Summary: When the stage route from Placerville becomes blocked by a rock slide, Adam and Joe decide to ride home. While crossing the old gold fields, a storm approaches, forcing the brothers to take refuge in an old mining cabin. During the night, they become ensnared in a legend that is beyond their worst nightmares, but will morning be any better for them?<\/p>\n
Rating: PG-13 for horror. Nothing too graphic, more implied.<\/p>\n
Word Count: 3103<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Terror at Old Dry Diggins<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSorry folks, there\u2019ll be no stage outta Placerville for a couple of days at least. Been a rockslide up the road \u2018cause of the rains.\u201d<\/p>\n Moans, and few choice words from one passenger, filled the small stage office. Two passengers threw hard looks at each other, reaching a silent agreement that they needed to change their plans. As a family of three gathered their bags and prepared to slog their way through mist and mud across the street to the hotel, the two men, being more practical, grabbed their valises and headed to the saloon a couple of doors down on the same side of the street as the stage office.<\/p>\n \u201cTwo beers.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCan you believe this? What are we going to do? We gotta get these papers to Pa and Hiram.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam picked up his beer and moseyed over to a lone table. Dropping his damp hat on the table as he slid into the chair, he watched his youngest brother spin his own chair around backward, plop down, and take a long draw on his beer. Adam took up his mug and sipped his frothy drink as his mind wandered over their options.<\/p>\n \u201cI only see one choice, Joe. We get a couple of horses and ride home.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe pushed his hat back, revealing his wet curly hair. He took another long drink before throwing a disgusted look toward his brother. \u201cYou know, I\u2019m really not liking the way Pa parcels out jobs these days.\u201d<\/p>\n A smirk slid across Adam\u2019s dark face. \u201cYeah, but you know as well as I, we were the only two who could make this deal work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGuess so.\u201d Joe snorted. \u201cBut it doesn\u2019t mean I have to like it.\u201d<\/p>\n A quiet chuckle and a weak giggle crept out before the brothers focused on finishing their beers.<\/p>\n One hour and two more beers later the next conversation wasn\u2019t so pleasant.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know I\u2019m glad to supply the mounts, but I have to say you boys are plum loco if you think you can get around that rockslide.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cReady Joe?\u201d Adam brought the stirrup down after tightening the cinch and glanced over the saddle at his brother.<\/p>\n \u201cYeah.\u201d<\/p>\n Sauntering over to the livery owner, Adam held out some bills. \u201cThanks for the horses and gear. This should cover it all.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYeah sure. But what about the rockslide?\u201d<\/p>\n Walking their horses out of the barn Joe called back. \u201cWe\u2019re not following the road. We\u2019re riding overland toward the lake.\u201d<\/p>\n The man swallowed hard and grabbed the desk to keep himself upright, then ran after the two cowboys. \u201cNow I know you\u2019re crazy. You best not go anywhere near them old gold fields. They say they\u2019re haunted. Been murders there too, an\u2019 hangin\u2019s, ya know.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam froze with his foot in the stirrup. \u201cRecent murders?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t reckon. Some say it\u2019s jest stories. \u2018Course, ain\u2019t nobody up there no more. Gold\u2019s all played out at Old Dry Diggins. But it was a murderous, thievin\u2019 place along the river back in the \u201850\u2019s, during the gold rush, ya know.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam completed his mount as Joe swung into his saddle. He tipped his hat to the man. \u201cThanks for the warning. We\u2019ll be careful. Let\u2019s ride, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n Receiving kicks to the flanks, the horses took off. The man pulled a ragged bandana from his rear pocket and wiped his face. \u201cCrazy, plum loco, them two are. I sure hope they get through there alive.\u201d<\/p>\n ******<\/p>\n The brothers plodded along the trail out of town before taking off across rock-strewn meadows heading for the mountains. Adam was enjoying the silent ride, despite being a bit concerned over his brother\u2019s missing banter. Starting their climb through the hills, Joe finally decided to reveal his thoughts.<\/p>\n \u201cDo you believe what that man said back there, Adam?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds like you do.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWell\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLook Joe, when the gold rush hit here Old Dry Diggins was lawless and full of vigilante justice over jumped claims and stolen gold. Why do you think it became known as Hangtown?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI-I didn\u2019t know that\u2019s what it was called.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt was because of so many lynchings. But once the law was established the citizens chose a new name.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cPlacerville.\u201d Joe took a long hard look around the weathered hills. \u201cWell, I still think we\u2019d do better to bypass the area.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s face darkened. \u201cWe could if we had time but judging from those clouds we\u2019ll be lucky to find shelter to avoid another soaking.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGreat! I just got dried out from that last rain in town.\u201d He scanned the hills before them and pointed. \u201cI think I see a shack up near that ridge. Guess we better head there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/p>\n The brothers gave their horses their heads and made it to the old cabin and lean-to before the deluge hit. They bedded down the horses with water, some oats they had brought along, and some grass they found nearby. Inside the shack, the old cot they found had long since fallen apart so they used the wood for the fireplace. The mattress they took out to the shed and used to seal gaps in the planks to keep the horses warmer. Finally, as the storm rolled in, the brothers sat by the fire eating stew and biscuits. Neither wanted to speak concerning the odd stains they saw in the cabin and lean-to. They simply agreed to sleep till sunup and get the heck out of there as fast as they could. After cleaning up their dishes both turned in for what they hoped would be a peaceful night, despite the rain hammering down on the tin roof.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n A blood curdling scream jolted the brothers to their feet, guns drawn and cocked. Frozen to their spots they waited for more while their imaginations ran wild. It came, in the form of pounding on the door and a fear-filled voice pleading for help. Eyes made contact and Adam pointed for Joe to move to a dark corner to cover him as he moved behind the door. The voice outside grew more panicked as Adam positioned his body and his gun then slowly released the door latch. That was all it took for the door to swing back slamming Adam against the wall. Shaking his head to clear it he shoved the door closed and pointed his gun at the young girl cowering and whimpering in the corner where the cot used to be. He locked the door and gave a quick nod to Joe indicating he was fine.<\/p>\n Waiting a few moments longer to confirm no one else was outside, the brothers lowered their guns and moved closer to the girl. She squeezed tighter into the corner, her dark eyes growing wider with fear. Her mouth opened to release a scream but the brothers quickly backed off to squat by the door. After a few moments the girl relaxed a little but her eyes darted from one man to the other.<\/p>\n Joe started to speak when he noticed Adam creeping closer to the girl, then stopping in the middle of the room.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid. My brother and I won\u2019t hurt you. I\u2019m Adam. He\u2019s Joe. Can you tell me your name?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA-Ab-by.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHello, Abby. How old are you?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFif-fif-teen.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWas someone chasing you?\u201d<\/p>\n She nodded and cast a terrified look at the door.<\/p>\n Joe took the cue and stood up, ready to act.<\/p>\n Adam tried to move closer but the girl shrank back so he moved instead to the fire to build it up. He noticed that despite the bruises and abrasions on her milky white face and arms her skin appeared almost translucent. Her condition made him fear for what else she had endured. Abby refused to talk anymore and began rocking herself and humming.<\/p>\n At a loss of how to help her further, the brothers returned to their bedrolls as Abby drifted off to sleep. As the fire warmed the cabin the brothers talked in hushed tones, hoping not to disturb their sleeping guest.<\/p>\n Joe\u2019s eyes were wide and he kept glancing at the door. \u201cAdam, I don\u2019t like this. While you were talking to the girl, I kept hearing scraping noises outside. I can\u2019t hear anything now, though.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI know, I heard them too. She\u2019s badly bruised. If it\u2019s what I think it could be we all are in a lot of danger.\u201d Adam slipped his pocket watch out and held it toward the fire. \u201cSunup is in a few hours. I\u2019ll keep watch and you get some sleep. I\u2019ll wake you in a couple of hours.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe shook his head. \u201cDon\u2019t think I can sleep. I\u2019ll just sit over here and keep company with my rifle.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded, fully understanding his brother\u2019s concerns. He took his own rifle and settled by the fire, keeping a firm eye on the front door.<\/p>\n *****<\/p>\n Shivering deeply, Joe cracked his eyes open. There was a gray light filling the small room which told him morning was coming. He also realized the fire had died which accounted for the cold cabin. When he moved, he realized he\u2019d fallen over and was laying on his side. Feeling around for his rifle he saw it near the door, pointing in Adam\u2019s direction. He crawled over to it but when he reached for it he saw that his knuckles were bruised and bloodied as if he\u2019d been in a fight.<\/p>\n Joe snapped his hand back and rubbed it, but felt no pain. Scrambling over to his brother his hand landed in a pool of liquid behind Adam\u2019s back. \u201cAdam? Adam, wake up!\u201d<\/p>\n With a moan, the older Cartwright rolled over and opened his eyes, craning his head to find Joe staring at him wide-eyed. \u201cWhat\u2019s happened. You look like you\u2019ve seen a ghost.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe moved to his brother\u2019s side. \u201cThat\u2019s not funny. Are you alright? You\u2019re lying in a puddle of something.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam pushed himself up and groaned louder. \u201cI feel like I\u2019ve been pummeled.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cA minute ago my hand looked like a bloody mess but now it\u2019s fine. Wait Adam, don\u2019t move. Look at your shirt.\u201d<\/p>\n Glancing down, Adam\u2019s eyes grew wide as he ripped his shirt open. \u201cWhat\u2019s happened? My shirt is soaked in blood but there\u2019s no wound.\u201d Adam looked back at his brother, scrutinizing him more closely in the dull light. He reached up to touch Joe\u2019s cheek but his brother pulled away.<\/p>\n \u201cDoes it hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat, my cheek? No, why?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt looks raw, like someone hit you, hard.\u201d<\/p>\n Joe touched his cheek but felt smooth skin, then squinted his eyes at Adam. \u201cIt feels fine, but you look like you tangled with a bear. Adam, what\u2019s going on here?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam began to scan the cabin. To any observer it looked like a horrific fight had taken place and somebody didn\u2019t come out too well in the end as he followed dark marks that led to the door, and beyond.<\/p>\n Just then Adam\u2019s eyes flicked around the room again. \u201cWait. Where\u2019s Abby?\u201d<\/p>\n Both brothers\u2019 heads spun around to discover the corner where she fell asleep was empty. Well, almost empty.<\/p>\n \u201cUh, Adam, is that what I think it is?\u201d<\/p>\n Being closer, Adam rolled to his knees and crawled over to the corner. Slowly stretching out his fingers he touched the edge of the puddle, then sprung back as if it had burned him. \u201cIt\u2019s fresh blood. Joe get your gear. We need to get out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n For once in his life Joe didn\u2019t argue and scrambled to get everything packed up. Adam did the same then they flew out to get the horses saddled in record time. Leading them out of the lean-to toward the trail just as the sun broke over the mountains, Joe looked back to make sure they hadn\u2019t forgotten anything in their haste. He wished he hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n Turning a terror-stricken face toward Adam he swung onto his horse and cried out. \u201cDon\u2019t look back, just ride!!\u201d<\/p>\n Adam complied, but his innate sense to protect his brother got the better of him and he looked back to see what had scared his brother so badly. He stopped breathing and grabbed at his belly, then kicked his horse into an all out run.<\/p>\n Neither brother stopped riding till their horses nearly collapsed beneath them. By then they were miles away from the cabin.<\/p>\n The next two days, and nights, were spent pushing as hard as they dared to get home. Once arriving there, they quickly sold the horses, turned the contracts over to Hiram, and settled into their routines at home. Neither spoke of what they had seen at the cabin, or at least what they thought they had seen.<\/p>\n A week later, on a quiet morning after breakfast, Ben and Hoss cornered Adam and Joe, determined to find out what had them so rattled, especially at night. The brothers only said they\u2019d gotten spooked by some stories the livery man had told them about the haunted gold fields near Placerville.<\/p>\n \u201cWe were going to go around them but a bad storm was coming so we took refuge in an old mining cabin.\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s voice trailed off as he saw Joe shake his head, warning him not to say more.<\/p>\n Hoss chuckled. \u201cYou two got scared silly by some ghost stories?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNot just \u2018some ghost stories\u2019, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n Hearing the ominously quiet voice, all three brothers glanced at their father.<\/p>\n Ben rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepled his fingers. \u201cTell me what really happened.\u201d<\/p>\n The brothers did as requested, leaving out what they had seen when they left.<\/p>\n Hoss was dumbstruck but Ben remained transfixed by his sons\u2019 tales.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd you saw your bodies when you left?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam\u2019s head snapped up. \u201cHow–?\u201d<\/p>\n Ben\u2019s eyes seemed to focus inward while he responded, \u201cThe legend says that something horrible happened to a young girl there just after the gold was discovered, and on the same night each year an opening or rift of some kind happens. Anyone who stays there overnight on that same date relives the event. But….\u201d He turned his black eyes back to each of his sons, \u201cit also says, those who remained past daybreak –\u201d<\/p>\n Adam and Joe exchanged wide-eyed looks. Adam quietly voiced their thoughts which completed Ben\u2019s sentence. \u201c — were found hanging from the rafters of the lean-to.\u201d<\/p>\n A coldness filled the great room that even the roaring fire couldn\u2019t chase away.<\/p>\n Ben rose from his chair, patted Hoss on his knee, then maneuvered around the low table to rest a hand firmly on the shoulder of each of his other two sons. Making eye contact with each one, no words were needed. All four men knew how fortunate the two sons were to be there.<\/p>\n ******<\/p>\n Adam stared across the flickering flames of the campfire to watch his father pour himself a cup of coffee. Being back in the woods near Old Dry Diggins set his nerves on fire. The conspicuous absence of woodland sounds, no morning birdsong or scampering critters, only fueled his edginess. Returning to his thoughts, he reflected on the past week. Despite having told the complete and horrific story to Hoss and Ben, he and Joe still suffered from nightmares of their close brush with the netherworld. It was because of those sleepless nights, that he, Joe and their father had made the trip to Placerville. Well, to be more precise, the old mining cabin.<\/p>\n Joe, unable to relax since they arrived the evening before, had been cleaning up the camp but finally sat by his brother and poured his own coffee.<\/p>\n More deafening silence ensued until Adam could no longer take it. Once more, he glanced over the fire at his father seeking an answer to the one question still bothering him. \u201cI know why we\u2019re here but what has never been said is how you know so much about this place.\u201d<\/p>\n Ben sniffed quietly and set his cup down. \u201cI was waiting for you to ask about that, as I didn\u2019t really wish to discuss it. But I owe you both the whole truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Anxious eyes flicked between the brothers as Ben\u2019s deep voice filled the misty air. \u201cI was returning from San Francisco and the new stage line had a stop in Placerville. This was in the late 50\u2019s, before all the gold had played out. When we arrived, many in the town were agitated about something that had happened in the gold camps. It seemed to begin with a story from a couple of years before. A girl\u2019s father had been killed by a claim jumper, then the miner went after the girl. She was eventually killed, and the man was hanged for his crimes against her and her father. I was told that a few days before I came through, three businessmen had gone up to the camps and never returned. The day I was there, two of the men had been found at the cabin, hanging from the rafters in the lean-to. The third man who had been with them and had run away during the night, told of their terrifying experiences. Your tale matched his almost word for word.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSo why are we here now, Pa?\u201d\u00a0 Ben didn\u2019t miss Joe\u2019s nervousness as he sipped his coffee.<\/p>\n \u201cTo make sure no one else falls prey to that cabin, son. Adam are you ready?\u201d<\/p>\n Adam nodded and rose, heading to retrieve three bows and arrows, a can of coal oil, and rags. Within a half hour, just as the sky began to brighten behind the ridge, the three men shot their flaming arrows into the cabin and lean-to. It took only seconds for the dry, aging wood to catch fire. Tall flames leapt skyward as unnatural screams and moans surrounded them. Ben and his sons were unnerved by the sounds and the fact that no other timber caught fire. When the sun broke over the mountain and cast its light across the smoldering remains, the brothers felt a weight lift from within them. It was as if life had been returned to them.<\/p>\n Once they were sure the fire was completely out, the Cartwrights mounted their horses and turned for home. Unbeknownst to them as they left the woods for the main road, the trees around the cabin quaked from a chilled wind while a green mist formed over the ashes then faded into oblivion. All was still in the woods until chirping and chattering from the woodland creatures finally filled the morning air. The riders rode on in peace, laughing at an old family joke.<\/p>\n ————-<\/p>\n A\/N – Written for a Halloween challenge on Bonanza Trailriders. The story must take place at a real place with a spooky history. I chose Old Dry Diggins, a California gold field that became known as Hangtown (for vigilante hangings), and finally renamed Placerville.<\/p>\n