<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is:\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Revelation 2:12-13<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe devil lives in caves. Anybody hereabouts will tell you that.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Trixie Belden and the Mystery at Bob-White Cave<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n March, 2004<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina James grew up in a small town in the Missouri Ozarks, in a small town that time seemed to have forgotten. It wasn\u2019t quite as rustic as the nearby community in which mule wagons were commonly used for transportation even into the 1970s, but it was rustic enough that she had experienced culture shock after leaving for college. Modernity had eventually crept in and after her parents retired to Florida she seldom found reason to visit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her current destination, however, was not her hometown in the Ozarks, but a similar small town named Pergamos situated deep in the Blue Ridge range of the Appalachians. As in the Ozarks, belief in the supernatural was widespread, and often based on local folklore that may or may not have had its roots in reality. It was her usually her job to determine if there truly was a supernatural phenomenon present and, if so, to persuade it to leave the present world. Constant exposure and the fact that most of her jobs were relatively safe had somewhat jaded her and she rarely felt actual fear or dread when beginning a new job. Ghostly manifestations were just another day at the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This case, however, frightened her as no other ever had and she would have given anything to have been able to hand it over to someone else. Her companion, sitting in the passenger seat of her Malibu, was even unhappier than she was. After an experience in an airport that he would neither forgive nor forget, he refused to ever set foot on another airplane. This meant that after his insistence on joining her, they had been forced into a long day\u2019s drive that had given them time to discuss and argue the case – time in which he persisted in trying to convince her to turn it down, even though she had been unable to do so when initially asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The name “Pergamos” had hung over their heads for years, ever since first learning of it when they had both worked for the Institute for Phenomenological Research. A desperate resident from the small, insular community had asked the Institute for help with the dark secrets the town ordinarily kept carefully hidden from outsiders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite the \u201copen-mindedness\u201d required of researchers at the Institute, the prevailing unspoken aim at that point had been to prove that any phenomena researched had its origins firmly in the human realm. A story of a town with a mountain that no one would climb, disappearances that were never solved, and a cave that was said to contain the very throne of the devil himself should have been easy enough to prove false and would have been an easy case to add to their list of debunked cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, the earnest plea had been denied swiftly enough to prick Wilhelmina\u2019s interest. She quietly and unofficially added it to her own personal list of future projects, but her own life had taken a rather abrupt left turn and she had been forced to forge her own career path away from the Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ghosts were now more than mere legends and stories to her. She still had no evidence that could prove to a scientist that they existed. She had no photographs or recordings of her conversations with them. Yet, they were a part of her daily life, and while she was skeptical of any demonic influence, she knew that any phenomenon that could cause that many disappearances was stronger than any she had yet encountered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A call from the sheriff of Pergamos asking her personally for her help had convinced her that she had to at least try. The disappearances had not stopped after the case was dismissed by the Institute, and the latest was a teenage girl who should have still had her entire life stretched out before her. Wilhelmina\u2019s feelings of guilt and unease that she might have been able to prevent it had she followed through with her plans years ago went unspoken as she agreed to take the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t have to do this,\u201d David told her yet again. He agreed with her opinion that it should be investigated, but vehemently insisted that it should be done by someone else.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, I do,\u201d Wilhelmina repeated. \u201cThere is no one else, David. It has to be me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have contacts all over the country,\u201d he reminded her. \u201cAtlanta. Nashville. Even Raleigh.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have regular PIs all over the country,\u201d she clarified. \u201cThere\u2019s only one firm that actually manages to work directly with the spiritual realm, and they\u2019re in New York.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFly them down. Let them handle it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shook her head. \u201cI\u2019m not drawing them into this one. It\u2019s too dangerous, and one of them has a four month old baby.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBetter them than you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd potentially leave that baby and her nine-year old sister without a mother? Not happening. Besides, David, I gave my word that I would look into this. You know I always keep my word.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He reacted as though she had slapped him and turned away to stare out the window. He retreated into silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The air grew heavy as the miles flew by and she eventually sighed. \u201cI\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat was a low blow, Willie. It\u2019s been over ten years now. How many times have I apologized? What is it going to take for you to forgive me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She glanced over with sad eyes. \u201cI forgave you a long time ago. Right now, I\u2019m scared, and I\u2019m not exactly myself.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He started to say something, then obviously thought better of it. After a brief pause, he said gently, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you call in that New York firm? At least the one without the baby may be able to help.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She spotted a sign that proclaimed \u201cScenic Viewing Area\u201d and pulled off the road onto the graveled wayside. The mountains that surrounded the road were shrouded in the haze that had inspired the Great Smoky Mountains moniker. She usually found it beautiful. This time, it just felt suffocating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She turned the car off and rested her head against the steering wheel. \u201cI can\u2019t call them. Not on this one. They\u2019ve done great, David. Better than I expected when I first started working with them. I intended to only use them for the human side of my cases, like I do with other firms, but at this point, I suspect I\u2019ll eventually be able to just refer entire cases to them. But they\u2019re not ready for this. I\u2019M not ready for this, but I have to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy does it have to be you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWho else is there?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou know that there aren\u2019t exactly a ton of supernatural researchers out there, at least, not honest ones.\u201d She looked soberly at him. \u201cWhat if we had looked into this when we were first asked? Or what if I had followed through and done it on my own? This girl would probably still be alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou can\u2019t know that for sure. This was never meant to be your responsibility. But for what it\u2019s worth, at least I\u2019ll be with you. I\u2019ll help you if I can. I won\u2019t let you down again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled sadly. \u201cI know, David. And I don\u2019t tell you enough how much I appreciate you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He smiled his first true smile since the specter of Pergamos had again intruded into their existence. Slightly cheered by the now rare sight of the smile she had once swooned over, she started the car and drove on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was late afternoon when they reached the small town that was their destination. Roadwork just a few miles from the city limits had slowed them down, and Wilhelmina decided her gas gauge was uncomfortably low. She pulled into a convenience store that stood just past the faded \u201cWelcome to Pergamos\u201d sign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She eyed the aged gasoline pumps with distrust, but she had no real choice. The brightly lit modern chain gas stations that she preferred had been few and far between on this last leg of their trip, and she knew she did not have enough gas to get to Asheville and their hotel room for the night if she didn\u2019t fill up while she had the chance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After pumping her gas, she went inside and detoured to the restroom, happy to find it working and reasonably clean. She then chose a glass bottle of Cheerwine from the cooler before making her way to the counter. \u201cThis, and $20 in gas outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The creaky old man standing behind a vintage cash register looked at her curiously as he rang up her purchases. \u201cDon\u2019t think we\u2019ve met before. Just passing through?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was the kind of question she despised in rural areas. Almost any information at all was bound to violate client confidentiality, and her clients usually preferred to keep quiet about her involvement in their situations. This particular case was already too public and it was even more vital to her to remain silent and let her client choose on his own terms whether or not he wished it known. Instead of answering, she forced a smile as she reached into her wallet to pay for the soft drink and gas. The \u201cNo credit cards. No out-of-town checks\u201d sign behind the register made her grateful she had long ago learned to cover enough cash for daily expenses on her trips. \u201cAny chance you have an opener for this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRight in front of ya,\u201d he grinned. He motioned over the counter to the cast iron antique mounted on the wooden cabinet right beside a faded poster advertising Black Jack chewing gum. \u201cOlder than I am, but still works just fine. Just like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her smile became slightly more real as she opened her cola and took a sip before taking the change he handed to her. \u201cThanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBe careful out there,\u201d he told her. \u201cAnd whatever you do, stay off the mountains. It\u2019s mighty pretty up there, but they\u2019re not all safe. The views aren\u2019t worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll keep that in mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She silently agreed with him as she got back into her car and started it back up. The views really weren\u2019t worth it. It was just too bad she didn\u2019t have a choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood job sidestepping his questions,\u201d David told her, settling back into his seat while she took a few sips of her drink.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve had enough practice,\u201d she muttered. \u201cAt least I found Cheerwine. Thankfully his stock was recent even if his decor was fifty years out of date. It\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve found any.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He smirked. \u201cToo bad it doesn\u2019t actually cheer you up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOr that it\u2019s not actual wine,\u201d she retorted. It was a long-standing routine between the two of them that usually gave her comfort, but this time she felt an inexplicable sense of loss that did nothing to improve her mood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had yet to shake the feeling of foreboding when she parked in the lot in front of the sheriff\u2019s office just a few minutes later. She turned the car off and rummaged through her purse for a tissue to wipe away the tears she couldn\u2019t quite manage to hold back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n David looked at her sadly. \u201cGo in and tell them you\u2019ve changed your mind. Please!\u201d The words formed a command, but his voice was more of a plea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She took a deep breath. \u201cI can\u2019t. I wish I could, but I can\u2019t. You know why.\u201d She got out of the car and walked into the sheriff\u2019s office without a backwards glance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main entrance led directly into the office that took up the majority of the small brick building. Two closed doors bore signs signifying restrooms, and an open door led into a break room that she could see contained a refrigerator, microwave, and a half-full coffee pot that wafted its aroma through the building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Beige metal filing cabinets and wooden bookshelves lined the entirety of one wall. Two desks that matched the filing cabinets were situated in each corner of the opposite wall. Translucent red iMacs on each desk were one of the few hints of color and looked jarringly out of place in the drab office that looked like it had last been decorated only a few years after the gas station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The man sitting behind the desk farthest from the door appeared to be in his early forties and much younger than the scene that surrounded him. He wore the khaki button up shirt and darker brown pants that comprised the sheriff\u2019s uniform. An older man wearing a green polo with black pants sat behind the other desk, although somewhat pushed back from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMs. James?\u201d the sheriff greeted her. At her nod, he continued, \u201cI\u2019m Jack Simmons. We spoke on the phone. This is Tony Autry, mayor of Pergamos for the last five years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mayor Autry nodded. \u201cOn behalf of all of us, thank you for coming.\u201d He rolled the desk chair he had been sitting in around to the front of the desk, gesturing for her to take it. He then moved a few papers out of the way and perched on the edge of the desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not often I get called in by law enforcement or public officials,\u201d she admitted, taking the proffered chair. \u201cYou mentioned a missing teenager in your call. I know some departments have unofficially called in psychics to help find missing people, but I\u2019m a paranormal investigator, not a psychic. I\u2019m sorry, but I don\u2019t have visions or an ability to just magically tell you where they are.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s not what we need,\u201d Sheriff Simmons explained. \u201cI\u2019ll start from the beginning, but can I get you anything first? Coffee or a coke?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The majority of her Cheerwine was growing warm in her car and it was too warm in the office for coffee to be appealing. \u201cA coke sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stood. \u201cWhat kind? Coke, Mountain Dew, Dr. Pepper?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled despite herself. \u201cCoke is fine. Thanks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll take a Dr. Pepper,\u201d the mayor added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He was soon back and passed out the requested soft drinks before going to refill his coffee mug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mayor Autry grinned. \u201cSmart to pass on the coffee. Last time I was that desperate, it could have walked out of here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff shrugged. \u201cWhat can I say? It keeps me going.\u201d He sat down, then took a long drink from his mug. \u201cSo. I said I\u2019d start at the beginning, but I don\u2019t even know what the beginning is. Although I will say we do know exactly what it is that you do, or at least, we have an idea. My wife ran across your book a few years ago, and well, that\u2019s what we need right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDoes anyone else know you\u2019ve called me in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s public knowledge that we\u2019ve called in an outside investigator. That\u2019s not going to be a secret. However, only a few know exactly what you investigate.\u201d He took a deep breath. \u201cI\u2019m going to be totally honest here. We have a town and county to worry about, and while we want this resolved, there may very well be an \u2018official\u2019 story that doesn\u2019t quite cover everything. The last thing we want is for a scandal or sensationalist story to hit the media. With that said, though, you can use your discretion when it comes to our local people. Honestly, there\u2019s no way around it. The minute anyone sees your car, it will be all over town that you\u2019re here. Gossip is a fact of life in a community this small.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDespite the rampant gossip, or maybe because of it, we\u2019re a close-knit town. Most of us have been here for generations. Kids go off to college. Some come back, some don\u2019t. Some who do return bring spouses they met at college with them, but it\u2019s rare for someone with no connection to the community to move in. We\u2019re barely even on the map, but that\u2019s changing. We\u2019re not all happy about it, and that\u2019s why it\u2019s important that we avoid a scandal. Something like what I could see happening would destroy this town and the way of life we have here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt any rate, one of our older residents died a couple of years ago. All of his kids had moved away, and they wound up selling his property. Took a while, but they finally found a buyer. The Taylors moved in about a year ago. The husband honestly isn\u2019t around that much. Commutes into Asheville every day. His wife is a homemaker, and they have two teenagers at the local school. Their son, Ryan, is a senior, and their daughter, Megan, is a sophomore, just like my own daughter. They became good friends, so I feel like I got to know her pretty well. Two weeks ago, she vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina\u2019s stomach clenched and she set down the soft drink can. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mayor sighed. \u201cI\u2019m sure you saw the mountain when you came into town. If you stopped anywhere, you were probably warned to stay off of it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded. \u201cI stopped for gas on the way in. The proprietor did warn me to avoid it, but didn\u2019t really say why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s something evil up there,\u201d he explained. \u201cWe don\u2019t know what it is, but it\u2019s there. And as far as we can tell, someone, or something, convinced Megan to go up on that mountain. Whatever it is that\u2019s up there got her. Sadly, she\u2019s not the first, but we\u2019re really praying she\u2019ll be the last.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons set his cup down with a thud. \u201cShe\u2019s already not the last, Tony. You know that as well as I do that. Ray didn\u2019t just suddenly leave town, no matter how much Vicky insists he did. You know as well as I do that he went up there looking for her and never came back down. This town is just about torn apart right now, Ms. James, and it\u2019s getting ugly. Her parents don\u2019t believe there\u2019s anything supernatural up there, but those of us who were raised here know there is. Like Tony said, she\u2019s not the first one.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBack up,\u201d she requested. \u201cWho is Ray?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRay Carroll. My deputy. He\u2019s also my nephew. He knew<\/em> better than to go up there looking for her! I don\u2019t even know what to do anymore. We\u2019re all devastated. My sister is inconsolable. My daughter lost both her cousin and her close friend, and I know it just as easily have been Amy. I\u2019d like to think she knows better than to go up there, but so did Ray. And now there are rumors that Megan was lured up there, although no one seems to have any idea why. Some of them accuse her boyfriend, but he denies everything and claims he didn\u2019t even know she was going up there. He certainly wasn\u2019t on the mountain the day she disappeared. He and Amy both stayed after school for band practice, and his dad and I talked for a few minutes when we were waiting to pick them up. We got the call that she was missing right after Amy and I got home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are two separate issues here,\u201d Mayor Autry said. \u201cAside from a few crackpots trying to cause trouble, no one seriously thinks Jason Brown killed her. But did someone lure her up there? I mean, it\u2019s possible we have a serial killer using the mountain as a cover, but this has been going on for longer than I\u2019ve been alive. If you believe the oldest stories, it\u2019s been at least a couple of hundred years. If we truly believed it was a human doing this, we would have called in the experts. State SWAT or maybe even the feds. We know <\/em>that\u2019s not what you do. The big picture is that we want these disappearances to stop, and we believe that you\u2019re the one who can make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you believe is doing it? Are there any credible rumors? Stories? Any folklore?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He shrugged helplessly. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been taught from birth up to avoid it. When I was a kid, there was an overgrown path that led up to a house that burned before I was born. You could see the chimney where the house used to be, but even that eventually fell and the remnants of the path have disappeared. If that was the source, I\u2019d have expected the disappearances to end once the house was gone.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n He took a long drink of his Dr. Pepper, then continued. \u201cThere\u2019s also a creek that runs most of the way up the mountain. You can see that from the overlook on another mountain near here. You can also see the cave partway up that plays a part in most of the rumors. And trust me – there are all sorts of rumors, and they\u2019re not all consistent. Some say there were two families who once lived up on the mountain and killed each other in a feud, like the Hatfields and McCoys. Those claim the ghosts ensnare anyone who dares approach into their eternal vendetta. Others say that moonshiners hid in the cave during Prohibition and died while trying to kill the revenue agents who discovered them. Now they kill everyone who gets close because they think they\u2019re the revenuers catching up with them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your own theory?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it\u2019s more serious than that,\u201d he admitted. \u201cIf it really was moonshiners, or even an old feud, our oldest residents would remember it, and the oldest stories go back way before Prohibition. I remember my great grandmother telling me to stay away from it. I can\u2019t tell you much more, but it\u2019s something evil. I have no doubt of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe cave,\u201d Sheriff Simmons said quietly. \u201cMy grandmother believed there was something evil in that cave and that it has the throne of Satan himself. Some of the old-timers say he will claim it when he\u2019s loosed on earth after the millennial reign. Others say he already has.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHas anyone ever seen it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNot in my lifetime. At least, no one who has lived to tell the tale. But one thing I know. Whether it\u2019s the devil himself there or one of his minions, there\u2019s something evil on that mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She was unable to repress the shudder that ran through her at his pronouncement, and she closed her eyes for a moment. \u201cIs there anything else I need to know? I\u2019m assuming there\u2019s a way to get up to the cave?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff sighed. \u201cThe woods aren\u2019t that dense on the mountain, and you can still see the path that Ray took. From the valley, it seems to run parallel to the creek, which has mostly rocks on one of its banks. The cave appears to be only a few yards from the creek. Other than that, I can\u2019t think of anything else. Day or night doesn\u2019t seem to matter. Megan was last seen late afternoon, and Ray disappeared the next morning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d honestly suggest getting a good meal and a good night\u2019s sleep before heading up there,\u201d Mayor Autry added. \u201cOf course, that\u2019s up to you. Just let us know what you need from us at this point. Do you have a place to stay tonight? If not, we don\u2019t have any hotels in town, but my wife and I would certainly be willing to have you stay in our guest room.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She managed a smile. \u201cThanks, but I have reservations for a room in Asheville.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded. \u201cIf you manage to get this resolved, we just may be able to have an actual hotel here someday. I hate to admit it, but we don\u2019t exactly encourage tourism with that mountain looming over us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff handed her a business card on which he had scrawled his personal telephone numbers. \u201cI keep my cell phone on me at all times, but just in case, here\u2019s my home number as well. Call me if you need anything at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll call if I can think of anything,\u201d she assured him. \u201cI\u2019ll at least touch base at some point tomorrow. As it is, I\u2019ll plan to head up at some point early to mid-morning. You also have my cell phone if anything comes up here that I need to know about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a little more conversation, she left the sheriff\u2019s office intending to head straight to the hotel. She wanted room service and a quiet evening to talk the case over with David now that they had more specifics. Instead, he was fuming as they got back into the car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou do realize that as far as they\u2019re concerned, they\u2019re basically sending you to your death? And you\u2019re going like a lamb to your slaughter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She didn\u2019t answer. On a hunch, she drove towards the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAsheville is the opposite direction,\u201d he reminded her after a moment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know.\u201d A sob wrenched from her throat. \u201cThis is what I do, David! Two people are likely dead, and who knows how many more. You heard them in there. They might not have said it, but they\u2019re scared, and they\u2019re not prepared for this. We both know I\u2019m not, either, but at least I do have a chance. It\u2019s more than they have. How many more people will die if I don\u2019t do this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She pulled off onto the shoulder of the road across from the looming mountain, thankful for the metal guardrail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLike it or not, I have no choice. YOU set me on this path. YOU knew the book I was working on was going to be submitted under an alias. YOU stole the manuscript. YOU edited it and submitted it under my real name. If you hadn\u2019t, I\u2019d still be researching for the Institute. Instead, I\u2019ve built up a business helping ghosts resolve whatever issues they have that are binding them here so that they can move on. I\u2019ve just been lucky that so far they\u2019ve all been about as dangerous to me as Casper. We both knew that wouldn\u2019t last.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI wanted it to,\u201d he whispered. \u201cYou have no idea how sorry I am, Willie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know,\u201d she said, her voice surprisingly gentle despite her tumultuous emotions. \u201cI\u2019m sorry, too. It\u2019s been ten years now, and I really thought I was past all of it, but I\u2019ve brought it up more today than I have in years. I\u2019m not trying to rub salt in the wound, but every time you try to talk me out of it, you\u2019re only making this case harder.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, and I\u2019m sorry. I\u2019m scared, too,\u201d he admitted softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before she could do more than give him a sympathetic look, a red pickup truck pulled in behind her. She groaned as she watched in her rearview mirror as the driver got out and approached her car.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you alright, ma\u2019am?\u201d the driver asked as she rolled down her window. He was tall and thin, wearing jeans and a plain blue t-shirt, with a baseball cap advertising a local construction firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina nodded. \u201cThanks, but I\u2019m okay. Just stopped to take in the view.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave to say there are better, and safer, views around town that this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis does seem to be a lovely town,\u201d she managed to say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He hesitated briefly, and she expected him to walk back towards his truck. Instead, after a nervous glance over his shoulder at the mountain, he said, \u201cI saw your out-of-state plate. This may sound crazy, but any chance you\u2019re the outside investigator Sheriff Simmons called in?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am. I didn\u2019t realize it was common knowledge.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He smiled sadly. \u201cIt\u2019s not. It\u2019s just personal for me, Ms….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJames. Wilhelmina James. What can you tell me about this? To be honest, the more I can find out, the better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTell you what. This really isn\u2019t the safest place to park. Not much traffic, but what there is tends to fly by since people want to get away as fast as they can. There\u2019s a pull-off about a quarter of a mile further on. At least we\u2019d be off the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded. \u201cYou go ahead and I\u2019ll follow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou don\u2019t know him from Adam!\u201d David exploded once the man had walked away. \u201cWhat if he\u2019s dangerous? What if he\u2019s connected to whatever\u2019s up there? He\u2019s already said it\u2019s personal!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need information,\u201d she told him. \u201cI have my cell phone, and I thought I had you.\u201d She looked at him sadly. \u201cDon\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His anger deflated. \u201cYes, you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pull-off turned out to be at the base of an adjacent mountain and had a picnic table with benches so that they were able to sit down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo you know who I am,\u201d Wilhelmina said to the driver. \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He pulled a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. \u201cJoe Brown. My son was dating Megan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She swallowed as she looked at the card. \u201cYou\u2019re a pastor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know I don\u2019t exactly look like it today, but yes. It\u2019s a small church, and we barely keep the lights on, so I work for my brother\u2019s construction firm, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded, glad she had permission to use her discretion with what she revealed. Given his position, she would have felt like she was deceiving him by omitting her own profession in order to gain his help. \u201cReverend Brown, did Sheriff Simmons tell you just what it is that I do?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He shook his head. \u201cJust that you\u2019re an expert. I assumed some sort of detective. Private investigator, maybe. Am I wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m a paranormal investigator. Some of my clients call me a medium, but I\u2019m not. I typically investigate hauntings and try to help ghosts cross over to the other side. I\u2019m often accused of dabbling in the occult or devil-worship. I don\u2019t, but that doesn\u2019t stop the accusations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His eyes widened, but then he quirked his lips into a wry smile. \u201cI pastor a church that believes in signs-following. That means we speak in tongues and handle snakes. I\u2019m often accused of the same thing, and I suspect by some of the same people. That\u2019s part of the problem right now. Half the town believes Satan lives on that mountain. Probably half of those are convinced Jason dragged her up there and sacrificed her in some pagan ritual. People don\u2019t like what they don\u2019t understand, and they don\u2019t try to understand what they don\u2019t like.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, they don\u2019t,\u201d she agreed with a sigh. \u201cSheriff Simmons called me in to try to determine just what it is that\u2019s up there and to try to get rid of it. Like I said, I usually work with ghosts who need to move on. Some were good people who need resolution. Some weren\u2019t and refuse to move on. This is outside my realm of expertise, but I promised to try. Are you still willing to help me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs much as I can,\u201d he told her. \u201cYou know, King Saul had a woman call Samuel back from the dead and talked to his spirit. He was punished for it, but if God let that happen, I don\u2019t see why He wouldn\u2019t allow some spirits to stay for a time. It doesn\u2019t sound like you actually call them back from Heaven or hell.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, I don\u2019t. None of the ones I\u2019ve encountered have actually crossed over and come back. They also talk to<\/em> me, not through me. It\u2019s why I say I\u2019m not a medium. It may sound like semantics, but I do make a distinction there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you think there are any poor souls stuck up there unable to move on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have no idea,\u201d she admitted. \u201cI just got into town this afternoon, and I\u2019ve only heard the sheriff and the mayor\u2019s accounts. As much as I hope there aren\u2019t, for their sakes, it would really help me if there is one willing to talk to me. In the meantime, what can you tell me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave to say I really hope poor Megan\u2019s not stuck there. She was a sweet girl, and even though they were still way too young, I could have seen her being my daughter-in-law further on down the road. She didn\u2019t have our background, of course, but once they started dating, she came to church with him pretty regularly. Everyone who knew her loved her.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAny idea why she would have come up here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNone at all. I just know it wasn\u2019t Jason. He\u2019s always been just as scared of that mountain as everyone else.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hate to ask this, but is it possible that they might have gone up to be alone?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo.\u201d He sighed. \u201cI know I\u2019m expected to say that as a parent, but no. I\u2019m not naive enough to believe that they\u2019ve never wanted to be alone together, even if it was just to talk without anyone else listening in. I got the impression that Megan\u2019s brother was rather overprotective of her, and well, Jason has a six-year-old sister who doesn\u2019t understand the concept of privacy. We have an old barn on our property. He has no idea we knew, but Liz, my wife, spotted them heading there one afternoon. She\u2019d peek in on them, and they were always just talking, or maybe holding hands. It was easy to get to, especially since neither of them have a car yet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid anyone check it after she disappeared? Just in case she left clues?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst place we checked. Couldn\u2019t find anything at all. I asked Jack to come take a look, too, just to make sure we didn\u2019t miss anything. He looked over our whole property – barn, garage, everything. I honestly don\u2019t think there\u2019s a single shed or building in this town that hasn\u2019t been checked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy does everyone just assume it was the mountain?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were tracks leading up the morning after she vanished,\u201d he explained. \u201cMore of bent and disturbed underbrush than identifiable tracks, but that combined with no evidence otherwise, well, it\u2019s the only thing that makes sense, even if it doesn\u2019t <\/em>make sense.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what do you think is up there? What do you think happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI really don\u2019t believe it\u2019s the entrance to hell or anything like that. And Scripture says that right now Satan walks the earth as a roaming lion, so I don\u2019t believe he spends more time there than he does anywhere else. I\u2019ve never been in the cave that allegedly has his so-called throne, but enough people here believe it that it most likely has the attention of at least a few evil spirits or demons. Something evil, at any rate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to go up there,\u201d she admitted softly. \u201cBut I have to. If Megan truly is dead, it won\u2019t bring her back, but at least we need to know what it is that\u2019s there. Evil spirits and demons are so far out of my realm of expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked at her sadly. \u201cYou have no idea how much it bothers me that we\u2019ve let this fester this long. Casting out demons IS supposed to be within my realm of expertise. We\u2019ve given in to fear, and we shouldn\u2019t have. When are you planning to go up there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTomorrow morning,\u201d she said after a moment\u2019s hesitation. \u201cI\u2019ve driven most of today, and I want to at least try to sleep for a few hours before heading up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTell you what. My wife and I will be here at nine in the morning. I don\u2019t want to interfere or be in your way, but we\u2019ll at least be close by if you need or want reinforcements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His unexpected support surprised her, and she nodded. \u201cYou know, I\u2019d really appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n When she returned to the car a few minutes later, David was uncharacteristically silent, and he remained so during the drive to Asheville. Wilhelmina tried to set it out of her mind as she checked in and they found their room. She spent a few minutes settling in and ordering room service, then flopped back on the bed as she waited for it to arrive. Without meaning to, she dozed off, only to be woken by the knock on the door some minutes later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The continuing silence, though, unnerved her as she ate, and she was almost relieved as she set the tray in the hallway. After she closed the door, she looked at him sadly and sat down on the edge of the bed facing where he sat in the chair by the window. \u201cNo matter how upset you\u2019ve been, you\u2019ve never given me the silent treatment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His shook his head sadly. \u201cI wasn\u2019t trying to. It\u2019s just we\u2019ve been at each other\u2019s throats all day. You were exhausted, and I wanted to let you at least have a peaceful meal.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt has been a long day,\u201d she admitted. \u201cThe last two days feel like they\u2019ve lasted a month.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just this case,\u201d he said gently. \u201cI don\u2019t really know how to say this, and I\u2019ve tried to hide it, but I\u2019m tired, Willie. I don\u2019t know how much longer I can keep fighting it. I\u2019m not even sure I should.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d she asked, her heart sinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve had ten years with you. A decade that I wasn\u2019t supposed to have. I\u2019ve been steadily growing weaker over the last few months, and I\u2019m scared. I haven\u2019t been this scared since the day that blasted aneurysm ruptured.\u201d He averted his gaze from the tears that were starting to stream down her cheeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe never defined our relationship, Willie, but I had just decided it was time to man up and make a commitment to you when the doctors found it. They talked about surgery, but my dad died from a ruptured aneurysm, and I knew it was basically a death sentence. I couldn\u2019t ask you to tie yourself to me at that point, but I loved you and wanted to make sure you were taken care of since I wouldn\u2019t be around to do it. That\u2019s why I took your manuscript. I knew you\u2019d never publish it on your own and the Institute was holding you back from fulfilling your potential. You have a real gift for this, and they were squelching it. I\u2019ve never figured out if I did the right thing or not. It should have been your decision, and I am sorry I took that from you. My intentions were good, but right now I\u2019m petrified about what they say is paved with good intentions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDavid, the thing is I know<\/em> your intentions were good. I meant it when I said I forgave you long ago.\u201d She grabbed a tissue from the box on the dresser and wiped her eyes. \u201cThey told me about the aneurysm at the hospital. I\u2019ve always worried that I caused it to rupture when I threw you out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He shook his head. \u201cNo. It was inevitable, Willie, and I knew it. I just wish I had had more time to sort things out with you before it happened. I was honestly surprised you even bothered to come to the hospital.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI was beyond angry and betrayed, but I still loved you. There was no way I could stay away.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt might have been better for you if you had. You\u2019d have been free a long time ago.” He hesitated, then added, “Promise me something? Once I\u2019m gone, you\u2019ll be able to truly move on. Promise me that you will. Don’t waste any more time mourning me. Live, Willie. Enjoy life. Find your joy again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll try,\u201d she whispered tearfully. \u201cAssuming I survive tomorrow, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He sounded so certain of himself and she was surprised by his sudden change of heart. Then she saw the haunted look of resignation in his eyes and understood his unspoken message: \u201cI won\u2019t.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, David. Don\u2019t sacrifice yourself for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He looked startled, but he shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t explain it, but somehow, I feel like I have a part to play in whatever happens up there. There\u2019s also a good chance it\u2019s going to take all my remaining strength. I hope not, but if it does, and I know that you\u2019re safe, it will be worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tears streamed down her face. \u201cI hope it doesn\u2019t come to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He moved to sit beside her on the bed. Hands she couldn\u2019t feel stroked her hair. <\/p>\n\n\n\n “You know what I want you to do once this is all over? Go to New York. Go hug that baby and find a way to focus on life, <\/em>not death. But for now, tell me about her. Do you think she\u2019s as cute in person as in the pictures you showed me?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou\u2019re trying to distract me,\u201d she sniffled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. But I also just want to talk. One thing I always loved was our long conversations about everything and nothing. I know you need to get to sleep soon, but until then, let\u2019s talk.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They talked until Wilhelmina fell asleep, once again in one accord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By the time they made it back to Pergamos the next morning, the small pull-off parking lot near the base of the mountain was almost full, and she was actually grateful to find that they had left a spot open for her. In addition to the pastor, who had brought his wife and half a dozen of his congregation, the mayor and sheriff were also there, standing among a small, somber crowd of residents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A young man walked up to her as she stepped out of her car and quietly introduced himself as Jason Brown. \u201cWhatever happens up there, thank you,\u201d he said. \u201cThank you for trying.\u201d His voice broke as he added, \u201cWe\u2019ll be right here praying for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She thanked him and the other well-wishers that followed, then turned to Sheriff Simmons. \u201cI should get started.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have your phone?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI do, and I\u2019ll try to check in periodically. Manifestations have been known to interfere with cell coverage and GPS data, so don\u2019t panic if you can\u2019t get in touch with me. I have no idea just what I\u2019ll find or how long I\u2019ll be. It could be an hour or it could be all day. I do have food and water to last through tomorrow if I need it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll make sure someone stays here until you\u2019re back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGive me twenty-four hours,\u201d she said softly. \u201cIf I\u2019m not back within twenty-four hours, go home. Don\u2019t come looking for me. You\u2019ve lost too many already. Don\u2019t lose anyone else on my account.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded reluctantly. \u201cWe\u2019ll pray it doesn\u2019t come to that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what exactly is the best way to get to this cave?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe creek bank is probably the easiest way. I can drive you around to where it starts at the base of the mountain. People tend to speed around this mountain, so your car is probably safer here in the lot than parked on the side of the road.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her eyes flickered to David, who nodded. She replied, \u201cJust let me get my things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She took a large black backpack and a cedar hiking stick from her trunk, and the sheriff grinned as they got in his pickup. \u201cNot quite the elaborate candelabra and crystal ball I would have expected before we talked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMore like bug repellent, a compass, and food and water. I try to find out as much about a case as I can ahead of time so I can be prepared.\u201d She sighed as she looked down at the hardhat she had attached to the backpack via a bungee cord and the long sleeved t-shirt, heavy jeans, and hiking boots that were so different from the standard black outfits she typically wore while working. \u201cDidn\u2019t think I\u2019d need my candelabra on this trip.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome of my clients want traditional seances. I may not be a medium in the traditional sense, but sometimes the appearance helps. I had one client a couple of years ago ask for a seance, because it was what she was used to thinking about in terms of contacting ghosts. It turned out the manifestation was a young girl who died in a house fire. The lit candles actually frightened her into appearing to us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He shuddered. \u201cWhat happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe was able to cross over to the other side and hopefully find rest and peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you ever seen what\u2019s on the other side?\u201d he asked softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. I know it\u2019s cliche to talk about seeing a bright light, but I\u2019ve heard so many mention it that I often tell them to go towards it. Sometimes they hear loved ones calling to them. But I\u2019ve never seen that light or heard voices from the other side. It\u2019s like they\u2019re caught between two realms of existence and interacting with both, but I only see and hear ours. I wish sometimes that I did know just what they face once they cross over, but I don\u2019t. Pretty sure I can say that death isn\u2019t the end, though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just pray that Ray and Megan have found peace. It\u2019s bad enough knowing Ray is most likely gone, but thinking his soul may be trapped like some of the rumors say…. I don\u2019t even have words to describe it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019s any consolation, I\u2019ve never seen any spirit trapped on this plane by another,\u201d she offered. \u201cIt\u2019s usually some unfinished business of their own, and they\u2019ve all been able to cross over when they\u2019re ready. I will be extremely surprised if this one is somehow managing that, no matter how powerful it may be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou have no idea what a huge relief that would be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n It felt like only seconds before he came to a stop at the bottom of the mountain. She took her things and reassured him that she would let him know when she came back down. Once they were alone, David followed her to the bank of the creek. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo matter what happens up there, I\u2019m thankful for the time we\u2019ve had together,” she told him. “I just wish I did have those answers he was asking for. I’m not ready for you to go, but I want to know that you\u2019ll be okay when you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI spent a long time thinking last night, Willie, after you finally went to sleep. Thinking, and praying, I suppose. I was given a second chance not many people get. I had more time with you, and I got to try to make things right between us. I\u2019m content with that, and I\u2019m ready to face whatever awaits me.\u201d He looked up the mountain and shuddered. \u201cI know this, too. If this is it. If I don\u2019t come down off this mountain. I\u2019m taking whatever is up there with me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you feel it?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI feel something malevolent. Something evil. I still don\u2019t want you up there, but at least I\u2019ll be with you as long as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She took a step onto the mountain, then another. She kept forcing herself forward, fighting a heaviness that seemed to come from the atmosphere itself. After a few minutes, she whispered, \u201cWhoever said the first step is the hardest was wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n David nodded. \u201cFor me, too, but you can do this. One step at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeep watching your surroundings,\u201d he reminded her some time later as she focused on watching the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to,\u201d she sighed. \u201cEven with this hiking stick, it\u2019s hard enough just watching where I put my feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know, Willie,\u201d he said soothingly. \u201cI\u2019m trying to watch as best I can, too, but we both need to be on high alert. We don\u2019t even know for sure that the missing people made it to the cave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ten minutes later, they heard dead leaves rustling behind them, and Wilhelmina turned to see a large diamond-shaped head emerge from a fallen tree trunk they had just passed. The rest of the brown and black snake soon followed, and she was horrified to see the rattles on the end of the black tail. She held her breath as it started slithering up the path towards them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKeep going,\u201d David reminded her. \u201cHe\u2019s more scared of you than you are of him. Rattlers don\u2019t attack unless they\u2019re provoked.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The terrain was too treacherous to run, but she moved as quickly as she could away from the snake. She eventually reached a relatively thinned out area and walked a few feet into the woods, hoping it would stay close to the creek bank. Instead, it followed behind her, and she lost valuable time as it closed the distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its rattles began to shake in a rhythmic pattern and she was horrified to see another snake join the first, then another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGet back on the bank!\u201d David called out to her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She used her hiking stick to help steady herself – and her nerves – as she sidled back to the bank. The snakes slithered along behind her, actually dropping back a few feet. As she kept going, she found that as long as she continued to move towards the cave, they matched her speed, but if she veered to either side, they quickly closed the distance and rattled until she got back on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Horrified, she gasped, \u201cThey\u2019re herding me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded slowly. \u201cIt looks like they\u2019re guiding us to the cave. Can we go in prepared? I don\u2019t think they\u2019ll let us stop to get your flashlight.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI… I\u2019ll try.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She didn\u2019t dare set down her walking pole, afraid that she wouldn\u2019t be able to pick it back up without one of the snakes striking out. It took some maneuvering and time, but she managed to get the backpack around to her front and detached the hat to which she had previously affixed a caving headlamp. By this time the cave was in sight, so she flipped the switch to turn it on before plopping it on her head and returning the backpack to its normal position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her initial plans had included taking a moment to just breathe before heading into the cave. A moment to relax and mentally prepare for crossing the threshold. Instead, pursued by the snakes, she didn\u2019t even break stride as she walked into the cave. The snakes, however, did stop by the door, their rattles sounding an eerie chorus as they barred her escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As she looked around, she realized that instead of the huge room she had expected, she was in an arched passageway that led further into the cave and she had no choice but to go forward. The passage sloped slightly downward and curved to the right, then to the left, and it was soon impossible for her to remember just how far they had gone or how long they had been walking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eventually the passage opened into the cavernous room she had expected to see earlier. However, nothing had prepared her for the actual sight of it, and she felt her stomach lurch. It wasn\u2019t just a cave. It was a tomb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The bodies of those who had vanished without a trace were scattered around the room. Untouched by decomposition, they still wore the clothes in which they had climbed the mountain. Among them, a young woman clad in bell-bottoms and a tank top lay near the entrance, while a man a few feet away wore a butternut Confederate uniform. An old man wore a tattered button-up shirt with overalls. No matter the era of their clothing, their faces were contorted with pain and fear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Stalactites of various lengths dotted the ceiling and she had to duck as she carefully maneuvered through the maze of corpses to the far side of the room where a massive throne was carved from the flowstone that lined the wall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the throne, however, rocks had been piled around stalagmites to form a low table that she realized was meant to be an altar. A young man in a police uniform was stretched out on top of it. The crumpled form of a teenaged girl in blue jeans and a hoodie lay nearby. \u201cWe found them,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGrab his gun,\u201d David advised in a whisper. \u201cIs it loaded?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She cringed at the thought of taking anything from a dead body, but set her stick on the ground and carefully slid the gun out of the holster on his waist and followed his instructions as he told her how to see if it was loaded or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood. That may help you get past those snakes. They\u2019re not bullet-proof.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She wasn\u2019t as convinced of that as he was, but she nodded. \u201cI think I should look around a little more. See if I can find any clue as to why or how. Then if I can get outside to at least text the sheriff what\u2019s here. He needs…,\u201d she swallowed hard. \u201cHe needs to at least know about this. Then I can come back and try to make contact.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf Megan has a cell phone or camera on her, that might help,\u201d he pointed out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She slipped the gun into her pocket and hesitantly turned Megan over to see a bulge in her hoodie pocket. She carefully lifted the fabric enough to see a flip phone and a small camera that she retrieved and tucked into her backpack. \u201cThanks. That was a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A dark shape appeared in front of the throne that now shimmered faintly red. Wilhelmina\u2019s light went out, and the shape began to emit a faint light of its own as it coalesced into a woman\u2019s figure. A flowing black cloak concealed everything but her hands and the pale white face that stood out starkly from the thick waves of dark red hair that fell unrestrained to her knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Water began to drip from the stalactites around the cave, and Wilhelmina heard the echo the drops made on her hardhat. The stalactites then began to glow with the same light as the throne, and she screamed as she realized it wasn\u2019t water. Blood red drops coursed down the sharp spikes before falling to the ground.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSoon the blood will be yours,\u201d the specter whispered. \u201cMy little pets will make this as painful as possible….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her heart in her throat, she couldn\u2019t make herself move as she saw the snakes that now curled around the woman\u2019s feet. The woman lifted her hands and pointed at Ray\u2019s body, which began to raise into the air and away from the altar, eventually landing near the throne. \u201cTouch one hair on her head, and I will send you straight to hell,\u201d David hissed. \u201cWho are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Inky black eyes full of malice turned towards him. \u201cI am the Priestess. The one who will bring his coming. You have no power over me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI bring light to your darkness. You will kill no more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman pointed at her again and Wilhelmina screamed soundlessly. She struggled in vain to fight against the power that flew her through the cave and laid her on the altar that had so recently held Ray\u2019s corpse. The snakes began to slither towards her, and tears streamed down her face. She no longer wondered why the others looked as they did.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The snakes scaled the rocks that made up most of the outside of the altar, but before they could strike, they fell back to the ground, dead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The pale face contorted with rage and raised her hands toward David. She hissed, \u201cYou will repent of that, eternally, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. Never ending will be the anguish that cometh upon you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t you understand? Your worms, your serpents, are dead. Your time here is over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy time here has just begun,\u201d she seethed. \u201cI fled Salem in fear. I was drawn here. I found the throne. I shaped it. I perfected it. I built the altar. I protected it with my life, and now my soul. I have sacrificed many to him! I will never fear nor flee again, and once all is ready, he will come. He will reign forever, and I will be by his side!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe will be bound and cast into outer darkness. This world will not be his. This place is not yours.\u201d David said. He turned to Wilhelmina. \u201cBreak the altar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The woman cackled. \u201cShe cannot move unless I release her. She cannot break it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe has no power over you, Willie. The snakes are gone. Her power is gone.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She found that the force that bound her had indeed been broken and she was now able to move. She quickly scrambled off the altar. The woman screeched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina grabbed her hiking stick and walked back to the altar. Revulsion filled her and she used the stick to break the stalactites holding the stones in place. Soon it was a crumbled heap, except for an iron cauldron that stood in the center of the rubble.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNow the throne, Willie.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou cannot!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe can,\u201d David proclaimed calmly. \u201cShe will.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina advanced to the throne and raised her stick. She had no idea how hard flowstone was or if it was harder than the stalagmites that had so easily crumbled, but she vaguely remembered a long ago Sunday school lesson that said cedar had been used to build Solomon\u2019s temple. She hoped it could somehow destroy this mockery of one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The red glow flickered, and the woman screamed in anguish. With the first hit of the stick on the seat, a long crack formed. The woman\u2019s scream grew louder. With the second, more cracks branched out. With the third, it shattered into pieces. The woman\u2019s scream faded into silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina\u2019s headlamp blinked back on and she realized the woman was gone. The stalactites no longer glowed nor dripped with blood. A stench hit her, and she realized the bodies were no longer preserved. She was now surrounded by badly decomposing corpses and skeletons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDavid, we\u2019ve got to get out of here,\u201d she managed. Her stick fell to the floor forgotten as her hands flew up to cover her nose and mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He shook his head. \u201cI can\u2019t, Willie. That took more strength than I had. I\u2019m pretty sure it wasn\u2019t even all mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou saved me,\u201d she choked out. \u201cYou purged Pergamos.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGood always wins over evil. Remember that, Willie. Keep fighting for the good.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will. Will you be at peace now?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think so. I don\u2019t think I would have been used to do that if I was about to follow her. And even if I do, I\u2019ll know that at least your life was saved. Promise me you won\u2019t let that go to waste. Keep fighting for good, but live. Find your own happiness. Enjoy living.\u201d <\/em>He closed his eyes. \u201cFind someone to love, Willie. Someone who loves you as much as I do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve always loved you, too. Had things been different. Had you lived. I would have married you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI know,\u201d he whispered. \u201cNothing would have made me happier. But since that couldn\u2019t be, find it with someone else. You’ve spent your time mourning for me. Don’t waste any more. Don\u2019t miss out on life because of a memory. I see the light, Willie. I\u2019ve avoided it for ten years, but I have to follow it now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFollow the light,\u201d she managed to say. \u201cFind peace, David. Rest in peace.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He blew her a kiss, then he was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The odor grew stronger, and Wilhelmina turned and hurried back into the tunnel. She didn\u2019t stop until she was once again breathing fresh air, and then only long enough to send a quick text to the sheriff that she was headed back down. She also took time to take the gun out of her pocket. She wasn\u2019t quite comfortable leaving it there, even with the safety on, and while the snakes that had herded them up the mountain were dead, she knew that didn\u2019t mean that there weren\u2019t others still around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She tried desperately to focus on putting one foot in front of another to shut out the thoughts that plagued her mind and the stench that still lingered in her nostrils. The ghost was gone, but she wouldn\u2019t feel truly safe until she was back on level ground. Somehow, she had to hold herself together until then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Adrenaline and fear kept her going until she was within sight of the bottom and she saw Sheriff Simmons and Mayor Autry sitting on the lowered tailgate of the sheriff\u2019s truck. They looked to be deep in conversation, but both men jumped up and ran towards her as soon as they spotted her. She quickly handed the deputy\u2019s gun to the sheriff, and as the realization that she was safe hit her, she sank to the ground and vomited on the mayor\u2019s shoes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He knelt beside her after cleaning his shoes off the best he could on the grass. \u201cAre you all right? I mean, do you need medical attention?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shook her head no. She looked up. \u201cThe mountain should be safe now, but Megan, and Ray….\u201d She silently added David to the list in her thoughts, and tears finally began to fall. \u201cTheir bodies…. The cave is a tomb. There was an altar… I had to break it and the throne, but the phenomenon is gone. I don\u2019t know if all the snakes are gone, but the ones she trained are. I kept the gun in case there were more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The mayor gently put his hand on her shoulder, and the sheriff joined them on the ground. They both sat with her as she cried.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After her sobs settled into soft tears, Sheriff Simmons looked at Mayor Autry. \u201cWe need to get up there. See if we can retrieve them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you need me?\u201d Wilhelmina asked in a small voice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The two men shared a glance, and Sheriff Simmons shook his head. \u201cYou\u2019ve done enough for now. We\u2019ll get the rest of the story from you later, but we need to go to the cave?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded. \u201cThere\u2019s a long tunnel from the entrance to the room where they are. You\u2019ll smell it… you\u2019ll smell it before you get there. I still smell it….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is going to sound old-fashioned and chauvinistic, but I\u2019m worried about you driving to Asheville by yourself right now,\u201d Mayor Autry told her. \u201cWhat would you say to spending the rest of the afternoon with my wife? She\u2019s a sweet lady, I promise. If you really want to get back to your hotel room, would you at least let her follow you there so we know you\u2019re okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She wasn\u2019t entirely sure about being coddled, let alone by someone she had never met, but she also really didn\u2019t want to go back to the empty hotel room where she had spent her last night with David. She fought back more tears as she half-heartedly protested, \u201cI need a shower.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have a shower. My wife even has flowery body wash and shampoo. I think you\u2019re about her size, too, so clothing shouldn\u2019t be an issue.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI always keep a set of spare clothes in my car. Are you sure she won\u2019t mind?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons said, \u201cIt will be fine. Suellen Autry is just about the kindest woman you\u2019ll ever meet, second only to my own wife. She\u2019d mind more if he didn\u2019t offer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you\u2019re sure…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mayor Autry nodded firmly. \u201cI\u2019m sure. I\u2019ll give her a call and drive you back to your car. Do you feel up to driving to our house, or should I have her meet us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need directions, but I can drive,\u201d she assured him. \u201cIs the parking lot still full of people, or did they finally go home?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He winced. \u201cIt was still full when we left to come here after your text. If you don\u2019t want to see them, one of us can go get your car and bring it back here for you. No. Hold on. New plan. I\u2019ll sneak you back to our house, introduce you to my wife, then go reassure the crowd that you\u2019re alive and that they should go home. Either Jack or I will bring your car to you before we head up on the mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI like that plan.\u201d She suddenly remembered the phone and camera she had taken from Megan and took them from her backpack, handing them to the sheriff. \u201cI found these before the manifestation appeared. I wasn\u2019t sure anyone would make it back up there and thought they might be helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThey will definitely help. Thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n While the mayor placed a quick call to his wife to give her a heads up, Wilhelmina gave the sheriff a quick rundown of what had happened on the mountain, carefully omitting any mention of David or the role he had played. For now, that knowledge would remain hers alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was only a few minutes after that that the mayor did drive her to his home and introduce her to Suellen, who kept up a gentle stream of aimless chatter obviously intended to distract her while she waited for the mayor to bring her car. Once he had, and she had retrieved the duffel bag with her spare clothes from the trunk, she was finally able to take a very hot, very cathartic shower. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When she emerged, she found that Suellen had a pot of chicken noodle soup bubbling on the stove. Soup and mindless sitcoms kept her distracted for a while, but she eventually excused herself to her guest room and fell into an uneasy sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It was after midnight when Mayor Autry finally returned home. Wilhelmina, having slept for several hours by that point, woke up at the sound of the front door, but was still too tired to actually move. She lay quietly as she heard Suellen greet him and ask if he wanted supper. He declined, and she soon heard a shower running on the second floor. Before she could fall back to sleep, she heard him come back downstairs, and Suellen asking, \u201cWhat happened up there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt was bad,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cHow\u2019s Ms. James?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s beyond exhausted. I can\u2019t even imagine what she\u2019s been through today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe\u2019s made of sterner stuff than I am.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSo what was up there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAre you sure you want to hear this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d rather know than always wonder,\u201d Suellen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m going to have nightmares about it for a long time. There was only rubble when we got there, but I can too easily picture the throne and the altar that she said were there. She said she had to break them to get rid of the spirit, but had she not, I think Jack would have out of sheer grief and anger once he saw Ray and Megan\u2019s bodies. The temperature in the cave may have helped slow decomposition, but it was still pretty bad, and there were other bodies that go back for who knows how long. Some were nothing more than skeletons. I\u2019m seriously tempted to pray for some kind of calamity to simply seal up the cave and entomb them there, because it\u2019s not going to be pleasant trying to move them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you know just what happened to them? What killed them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere were several large timber rattlers dead in the cave,\u201d he said softly. \u201cMegan\u2019s jeans have puncture marks that look like multiple bites. Hon, I\u2019m really worried. I really don\u2019t believe the Browns have anything to do with it, but it doesn\u2019t look good. Everyone knows they have rattlers in their church, and if anyone else hears about that part, it\u2019s not going to be pretty. You know as well as I do some people in town are wanting to blame them just because of the case in Alabama a few years back. And what do I tell the Taylors? They\u2019re not from around here. Are they going to accept that a ghost or demon killed their daughter?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere are rattlers everywhere around here,\u201d Suellen reminded him softly. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t prove anything. And skeletons there, I\u2019m sure there\u2019s some kind of test that could date them. Remember the disappearances date back way before Joe was even born, let alone Jason.\u201d She sighed. “And yeah, I know they’re bringing up that case. And yeah, I know how many murderers have family and friends who would have never suspected anything. But in this case, I just can’t believe it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina finally got out of bed and pulled on the soft robe that Suellen had lent her, then padded into the living room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d Mayor Autry apologized. \u201cWe didn\u2019t mean to wake you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shook her head. \u201cI think I\u2019ve been asleep all evening. And I didn\u2019t mean to eavesdrop, but if my word means anything, I really don\u2019t think the Browns were involved. Obviously, I have no way to prove it, but she called the snakes her pets, and they were under her control. They basically herded me up the mountain and into that room in the cave where she was. I\u2019m not exactly trained in herpetology, but I don\u2019t think there\u2019s any way someone human trained them to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you feel up to talking about just what did happen up there?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She hesitated, but nodded. \u201cI\u2019m sorry I kind of lost it when I came down. I\u2019ve dealt with quite a few phenomena over the years, but this was the first time I\u2019ve actually found remains. When I first got there, the bodies all seemed perfectly preserved, but I think it was just an illusion to make me think so. They decomposed the second she vanished.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt least it allowed you to take the cell phone and camera. Had you not, I think they would have been ruined.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just hope they help somehow. I\u2019d planned to look around once I got them, then go back outside the cave to text Sheriff Simmons that I\u2019d found Megan and Ray. I wanted him to know since I had no idea if I\u2019d even make it back down. But before I could, the phenomenon appeared.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She repeated the version of the story she had given the sheriff, then finished by adding, \u201cI\u2019m sorry I couldn\u2019t figure out just who she was. She mentioned fleeing Salem, and I\u2019m assuming it was during the witch trials, but I don\u2019t know for certain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got a good chance at finding out,\u201d he told her. \u201cI don\u2019t know if you noticed the iron cauldron in the middle of the rubble. The lid had rusted closed, but once we got it off, we found her diary inside. I was honestly relieved it wasn\u2019t something much worse, since my imagination had gone into overdrive by that point. It\u2019s still holding together and mostly legible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome advice? Have every page photographed as soon as you can,\u201d she suggested. \u201cIt may have been the cauldron protecting it and it will be fine, but since so much else decayed or started to decay once she crossed over, it would be better not to risk it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He nodded. \u201cI\u2019ll see that it\u2019s done as soon as I can. What are your plans at this point? I\u2019d appreciate it if you could talk to Jack in the morning for an official debriefing, but other than that, you\u2019ve succeeded in what we hired you to do. You\u2019re welcome to stay with us until you feel up to traveling. I know I\u2019d need a day or two after what you went through today, but I suspect you\u2019re anxious to put this town in your rear-view mirror.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI really should check out of the hotel in Asheville at some point in the morning and pick up my luggage, but I\u2019ll work that around whatever time he\u2019s available.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf it\u2019s easier for you, we won\u2019t complain about paying for an extra night there,\u201d he assured her. \u201cIt\u2019s a valid expense, and certainly understandable given that we need you here for part of tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded. \u201cThank you. I\u2019ll see how tomorrow morning goes, but that might be a good idea.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They spoke for a few more minutes before she returned to the guest room. This time, sleep was long in coming as she realized she did need to determine her next steps. In some ways, David had been a walking and talking memory, and she knew she needed to take time to process his absence before wading into any of the cases she had pending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She had a standing invitation to visit her college roommate and she would at some point, but not yet. A visit to her parents sounded even less appealing, and she somehow knew she wasn\u2019t ready yet to return home to her own house, the one that she had inherited in David\u2019s will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She remembered his words about going to finally meet Trixie\u2019s baby. A trip to Sleepyside actually sounded promising. It was one of the few places she had never taken David, and it would be easy to pass it off as needing a sudden vacation after a rough case. With tentative plans swirling through her mind, she eventually fell asleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The next morning, she gave a heartfelt thank you to Suellen not long after breakfast and followed the mayor to the sheriff\u2019s office where Sheriff Simmons was waiting for them. He looked like he had yet to sleep, and the large cup of coffee on his desk was likely all that kept him awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you even been home?\u201d Mayor Autry asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLong enough to shower and assure Sharon that I\u2019m alive, but that\u2019s it. Visited the Taylors to let them know we found Megan. They\u2019re going to make arrangements, and then I\u2019ll need to figure out how to get her body to the funeral home. Ray\u2019s, too. I had to tell both the Taylors and Vicky that they really do not want to view the bodies.\u201d He turned green as he stood up and walked away from his desk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina and Mayor Autry looked at each other as they heard him getting sick. She shrugged apologetically. \u201cI\u2019m sorry about your shoes yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou weren\u2019t the only one to get sick up there yesterday. I think I\u2019m going to burn everything I had on when I walked up that mountain.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons eventually rejoined them and continued, \u201cAt any rate, I spent two hours with Vicky after finally leaving the Taylors\u2019 house. Sharon\u2019s with her now and is going to help her with Ray\u2019s funeral arrangements. But after that, I came back here and started working on paperwork, but eventually stopped and read that infernal book. I can\u2019t decide if we should call in someone to restore and preserve it, or if we should have a bonfire with it. It could join Tony\u2019s clothes from yesterday.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s part diary, part spell book, with a genealogy sketched out in the back. Long story short, the writer was named Anne Grey. Her grandmother fled England early in the 1600s after being accused of witchcraft. She settled in Massachusetts and started a new life. Married and had a daughter, who grew up, got married, and moved to Salem, where Anne was born. She eventually married and had a daughter. The daughter was unfortunately born with a veil over her face. The midwife spread it all over town, and the young girl was only three when she was found drowned in a neighbor\u2019s pond. The neighbor\u2019s son died of an illness the following year, and Anne was accused of casting a spell that killed him in revenge for her own daughter\u2019s death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe was terrified, because she really had tried to cast a spell passed down to her from her mother. She hadn\u2019t actually expected it to work, and whether or not it was the spell or just a coincidence, I don\u2019t know. But long story short, she and her husband fled south, as far from the Puritans as they could get. It took several years, but they eventually made their way here and built the house up the mountain. She had been taught that caves were a doorway to hell, so when they found this one and the rough seat-like formation in it, she took it as a sign. She convinced herself that she would perfect it and protect it, once it was good enough, Satan would appear and rule the earth with her as his high priestess and she would have vengeance on all those she felt had wronged her. She honed her spells and somehow came up with one that bound her to the service of the throne.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid the book actually specify the service of the throne?\u201d Wilhelmina asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes. Is that significant?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPossibly. It\u2019s usually something very personal that keeps a spirit on this plane, and I think she may have managed it by binding herself to a physical object. That would explain why she crossed over once I broke it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff nodded. \u201cThe book goes into quite a bit more detail that I\u2019ll spare you, but she eventually took her own life as the first sacrifice on that altar.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cShe had me up there,\u201d Wilhelmina remembered. \u201cI was paralyzed, and she flew me through the air to put me on it. The snakes were just about on me, when somehow I was able to break free. I still don\u2019t know just how I did.\u201d She knew David had played a role, but she still couldn\u2019t explain his sudden influx of power.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll I can say is that the biggest prayer meeting this town has ever seen was happening in that parking lot while you were up there,\u201d Sheriff Simmons told her. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just the Browns and their church, but people from all over town. Whether or not they knew just what you were investigating, they knew you were in danger and were praying for your safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThank you, and if you\u2019re able, thank them for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will. And we thank you. I still have some loose ends with Megan, but you did what we were hoping you could do.\u201d He quirked his lips into a smile that was both sad and tired. \u201cI know we couldn\u2019t possibly match what you probably make on a full-time basis, but we do have an opening on the force if you\u2019re interested.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAt least two openings,\u201d Mayor Autry interjected. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to have more back-ups, Jack. Right now, you\u2019re the only officer in the entire county. I may have to do some fast talking with the city council and the board of commissioners, but we\u2019ll get it done. If nothing else, I\u2019ll sic Mary Jane on them.\u201d He turned to Wilhelmina and explained, \u201cPergamos is a small town and the whole county isn\u2019t much bigger, so we jointly fund the sheriff\u2019s department. Suellen\u2019s sister Mary Jane is married to the head of the county board of commissioners. She\u2019s the one who got the funding for the computers approved last year. Picked them out herself. They may be ugly as sin, but at least they\u2019re a big improvement over the ancient ones they had.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The door opened and a teenage girl walked inside. \u201cDad? Do you have a few minutes?\u201d She glanced around the room and flushed. \u201cSorry. I didn’t realize you had company.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons gave her a small smile. \u201cNot that I\u2019m not always glad to see you, but I thought you were in school. What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNobody\u2019s getting any work done today,\u201d she told him. \u201cAnd even if we were, I couldn\u2019t concentrate. I called Mama and asked her to check me out. I should be with her and Aunt Vicky.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid she drop you off here?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shook her head. \u201cNo. They\u2019re both waiting outside, but it\u2019s all over school that you told Megan\u2019s parents that Jason would be arrested today for killing Megan and Ray. Please tell me that\u2019s not true! There\u2019s no way Jason did it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat? Who said that?\u201d the sheriff asked in disbelief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAshley told me that Jake told her that Ryan told him on AIM last night, and everyone\u2019s saying that if Ryan said it, it has to be true, especially since Jason\u2019s not at school today. Is it true?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons shook his head and motioned her over for a quick hug. \u201cNo, it\u2019s not. Look. We both know that the rumor mill is less reliable than your Aunt Ethel\u2019s hearing, but on the off-chance that this did start with Ryan, can you think of any reason he would have to say that? I mean, obviously his family wants to know why she went up there, but why claim it was Jason?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She shrugged. \u201cHe\u2019s never liked Jason, and Megan told me once that he tried to get their parents to forbid her to see him. She said they just told him that they didn\u2019t have any problems with her dating him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you know why he didn\u2019t want them dating?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s one of the ones who believes the Browns\u2019 church is a cult, but from what Megan said, he thinks all churches are. He even told her that some day, he\u2019d prove it to her. She said she just laughed at him, because seriously, how does one prove either the existence or non-existence of God? Isn\u2019t that the whole concept of faith?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYes, it is, and we\u2019ll talk more about it once I get home tonight. In the meantime, let me know if you hear anything else that I need to know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded, but sighed. \u201cI will, but I probably won\u2019t. I\u2019m think I\u2019m going to stay off AIM today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The door opened before he could respond and Joe Brown walked in, his face clouded with worry. He forced a half-smile as he nodded at the others in the room, but it was fleeting and barely noticeable. \u201cSorry to interrupt, but we have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIs Jason okay?\u201d Amy asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHe\u2019s okay. I asked him to stay with his mama and sisters this morning, but if you want to call him later, I\u2019m sure he could use a friend.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will,\u201d she promised, sighing in relief. \u201cI\u2019ll get out of your way, Dad. Mama\u2019s waiting on me, anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSee you tonight,\u201d Sheriff Simmons nodded. Once she left, he turned to the pastor. \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomeone broke into our garage overnight. Ransacked it, along with the shed where I keep the lawn mower. Busted the lock on my work truck and rummaged through my tools. It looks like they were looking for something, but the only thing I can find missing is my gas can. It had maybe a gallon of gas left in it.\u201d He sighed heavily. \u201cThe stall I walled off was practically destroyed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff\u2019s eyes widened. \u201cWas anything missing from there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo. The glass containers were broken, and their contents were chopped into bits with my own hoe, which was left in the middle of the carnage. That\u2019s the main reason I left Jason to keep an eye on Liz and Abby while I came here. I\u2019d have called, but I didn\u2019t want Abby to overhear. No point in scaring a six-year-old unless I have to, but anyone who could do that….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgreed. I\u2019ll be by there as soon as I can, but I don\u2019t know just how soon it will be. Stay inside once you get home and keep your doors locked. You know we found Megan and Ray yesterday. That was basically public knowledge as soon as we announced that Ms. James made it back down the mountain. I had to tell Megan\u2019s parents last night that regardless of whatever went on up on that mountain, the ultimate cause of death was multiple rattlesnake bites. We found the dead snakes beside the bodies, as well as the puncture wounds on their clothing. I have no idea who the Taylors may have told, but given what happened in your garage, well, I\u2019m hoping and praying that\u2019s all, but until we know for sure, be careful. Let me know if you hear or see anything. No matter what you say in front of the kids, I\u2019ll know any call today means I need to get there immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His already pale face turned even paler. “Jack, you don’t think…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff shook his head. “No, I don’t. I’m afraid that someone else does, though. Once things settle down, we’ll get together and I’ll tell you what I can of what happened up there, but for now, I need you to go make sure your family is okay. I’m serious. Any call from you, and I’ll drop what I’m doing, no matter what it is. You may want to have one of your church members check on the church building, too. I want you to go straight home. I’m worried about Liz and the kids. I’ll try not to be too long.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Thank you,” he said softly, then slipped out of the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina waited until she heard a vehicle door close, then asked, \u201cI may be out of line by asking, but what was in his garage that was destroyed?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomething that I have no idea how to write up in my report,\u201d the sheriff sighed. \u201cWhen he bought that house, Liz was pregnant with Jason. Understandably, neither of them wanted poisonous snakes in their house, especially with a baby on the way. He built a wall to divide garage into two stalls, and they keep their snakes in one. It\u2019s usually locked, but realistically, it\u2019s locked to protect young kids. He was basically saying the tanks were broken and the snakes killed.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t he just come right out and say it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSame reason I can\u2019t really put it in my report without opening a giant can of worms. I have no idea if he has the permits to keep venomous snakes, and I don\u2019t want to know. Technically, snake handling isn\u2019t exactly legal in this state, but it’s a first amendment issue that no one really wants to fight. Quite frankly, we\u2019ve had much bigger issues than a dozen or so people who occasionally let consenting adults hold a snake during a church service.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A loud boom startled them. \u201cWhat was that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo idea,\u201d the sheriff said, darting outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The others followed him, and they could see a small cloud of smoke coming from the mountain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTony? Could you call Liz Brown and let her know I\u2019ll be even later getting there?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll call on the way. I\u2019m coming with you. Wilhelmina? You\u2019re welcome to stay here, but I don\u2019t want to keep you for who knows how long. I suppose you can leave us your bill and we can finish up on the phone if you don\u2019t want to stick around.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Her determination had returned as the initial shock of the day before began to fade, and she looked up the mountain at the quickly dissipating smoke and made up her mind. \u201cI\u2019m coming, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The overpowering fear that had consumed both Wilhelmina and David the day before was gone as she once again began a trek up the mountain. Worry and curiosity over what they would find felt all too human in origin. It was still an arduous hike despite their haste, and she regretted leaving her hiking stick in the cave.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cave was not yet in sight when they began to hear sobs. They picked up their pace, powering through as the stench from deep in the cave reached their nostrils.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A young man sat curled into himself, propped against the cave entrance. He lifted his head at their approach, and it was obvious that his tear-stained face had minor burns. His hair and eyebrows were mostly gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff rushed over and knelt beside him. \u201cRyan! What happened?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n His voice was hoarse and anguished. \u201cI know you said to stay away, but I had to see my sister one last time. I didn\u2019t know Jason had booby-trapped the cave!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina slipped past them into the entrance. The smell of gasoline almost penetrated the smell of decomposition, and shards of a broken glass soda bottle littered the ground around the remnants of an old metal gas can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She rejoined the men and sat down beside the teenager. \u201cWhat really happened in there?\u201d she asked gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ve already told them. My sister\u2019s boyfriend killed her, then rigged the cave to explode. Probably to get rid of any evidence.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m the one who found her,\u201d she told him. \u201cI saw <\/em>the evidence, and I found her phone and camera. They\u2019ve already been removed from here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n A flicker of fear crossed his face, before he said, \u201cGood. They\u2019ll prove he did it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n There was a brief silence, before she asked simply, \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as ghosts!\u201d he snapped, standing to his feet. \u201cThere\u2019s no such thing as a soul, or God, or any of that! Megan was naive and fell for it all. I tried to convince her that it\u2019s all wrong. I tried… we were supposed to meet at the foot of the mountain…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Something in him broke, and he fell to his knees. \u201cI got detention that day, and I was late. There were snakes blocking the trail when I got here. I\u2019d hoped she had seen them and gone home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI almost did,\u201d a voice whispered on the wind. Megan shimmered into view, and she smiled sadly at her brother. \u201cYou meant well, but you were wrong. There was<\/em> evil here. It almost got her, but she got rid of it,\u201d she nodded her head towards Wilhelmina. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t Jason. It was an old witch.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid she keep you here?\u201d Wilhelmina asked, as horror came flooding back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, but she tried.\u201d Megan grinned. \u201cUpset her to no end to see me wandering around the mountain while she was unable to touch me.\u201d The smile faded quickly, though, and she sighed. \u201cI can\u2019t leave the mountain, but I\u2019ve been exploring it. I had hoped and prayed for a chance to say goodbye before I cross over. It\u2019s been hard, especially when I saw Deputy Ray go on. My brother\u2019s an idiot, but at least he gave me this chance. I\u2019m not sure how much longer I could have waited.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMeggie?\u201d Ryan stared in disbelief. \u201cI\u2019m so sorry…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJason didn\u2019t kill me, big bro. He had nothing to do with this. It wasn\u2019t your fault, either. I knew<\/em> better than to come up here, especially without you, but I\u2019m glad you didn\u2019t come. She would have gotten you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tears filled his eyes. \u201cI never should have suggested it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cRemember me, Ryan, but I want you to live and be happy. Someday, tell my nieces and nephews about me. Tell them about all the fun we had growing up, and that I would have loved and spoiled them to pieces. Tell Jason I wish we\u2019d had more time together. Be nice to him. Tell Mama and Daddy I love them, and that I\u2019m okay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will,\u201d he promised. \u201cAre you really okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n She nodded. \u201cI am. I can\u2019t see what\u2019s waiting for me yet, but I can tell it\u2019s going to be beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI love you, little sister,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n She smiled. \u201cI love you, too, big brother,\u201d and she faded from view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDid that just happen?\u201d Sheriff Simmons asked after a long moment of stunned silence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt better have,\u201d Mayor Autry replied. \u201cOr I need to be checked for hallucinations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt happened,\u201d Wilhelmina confirmed. \u201cAnd now we know. No one lured Megan up here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan started. \u201cBut…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sheriff Simmons shook his head. \u201cThe two of you had talked about it, but you didn\u2019t force her up here. Just stop the rumors about Jason. He\u2019s even more innocent in this than you are. Were you the one who vandalized their property this morning, or do you know who did?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He hung his head. \u201cI did. I wish I hadn\u2019t. I was so convinced Jason had somehow trained those snakes or at least had something to do with this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The sheriff sighed. \u201cI can\u2019t promise, but I may <\/em>be able to talk them into not pressing charges.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019ll talk to Pastor Brown,\u201d Mayor Autry said. \u201cI\u2019ll let them know Ryan will help them clean it up regardless, if that\u2019s what they want.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan nodded, but shuddered. \u201cJust please not the snake room! I\u2019ll even help rebuild a new garage, if they want, and tell everyone I was wrong about Jason, but please not that!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFair enough,\u201d Mayor Autry replied. \u201cIn the meantime, let\u2019s get your burns looked at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ryan looked at Wilhelmina. \u201cHow did you know?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMostly a hunch, but we already knew the gas can had been stolen,\u201d she told him. \u201cAnd that type of explosive can\u2019t really be set to go off accidentally by someone else. At least, if it can, I don\u2019t know how.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n They began their trip back down the mountain, and Wilhelmina was glad to know that it would be her last. She stopped by the sheriff\u2019s office once more for a final debriefing, then headed to her hotel just long enough to retrieve her luggage and check out, then pointed her car towards Sleepyside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two days later, Wilhelmina found herself in quiet conversation over lunch with Madeleine Wheeler in the otherwise deserted dining room at the Glen Road Inn. An invitation to stay at the Manor House had been extended and accepted, and Madeleine tossed out the idea of a small dinner party with Honey and Trixie\u2019s families and possibly a couple of their other friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s pretty obvious that something dreadful happened,\u201d Madeleine told her. \u201cDon\u2019t ever feel like you have to talk about it. I love Honey and Trixie both, but they\u2019re relentless at finding out what they want to know. Trixie\u2019s more obvious about it, but that\u2019s what makes Honey dangerous. She hides it under old-fashioned charm school tact, and before you realize it, you\u2019ve fallen into her trap. Don\u2019t feel bad about telling them to mind their own business. But on the other hand, if you do want to talk about it, you\u2019ll find that they will understand, and they keep confidences. And of course, I\u2019m certainly willing to listen, too. Given your line of work, I can\u2019t even imagine how bad something was to have shaken you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina gave her the abridged version of the story, and by the time of the dinner that Friday, she was ready to repeat it to the others. Trixie and Wendell Molinson, Honey and Brian Belden, and their friend Dan Mangan were scattered around the Manor House living room with Madeleine and Matthew Wheeler. Erica, who had remained glued to her side during dinner, had been coaxed into the library by Miss Trask after dessert. <\/p>\n\n\n\n With Chloe sleeping on her shoulder, Wilhelmina began her tale, but surprising even herself, she gave the full version, including David\u2019s role. By the time she finished, she looked down at the pale hair on the baby\u2019s downy head, not willing to meet any of their eyes. Honey crossed the room and put her arm around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cA lot of people are haunted by their memories,\u201d she said softly. \u201cThis was more literal than most, but we\u2019re here for you if you need to talk about it. We\u2019re not going to judge or think less of you. Honestly, hearing about the case, you\u2019re one of the bravest people I\u2019ve ever met.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAgreed,\u201d Trixie said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s just one thing about this that I\u2019m struggling to accept,\u201d Dan said, his expression unreadable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wilhelmina looked at him with questioning eyes, and he gave her a gentle smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDo you really not know how to carry or shoot a gun? I know you can\u2019t exactly shoot ghosts, at least not effectively, but you never know what else you may run into. Tell you what. I\u2019m off tomorrow. If you want, we can go to the range and I can at least show you the basics.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chloe began to squirm, and as Wilhelmina passed her back to Trixie, she nodded. \u201cIf you\u2019re sure you don\u2019t mind giving up a day off, I\u2019d appreciate that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPositive. I\u2019ll pick you up at ten….\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \u201cAnd to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is:\u201d Revelation 2:12-13 \u201cThe devil lives in caves. Anybody hereabouts will tell you that.\u201d Trixie Belden and the Mystery at Bob-White Cave … Continue reading Pergamos<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":34,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-templates\/full-width-page.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-473","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","without-featured-image"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/473","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=473"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/473\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":541,"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/473\/revisions\/541"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theperpetualpen.com\/trixie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=473"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Wilhelmina felt a pressure began to build and realized it wasn\u2019t her own fright that kept her immobile as she felt herself lifted into the air. She was several inches off the ground when another form began to glow to her right. However, unlike the woman\u2019s faint light that seemed to draw the darkness of the cave into it, this one seemed to repel the darkness. She watched as David\u2019s features materialized as he appeared to someone or something other than herself for the first time since his death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n