the headstone and read aloud the engraved words. “Grace Alberta Henderson - Born October 31, 1932 – Died October 31, 1960.”

“She died on her birthday?” Marilyn whispered.

The captain nodded.

Gently placing a hand on the top of the carved stone, Kylie asked, “What happened?”

“The story told,” Captain Martin started, “is that Grace and some friends were in the mine on Halloween. There was a small cave-in and she was trapped under a boulder. Her friends, thinking everyone had run out of the mine, didn’t notice her missing until they arrived at the Ranger Station to report what happened. A rescue team immediately started looking for Grace. But they were too late; her leg had been crushed by the rock and…”

“She died?” Kylie could barely speak the horrific thought.

“Shitty friends,” Marilyn snarled.

“No,” Kylie objected. “She wouldn’t have blamed them. They were scared… they ran.”

“They blamed themselves,” Captain Martin observed. “One of the boys took it especially hard. Even though, for months, he had been unable to get Grace to notice him, he’d planned to confess that night how he felt about her. He’s responsible for this,” she said indicating the grave and fence.

“What happened to him?” Kylie inquired.

“No one really knows for sure. He stayed in town for a few years then he just disappeared. Nobody knew where he went; most forgot about him after a while. But some say he’s still in the area.”

“Why?” Marilyn asked.

“Her grave has been cared for… all those years. That’s an act of true love.”

Kylie was both saddened and heartened by the words. “You never had the chance to turn around,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

“Did you say something?” Marilyn asked.

Kylie made her way back to the gate. After closing it, she made sure the latch was secured. “Just my goodbyes,” she said walking away.

“I’ve apologized to everyone else,” Marilyn declared pushing the key into her car’s ignition. “I—”

“Don’t,” Kylie cut off her friend. “What happened last night was not your fault. And…” She shifted in the passenger seat to face her remorseful friend. “I’m glad it happened.”

“Glad? You could have been killed.”

“But I wasn’t. And I met an amazing woman. A woman I would have loved to have known while she lived.”

“Look, I know you endured a lot last night but—”

“You don’t believe me?”

Marilyn slumped back in her seat. “I don’t know what I believe; it’s all so…”

“Supernatural?”

“Outside of my realm of reality,” Marilyn corrected.

“You heard the pick axe?”

“Yes.”

“You heard the warning to get out?”

“Yes.”

“So, those were real?”

“Were they?”

Kylie sighed. “To be honest… I have no idea but I want to think so. All I know is that I spent several hours with a woman who I could touch and feel and hear. I admit I was out of my mind with fear so I could have imagined the whole. But what about the grave and the stories of Grace saving others? Can we just agree that something happened in that mine last night?”

Marilyn’s brain was swirling with questions but all she could think to say was, “Okay.”

As the car reversed out of the parking spot, Kylie peered out the side window toward the mine’s adit, now blocked by a wall of boulders. She was about to turn away when a woman materialized. A moment later, a second figure materialized.

Reaching for the man’s hand, Grace smiled at Kylie who watched as she lifted the hand to her lips.

Kylie smiled. “You did turn around,” she murmured sure that the male apparition was the boy who had loved Grace. And, somehow, they were together in the mine.

Starting the car, Marilyn glanced at her side mirrors and her gaze fell on Kylie peering out the side window. “Penny for your thoughts,” she said seeing the broad smile on her friend’s face and wondering what had put it there.

Kylie watched the figures, hand in hand, float back into the mine through the stone barrier. “I’m starving,” she finally responded focusing her attention on her friend. “What say we look for somewhere to get a late breakfast when we get back to town? A quiet place where we can talk.”

“Talk?”

Kylie grinned. “Yes, talk. I think it’s about time… don’t you?”

Marilyn didn’t have a clue what Kylie was referring to but the smile on her face said it couldn’t be bad. Shifting the car into drive, she headed out of the gravel lot. “One thing is sure,” she told herself, “I think I might have to break a few speed limits to get to town.”

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Turn Around, Look at Me (used without permission)

Lyrics by Jerry Capehart and Glen Campbell (uncredited)