"A
Storm Rising: Day Three" an original frametale by Michelle Wilson
"Dead Man's Cave"
The travelers awoke to overcast
skies accented by an oppressive mugginess that made it difficult to
breath. After breakfast, Danny and Natasha wandered off to see some
pictographs that Natasha had spotted beneath a rock overhang while
Meeca gathered her gear. Sedona glancing around saw her opportunity and
called Christian and Jeb aside.
"I didn't want to
say anything until I was sure, but yesterday I took the map the mummy
was clutching..."
"You stole a map
off a dead man?" Christian interrupted, incredulous.
"He didn't need
it any more," Sedona replied flippantly. "Anyway, when I got a chance
to look at it; it definitely looks like a map to our chimney mine. Its
somewhere near this old mission marked here. Do you know this place,
Jeb?"
"Well...I've got
a good idea where this is. I kin get us there today if its where I'ma
thinkin'. I reckon we can use a shortcut I know."
"Excellent, but
do me a favor, don't say anything to Natasha and Danny. It will just
upset them! Let them think we just found it."
"You're right
about that," Christian said running his hand through his hair. "At
least we're making progress."
"Hey guys! Look
at this," called Natasha.
Everyone went to join her and
Danny. There etched on the wall was a strange pictograph. In the center
was a large figure with curving arms. It seemed to be gathering in the
smaller people.
"I've never seen
a pictograph like this. I wonder what it represents?" asked Natasha.
"Maybe its a
shaman or chief in the center," offered Christian.
"Maybe, its
unusual. I'm going to take a picture. Someone at the University may
recognize it," replied a preoccupied Natasha.
The party talked Meeca into traveling with them. After everyone
was ready they started out. After an hour they reached Jeb's shortcut.
They entered into an almost invisible slit in a rock wall. Once inside
they were amazed to find a winding slot canyon with walls reaching
upward of a hundred feet.
"This is
awesome," said Christian, "The tops of these types of canyons are
usually only a crevice about a foot or two across. That is why it's dim
in here. I've always wanted to see one!"
"I wonder
how they are formed?" mused Danny.
"The
geology instructor said they are formed by flooding and the water
rushing through the sandstone. He didn't adequately describe the beauty
and incandescence of these striations, or the colors!" replied Sedona
amazed.
As they
wound through the canyon, an occasional shaft of light would pierce
through the clouds above and bounce off the walls causing a light show.
"I know
this is not a cave, but it reminds me of a story I heard recently,"
said Christian whimsically.
"Tell us,"
The others said in chorus.
"Well, it
was in Colorado in the winter of 1880. Three prospectors were working a
couple of miles north of what came to be called Dead Man Camp. A
blizzard came out of nowhere. They had to find shelter quick. They saw
a small opening in a rock wall across the canyon. They entered and
lighted crude torches. They found a narrow passageway not four feet
high. They followed it and came to a twenty-foot- long room and inside
were five skeletons! There were also several more passages shooting off
the room into the gloom. They randomly picked one. It led deeper into
the mountain and then into another chamber. There were shelves carved
into the stone walls. Stacked on the shelves were what looked like
stones but were actually rough gold bars! They picked up five bars and
after the storm passed headed back to Wet Mountain Valley to have their
gold appraised. Each bar was worth $900 each. Everyone wanted to know
where they found it, but , they kept their mouths shut. They planned to
go back in spring, sure they could find the cave again. They were
wrong. The Fairplay Plume and the Denver Post both reported this story
later. To this day, no one has found it."
"That was a good
story, son," said Jeb, "but I think we better put a move on it. By my
stars and socks, I feel a storm brewing. My bones ache! We don't want
to be in here when the rain starts. These canyons can flood quicker
than a junebug on a flea."
Taking Jeb's
words to heart, they quickened their pace. Within twenty minutes they
cleared the exit. Just in time too! The sky had turned an ominous green
and purple. Lightening cut the sky in jagged arcs. Energy crackled in
the air. The rain was picking up in ferocity. It was very unlike the
storms in the city.
"Look,
there's the mission. Let's make a run for it," shouted Sedona over
rumbling thunder.
Everyone hunkered down and ran
as fast as they could until they made it within the mission's decaying
walls filled with dust and shadows. Meeca seemed very uncomfortable and
Danny asked if she was alright.
"This
reminds me of bad times long ago," she said shivering and pale.
"Its just a
building," Danny said comfortingly. Suddenly, a scream broke the
darkness!
"What is
it,
Natasha!" asked Sedona, running to her side.
"I saw
someone back there! A robed figure, but it's gone now!" cried Natasha.
"It's just
your imagination," said Christian skeptically.
"Then I
guess we have the same imagination; I saw it too and it gave me the
creeps," said Danny.
Wondering,
they stared down the hallway into the darkness.....
Author's note: Wow, only one
more story left! What is going to happen? You have to keep reading to
find out the exciting ending. I chose this story from Colorado because
it had a cave, winding passages, skeletons lurking and gold! Would you
take strangers into your party? Will our travelers be proven wise or
naive? Only time and the whim of the writer (me!)will tell.
Images found at:
Pictograph
Slot canyon
Desert Storm
Robed figure
Bibliography:
Dead Man's Cave
found at: Legends of
America.com, A Travel Site for the Nostalgic and Historic Minded.
Author unknown.
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