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“Earlier, when I was at the house, I was thinking aboutsome of my fonder memories of my father,” she said. “I thought about some ofthe fishing trips he took me on as a little girl. It was usually to the lake,but every now and then we’d go up the Eastern Ridge River. You know it?”
“I know of it, yes. But you know I’m not much of anoutdoorsman. So, please…fill me in a bit more.”
“There are two different places along the Eastern RidgeRiver that have old, retired train bridges that go across it. Located directlybetween them is an old mining site. I know this because my dad used to tell mestories about his grandfather working in those mines.”
“Are you about to tell me those mines contained largedeposits of copper?”
”That’s exactly what I’m saying. I think we need tocheck out that old mining site.”
“Seems sort of random and, dare I say, dangerous. Howsure are you about this?’
She’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, to Derik asking fora proper explanation. Just like the memory of learning to drive a stick shift withher father, the little bit she knew about the mines came from conversations she’dhad with him while fishing.
And again, a memory of her father came speeding at her.They’d been putting the boat on the river, having just loaded up on bait andsodas at the small store her father had frequented.
She remembered the boat straightening out and the minescoming into view on her right.
“What’s that?” she’d asked, pointing to the decommissionedmine entrance.
“That’s how folks used to get into the mines,” her fatherhad answered.
“Mines?”
“Yeah. Some big company used to mine copper there. Mygranddad worked there for a while before it closed down in the sixties.”
“Copper?” she’d repeated. “Like the metal?”
“Yup. And it was just one of the many metals they’d findthere. But copper was the big one. People used to come from all over to work inthose mines. But they shut them down when people stopped mining…those mines arejust big old tunnels in the earth. Sometimes people go in for a bit of fun andexploring and get hurt or even go missing. It’s very dangerous in there.”
Her father’s voice faded as Morgan came back to the hereand now.
“I’m pretty sure,” she said,finally answering Derik.
Derik looked skeptical but also intrigued. “It’s a longshot, but it’s worth a try.”
“It may not be as long of a shot as you’re thinking.Another thing about copper, unless I’m sorely mistaken, is that it’s widelyused in occult practices, too. Things like redirecting energy, healing, otherthings I know next to nothing about. And I don’t know about you, but a man who’skilling based on the Seven Signs…”
“Yeah, that does seem to sort of fall in line.”
They drove in excited silence for a few more minutes. Finally,Morgan slowed, looking for the old road she and her father had traveled downcountless times. She took the turn and within minutes, it all started to lookfamiliar as the river presented itself on their left, peeking through thetrees. The river was calm but murky, and the trees that lined the bank weredense and overgrown.
As they pulled up to the first train bridge, Morgan’s heartwas pounding in her chest. She got out of the car and looked around, taking inthe sight of the old, rusty metal and the churning river below.
“I take it we’re walking?” Derik asked as he also steppedout.
“Yeah. But it’s not far. Maybe half a mile. I have noidea what sort of condition the mining site is in, though.”
With the car parked at the end of the gravel road that dead-endedat the old railroad bridge, Morgan started walking to the west. There was athin footpath that led through knee-high grass and, after about twenty yards, agroup of birches and elms. The path led down along the banks of the river andthen meandered back up.
She took a moment to appreciate the scenery as they madetheir way down. When was the last time she’d actually walked in nature? Evensomething as simple as the smell of the grass had her senses in overload. As shetook this in, more sounds that she may have overlooked ten years ago filteredin: the sound of the flowing river, birds calling out to one another nearby,even the buzzing of the annoying gnats that had started to circle her head.
“You’re still sure about this?” Derik asked.
“I am.” Not only was she sure they needed to check themines, but she felt excitement and a sense of direction she hadn’t felt in overten years. It was impossible to look beyond it. A bomb could have gone offbehind them and she would not have been distracted from her walk to the mines.
They arrived at the site of the old mine ten minuteslater. Morgan had started to sweat a bit, swatting at the gnats swirling aboveher head. She saw that Derik was also sweating slightly, but he looked quitecurious about what came next.
The mine showed signs of neglect and age. It consisted ofa flat expanse of rock face that sat about two hundred feet off the river.Weeds had sprung up around what had once served as the entrance. The entranceitself was boarded up and blocked off by concrete and iron rails. Still, therewere two distinct spaces along the sides where it was clear that people hadcome in and out of the mines in the years since its closure.
