Spirit Mountain (6 page)

Chapter Thirteen

Flustered, my eyes darted across the room, toward Logan. Ty was already on his feet, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the door. Logan reached out and grabbed my hand in what felt like an endearing attempt to keep me close.

“Where is he?” I asked.

“He’s close. He’s listening. You need to run to—” In the middle of Ty’s sentence, my cell phone alarm blared. “Like I was saying, run to the portal. Go. I’ll keep him busy.” He reached out and grabbed my arm as I stepped outside of his treehouse. “Beth...”

I gazed into his pleading eyes.

“Find out who he is. Help me figure this out, so I can be free of this place and move on from here. Please.”

I nodded, taking off through the forest the same way we’d come, my heart racing faster than my feet. The eeriness of the dark path that was lit up with glowing trees made me that much more fearful that Simon might be behind us. If he truly was the culprit and had been killing those poor girls in Castleborough, I didn’t want to have him close at our backs.
I’m too young to die.

Logan ran just in front of me with his hand wrapped in mine, nearly pulling me with him. The sound of leaves crunching under our feet added to the creepiness of this place. Dodging trees, Logan kept glancing back to make sure I was okay. As we rounded the corner of the forest and stepped out into the clearing, I felt something rip into my back.

Wincing in pain, I fell and somersaulted before landing a couple of feet from the pile of Aunt Vine’s baby dolls. Logan jumped through the portal and stuck his hand through as I stood and leapt through, headfirst into his arms. As everything faded to black, we both tumbled down what felt like a rabbit hole until we landed on my bed. It took us a few moments to gain perspective of our whereabouts.

“What happened?” Logan asked. “Why did you fall?”

“Something scratched my back.”

“What the—? Let me see.” He moved behind me and gently lifted my shirt. “It’s not bleeding, but there are definitely four fingernail marks across your back. Do you know what it was?”

“I bet it was that Simon guy, Logan. He wants to kill me.” My heart jolted at the thought of some angry ghost on Spirit Mountain wanting to end my life. “We have to figure this out and fast.”

At those words, we heard loud knocking on my door. “Beth? Are you awake?” Aunt Vine’s voice sounded off on the other side.

Logan gasped, but I covered his mouth with my hand. I whispered, “My door’s locked.” I turned my attention to my aunt at my door. “Yes, Aunt Vine. I’m awake.”

“Good. I need you to help your cousin shovel the driveway and clear the rocks.”

I narrowed my eyes before glancing at Logan. “Okay, Aunt Vine. Let me get dressed and I’ll be right there.”

“Rocks?” Logan narrowed his eyes, following me as I moved to the window balcony and parted my drapes.

Noticing the rocks spread out all over the driveway, I frowned. “What the hell…” I ran to my closet and threw on my snow gear. “Logan, go out that window and meet in the front, right away.”

“What’s going on, Beth? Why are those rocks there?”

“Just meet me down there.”

I ran out my bedroom door while Logan threw on his jacket and shimmied down the balcony. When I stepped outside, our driveway was full of the same type of black and gold rocks Simon had wrapped into a snowball and thrown at me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. There had to have been at least two hundred of them.

Aunt Vine sighed and turned toward me. “I’m not sure where these came from, but we need them shoveled at once. Luckily, your uncle parked on the street last night.” She huffed and went back inside the house.

Teddy, my little cousin, stuck his tongue out at me and stormed back inside the house behind his mother.

“Hey, Beth,” Logan whispered, walking up to me with his hands in his pockets. “This is bad.” He scanned the driveway of layered rocks.

Stopping. I picked one up, breaking it the way Ty had earlier. Green dust floated in the air and formed the words,
Help me
. I dropped the two halves and picked up another, cracking it open as Logan and I watched the green dust float into the air. This time, the message said,
Hiding, help Beth.

I whipped my head toward Logan, a sad expression coming over my face. “These aren’t from Simon. They’re a cry for help from Ty. Logan, we have to help him.”

He nodded, his eyes widening. “It’s time to get to the bottom of this, New York. Let’s shovel these out of your driveway and head straight to the public library. Someone’s gotta know something.”

“Should we read the rest of these?”

“Get a large, black trash bag and let’s put them in your bedroom closet for safekeeping. There may be important information inside them to help us figure this out.”

I nodded as we did that, my heart aching for Ty. Alone and hiding from that raging spirit, Simon, it was definitely time to get answers, for his spirit’s sake, and for my life.

Chapter Fourteen

In the tranquility of the quiet public library, Logan and I sat across from each other, searching microfiche for anything that would help us figure out who Simon was. The records went back as far as 1872 when the mountain closed as a gold mining area. Surprisingly, the town had survived the mining shutdown. As the town slowly grew, the townspeople found work at local businesses or commuted. That was how Castleborough had managed to persevere until today.

Lifting my head, I whispered, “Logan, when was this town founded? I mean, when did it hit the map and when did people start arriving in these parts?”

“I’m not sure. That should be posted in the history of Castleborough.” He flipped through some data on the computer next to the microfiche machine. “It says here, 1872.”

“That’s what I read, too. But it doesn’t make sense.”

“Why not?”

“The town next door was founded in 1794 when settlers arrived to mine the gold of Mount Cape.” I glanced at him. “It says there were hundreds of settlers who came for the gold rush that Mount Cape promised. So many people that they overflowed into the nearby town. The first man in this town who found gold at Mount Cape was Mitch Castleborough. He claimed the town, and a year later, it was named after him.”

Logan flashed me a look that suggested he’d reached the same conclusion as me. “Which means the town has been around since 1794.”

“Exactly.”

He shook his head. “Hmm. But why isn’t there anything about Castleborough on the Internet or microfiche?”

“I don’t know. Maybe we need to go to the next town over to find what we’re looking for.”

“Then we better get going now. It says here that the town name is Winslow, and its residents are not very welcoming.”

“Yeah. They’re picky about who they let into their town.” Logan stood and grabbed his jacket just as Edith, his grandmother, walked up behind him.

“Logan,” she said in her shaky voice. “What are you two doing here?” She glanced from us to the computers.

“We’re doing a research paper over winter break, Grams. It’s about Castleborough.”

“That’s right, ma’am,” I added.

“Oh? Well, I’ve lived here my entire life. What would you two like to know?”

“We were wondering—”

“Logan,” I interrupted, standing. “I just remembered my aunt wants me to come home. Would you drive me? Please. Now.” I shifted my uncomfortable gaze to Edith. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but if I don’t leave now, my aunt and uncle will be furious.”

Edith nodded with a smile. “No harm, child.” She glanced from me to Logan and ran her hand down his arm. “Drive her home and keep her safe. We wouldn’t want anything happening to a visitor in our town.” She walked back to her place at the information desk.

Logan leaned toward me. “What was that about?”

“Come on, let’s go.” I grabbed my jacket and headed for the library door with Logan close behind. When we stepped outside, I turned to him. “Remember how Ty said I was clairvoyant?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I got an ill feeling in my stomach when you wanted to talk to your grandma about our research. I’ve no idea why. It’s probably because I’m starving since we haven’t eaten anything yet, but for right now, let’s just keep this between us. Okay?”

“Okay, that’s fine.”

“Your family has been through a lot and if they knew we were trying to investigate your sister’s death, it might reopen barely closed wounds.”

“That’s true. Let’s go to Winslow. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get back home. We still have the rocks to read.” In a surprise move, he drew closer and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me in close for a warm embrace.

I hugged him back as our hearts seemed to beat in rhythm, equally desperate, equally afraid, but equally hopeful. Pulling back, he leaned down and planted a soft kiss on my cold lips, immediately warming them. I closed my eyes and relaxed my tense muscles. We’d exchanged many words about a scary world we didn’t understand. And right now, we just wanted to enjoy this simple kiss, this rare moment of peace in a world we understood.

***

Logan stopped his truck at a little antique store on the outskirts of Winslow.

“I’m tellin’ ya, kid. You don’t have to believe me, but she’s been around a lot longer than ya might think,” said the guy behind the counter. “Here’s the thing, Castleborough was founded in 1795, just one year after Winslow.”

Logan shoved his hands in his jacket pockets. “So, why do the Castleborough town records state that it’s been around since 1872?” Logan sounded frustrated, so I ran my hand down his arm to calm him a bit.

“Because of them killings. That town had a run-in with witches. People were being killed for their gold and witches were at the heart of it.”

I gasped. “Witches? Like spell-casting witches?”

“I don’t know, missy. These are the stories and the rumors that have been passed down from generation to generation. That there town was bad from the start, and once they killed a kid up on that ungodly mountain, we all suffered. Our town and y’alls. The damn thing dried up as sure as we are standing here now.” He reached into an old drawer under lock and key and handed me an envelope as Logan scanned the store.

Barely noticing, I stuffed it in my pocket before glancing up at him curiously. “You’ve never heard of the names Simon or Ty?”

The store owner’s wife rushed out toward us from the back room. “Get out of our store, you little demons.”

Logan and I exchanged a look. I knew we were both thinking the same thing:
Did she just call us demons?

She ranted, “Y’all are bound to bring havoc on our town and our store by saying them names ‘round here.”

Logan grabbed my hand and we backed up toward the exit. As we retreated, my eyes pleaded with the husband to give us more information. Finally, he yelled, “Ask your librarian Edith what she knows. She’s been around long enough to tell y’all.”

“Back to square one,” I said to Logan as he drove us back to Castleborough.

Chapter Fifteen

We spent the evening in my bedroom, reading Ty’s messages in the black and gold rocks, each one pleading with us to help, but none giving us any more information than we already had. After hours of piecing together what we had learned, Logan returned home. We’d agreed to continue in the morning.

That night, Ty visited me in my dreams again. It was different seeing him in my dreams because the only thing he’d do was reach for me. And honestly, having already spent real time with him, it all seemed anti-climactic. By morning, I realized I had one less day to figure out a way to exorcise myself of this curse placed on me by Simon and Spirit Mountain.

After breakfast, I met Logan in front of his grandmother’s house. The weather was a tad bit warmer and the snow had started to melt into a slushy mess. “So, do you think she’ll have answers?” I asked.

“Maybe. Who knows, maybe she’ll have the answers we needed before we had to drive to Winslow and listen to those weird people talk.”

I sighed. “Fair enough, but let’s not give away too much of what we’re doing, okay?”

He shrugged and opened his grandmother’s front door. “Hey, Grams, you home?”

“Yes, sugar. I’m in the back. I’ll be right out.”

He smiled and invited me to take a seat.

Edith came strolling into the living room with her apron on and her gray hair frayed. “I was just baking cookies, so I’ll put some on a plate and bring you both some milk.” She smiled, heading back toward the kitchen.

“Do you need help, ma’am?” I asked.

“No, dear, you make yourself at home. I’ll be done in a few minutes.”

When I glanced at Logan, he stared at me with a wide smile.

“What?” I asked.

“She’s not the boogie monster, you know.”

I rolled my eyes. “I know! I just get a weird feeling around her. I can’t help it.”

“Well, I get a weird feeling around your aunt and uncle.”

I laughed, nodding my head. “So do I.”

Edith came back with a plate of chocolate chip cookies and two glasses of milk. “So, kids, what can I do for you?”

Logan began, “Grams, we’re doing a report for history class and we wanted to do it on Castleborough, but it seems like the history of this place only goes back to 1872.”

“And you wanted to know if I knew anything because I’m the librarian?”

“Well, that, and—”

“I’m old?” She laughed at herself. “I’m seventy-eight years old, to be exact, which means I was born in 1937. My father, God rest his soul, talked about his life in the late 1800s and that’s the extent of my knowledge of this place. Did you try the library archives?”

“We searched the microfiche, Grams, but there’s nothing before that point.”

“Then maybe the town started in 1872. What do you think?”

I shook my head, watching the family encounter. “Ma’am?”

“Call me Edith, young lady.”

“Okay, Edith, the town started in 1795. We know that much to be true.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and fixed a curious gaze at me. “Hmm. Are you calling me a liar, young lady?”

“No, ma’am, of course not. We just think that there might be more that you might not remember, or that you don’t know. We’re just trying to figure out that one part.”

Logan nodded. “Grams, do you remember anything else, or do you know where we might get more information? Maybe a larger library or—”

“I’m sorry, Logan. I just don’t know anything else about the town. As far as I know, it became noteworthy in the late 1800s, and by the time I got here, the mountain already had the legend attached to it.”

The disappointed look on Logan’s face made my heart sink. What wasn’t she telling us? I knew this whole clairvoyant thing was new to me, but I had this aching feeling in the pit of my stomach that Grandma Edith knew more than she was letting on. Plus, why did the store owner in Winslow tell us to ask her, if she wouldn’t reveal any information? It just didn’t add up.

Perplexed, I scratched the side of my face. “Edith, may I ask you a couple of questions?”

“Of course, dear. I will share with you anything I know.” Her smile didn’t match the coldness in her eyes.

I glanced down at my glass of milk on the table and back at Edith. “So, let’s say the town started in the late 1800s...”

She nodded.

“I read that from the late 1800s to today there have been four girls, each aged seventeen, who’ve died in the town of Castleborough, all of whom died in an unexplained way.”

Grandma Edith tilted her head. “Someone has been doing their homework. My, my, a perfect stranger walks into our town and starts to unravel the mystery we’ve all been plagued with.”

“I don’t know about that, but I’m curious.”

“Okay, dear. Please go on.”

“Why the daughters of the Castleborough mayors?”

“Why not the daughters of the mayors? Does one life matter more than another because of their parentage?”

“Of course not. Still, the teen daughters of mayors all died mysteriously. Isn’t that odd? Cold cases we should explore?”

Edith stood and brushed her hands down her apron. As if my questions were trivial, she sighed. “I’m quite busy today. You kids should run along and play, or if you can’t find anything to do, you could help me around the house.”

I stood, irritated with her dismissive attitude. “I’m not done asking questions.” I cringed at how aggressive my words sounded.

“Well, I’m done answering them.” Edith narrowed her eyes, revealing a lingering glint of indifferent emptiness in them.

Logan reached for my hand, but I pulled it from his grip. “What’s wrong with you people? You’re the oldest person in this town, and yet, you’ve no desire to understand why this place has snow on the ground every single day of the year? The sun never melts the snow completely and that doesn’t baffle you? There’s something going on up there on Spirit Mountain that has a direct impact on your family. Heck, your granddaughter is dead because of it.” I inwardly gasped at my words.

Logan stood just as Edith whipped around toward me with malice in her eyes. “How dare you step foot in this town and spout out how we should act and what we should think about a legend we’ve lived with our entire lives?”

If I didn’t know better, I’d swear her eyes turned from brown to black in her outburst of anger. I took a nervous step closer to Logan.

Edith continued hotly, “This isn’t a scavenger hunt where you get to pick things off a list to pull together neatly into your idea of understanding this place.
We
live here! You’ve no idea what it was like back then. Witch hunts and killings for no damn reason, other than a group of men thinking they were judge and jury. Even putting the most innocent of people on trial, taking children and burning them at the stake right before the eyes of the town.” She balled her hands into fists before swinging her right arm in the air. “What do you know?”

Witch hunts?
Feeling empowered and certain we were making headway, I stepped toward her. “That’s what happened to Ty and Simon, isn’t it?”

She glared at me, her teeth barely showing under her partially peeled-back lips. For some odd reason, it sounded as if she made a low rumbling growl that only I could hear. Then, as if freed from some random possession, her eyes softened and she ran her hands down her apron again. She flashed me a smile. “Logan, honey, take Beth to see the wishing well in town. I bet she’d enjoy that.” She turned and headed toward the kitchen.

My eyes grew wide as I glanced at Logan. “What just happened?”

Logan frowned. “You really upset my grandma, that’s what. I’ve never seen her like that.”

I swallowed nervously. I’d never seen him look at me with such a displeased expression.

He shook his head in disappointment before taking my hand and escorting me toward the door, hardly looking at me.

I felt bad, but I had a nagging feeling that I couldn’t shake off. When Logan opened the door, I stopped and glanced toward the ceiling.

There was definitely more to Edith and more to this house. I could feel it in every fiber of my being. Whatever it was, I needed to find out what she was hiding. I had to. Ty needed me to.