Ep.262 – I Never Believed the Stories About the Abandoned Mining Town. Until...

I'm a park ranger who never believed the stories about the abandoned mining town. Until...

by Michael Kelso
You can purchase books from this author here: https://geni.us/michaelkelsoauthor
https://www.reddit.com/user/Horror_writer_1717/

I‘m a park ranger out in Nevada. There was an old, abandoned mining town that sat a ways off the main road. The park service had claimed it a while back, but people were not encouraged to visit there. In fact, it was plainly marked with signs that said, ‘Off limits’, ‘No trespassing’, ‘Danger’. Hell, about the only thing they didn’t do was build a moat around the place. Sometimes I wonder if they should.

Some people need to learn to read or listen, one of the two, because it seemed like I was always chasing people out of there.

They’d look at me like I was crazy, but every one of them would spray gravel as they hauled ass after I’d tell them the story.

I’m not supposed to tell the story. I’ve been warned many times. Even threatened with much worse than the unemployment line. I guess maybe I need to learn how to listen too. But it was the best way to make sure people left and never came back.

I’m tired of being told to keep my mouth shut. I’m tired that nothing’s been done about it. We rangers are supposed to just go about our jobs and pretend it never happened. Well, I believe that’s the best and quickest way for it to happen again. And I never want it to happen again.

It was a while ago. That’s my way of saying I forget how long ago it was, but the memory’s still fresh enough to tell.

It was back when even I was unsure why the town was off-limits. I’d heard old wives' tales and urban legends, but no one would ever commit to anything concrete. I asked around once and was told that I was better off not knowing.

The old rangers would just tell me to mind my business and stay out of town.

But something about it always intrigued me. I was never good at blindly following orders, so as often as I could, I’d find some excuse to drive past it.

On that day it was a good thing I did. Or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it.

I noticed a small mobile home parked at the edge of the town. I knew it hadn’t been there the day before.

I pulled up behind it and got out of my truck. I scanned the area around and didn’t see anything moving that the wind wasn’t blowing.

I walked around the vehicle and it seemed to be in good shape. None of the tires were flat. There seemed to be no good reason for them sitting there unless they were sightseeing.

I peeked in the windshield but couldn’t see anyone, so I went to the side door and knocked.

“Park ranger,” I said. “Anybody in there?”

The wind whistling was my only answer.

I knocked again.

“Park ranger. Is everyone alright?”

No answer.

I pulled on the door latch, and it opened.

“I’m coming in,” I said. “Just need to check to make sure everyone’s ok.”

I pulled the door open and stepped inside. Unconsciously I rested my hand on my sidearm.

I closed the door behind me, leaving the wind outside.

I looked around the camper and found plenty of food and supplies. They seemed to be well stocked for a trip. I stepped back toward the bedroom, keeping an ear open for anything.

It was eerily silent. The only thing I could hear was the sound of my boots on the linoleum as I headed back the short hallway.

It wasn’t a long walk until I got there. The bedroom was clean, and the bed had been made.

I opened a few drawers and found clothes for a man and a woman. There was no sign of a struggle, so I went back out to the kitchen, stopping to open the bathroom door and find two kids' toothbrushes and toothpaste sitting on the sink.

Just like the bedroom, everything seemed to be in its place. I noticed the hand towel holder was empty. I looked on the floor to see if it had fallen, but the towel was just gone.

I shrugged it off and went back out to the kitchen. The table was still folded down into a bed, as these smaller models were known for. Scanning around I was hard-pressed to find anything out of the ordinary, except for the fact that no one was there.

I stepped outside and the sun had disappeared. It would be dark soon.

I looked around but didn’t see anyone. It was as if they parked the camper at the edge of town and went for a walk. I stepped out of the camper and turned to close the door. That was when I saw it. There was a small dot of red on the step. I leaned closer and it looked like it could be dried blood.

I tried to dismiss it as nothing. People drip blood every day for simple, non-threatening reasons. Nosebleeds, small cuts, general accidents, it could be absolutely nothing. But, when you add in a missing family at the edge of an abandoned town that’s supposed to be off-limits, normal things don’t look so normal.

I didn’t touch it in case it needed to be tested later for a DNA sample.

And there it was. I was already starting to look at this as a crime scene. I looked down at the ground and saw my boot prints in the dirt, leading up to the camper. I also saw other tracks. There was another set of adult boot prints, a set of adult sneakers, and two different sets of smaller sneakers.

Those were spooky but comforting. At least I knew these people were here somewhere. They hadn’t just vanished from inside the camper.

No, it was the other footprints that gave me chills. They were adult sized and it looked like there was more than one of them, but the creepy thing about them was they were bare feet.

I couldn’t imagine anyone who lived in the area being stupid enough to walk around the desert in their bare feet. Aside from the different types of scorpions, there were also snakes, spiders, and lizards, just to name a few.

It was becoming more likely that I would find this family dead from stupidity.

I followed the barefoot tracks and they seemed to lead around the corner of the camper. In fact, they did several laps around the camper, with frequent stops where the feet were pointed toward the camper as if looking inside.

That’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. This family had been stalked.

I stepped in a wider circle so I wouldn’t disturb the footprints. It became more apparent by the minute that this was a crime scene.

I pulled out my radio to call in my position and request backup or police. But my radio was strangely silent. It didn’t even click when I released the talk button. The light was lit, so I knew the battery was charged, it just wasn’t transmitting.

The smart thing to do just then would’ve been to get in my truck and drive to the station to report what was happening. I took one step toward the truck. That’s when I heard the scream.

It was a woman’s scream, high and piercing. It was a scream of pain and anguish. As if her whole world had come crashing down.

My fight or flight kicked in and there wasn’t an ounce of flight in it. In a heartbeat, my gun was in my hand. I turned toward the town and began following the footprints. Once they were done circling the camper, they headed straight into town.

Dusk had faded and taken the light with it.

I pulled my flashlight off my belt and used it to guide me on my trail. There were a half dozen buildings all in some level of decay. I was worried about stepping into one and it just collapsing on top of me. That aside from the chance of meeting a scorpion or some other creature that didn’t appreciate being disturbed in their territory.

The wind had died down and the air was still. It was so quiet; I could hear my own footsteps. There was something else too. I felt a vibration in the air. At the time I thought it was just my heightened senses at the prospect of meeting up with a dangerous person who may have harmed that family.

Even though everything within me was demanding I run towards the scream I’d heard, my steps were slow and measured. I needed more input. I needed to know how many people I was dealing with. I needed to identify threats and if I would be able to deal with this without becoming a victim myself.

As I approached the first building, I had a strong feeling of being watched. Stepping on the porch made the boards creak threateningly. I didn’t want this to end with a broken ankle or worse. I tested the boards before putting full weight on them and slowly approached the broken windows. I shone my light inside. I panned around slowly, finding a bunch of old boxes and general junk with the odd wooden chair and table. I was about to move on when back in the far corner I saw a pair of eyes lit by my flashlight.

I froze, my light locked on it. The eyes seemed to be locked on the light as well. I couldn’t tell what it was, but it scared the hell out of me. I suddenly thought of the movie I’d recently seen, Jurassic Park. When the actor was explaining how raptors attack. How one will draw your attention while two more sneak up on you and attack from the side.

I suddenly felt very vulnerable, as if someone was sneaking up behind me.

I whipped around, pointing with my gun and flashlight, my eyes darting all around. But I couldn’t see anything. I shone my light back inside, but the eyes were gone.

This didn’t comfort me, in fact, it did the opposite, I was in a panic. I felt like I was surrounded, and they were just toying with me.

I didn’t even know who ‘they’ were.

I took a few deep breaths to get myself under control. I knew panic led to bad decisions, and I couldn’t afford any bad decisions out here on my own.

I shone my light back toward the camper and saw a shadow dart out of the light. I knew it was all or nothing. There was no backing out. I was being hunted, just like that family had been. I didn’t know what was hunting me, but it didn’t matter. Whoever or whatever, it was dangerous.

‘Focus,’ I told myself. ‘Stay on your toes, remember your training.’

Even though my training also said don’t get yourself in a bad situation. It was already too late for that. Something was near the camper. I still had no idea if this family was dead or alive. The only things I had to go on were mysterious footprints and a scream.

It was the stuff of every horror movie ever made. I just hoped I didn’t end up as one of the victims that died a horrible gory death to save some stupid teenagers who risked their own lives by blundering into something they should’ve left alone.

I sighed, turned my light back to the ground, and followed the footprints. I noticed for the first time there were other marks among the footprints. They had been walked over and obscured, but it looked like two long lines like someone was being dragged.

I brought my flashlight back up just in time to see a set of eyes disappear behind a building on the other side of the street.

I stepped up to the next building and shone my light inside to find much the same as the first, minus the eyes. I didn’t linger long before turning my light back out to the streets and the other buildings. I felt like it somehow kept them at bay. As if they would work their way closer to me if I didn’t shine my light their way. I didn’t know how long this would last.

COMMERCIAL

I continued to the next building with a larger building looming larger at the end of the street. It looked like it was an old church. There was the rough shape of a steeple that had partially collapsed.

I turned and flashed my light back to the street to keep the hunters back. When I stepped up to the window of the next building and shone my light inside, I found bones.

Piles of bones. Most looked like they were from smaller animals, but there were larger ones interspersed with them. I was sure I spotted a couple of human femurs.

I tried my radio again, but it still wasn’t working.

The vibration in the air was getting stronger. It was oppressive like the pressure you feel when you’re underwater. The stillness in the air magnified any sound. I could hear the footsteps of someone behind me. But when I turned, I couldn’t see anyone.

I left the bone storage building and headed for the last building at the end of the street, the church.

I walked up to the doors, and they were very plain. Two wooden doors, no gothic architecture, no cross, just a couple of wooden doors that looked like they were about to fall off their hinges.

I hesitated, turned, and looked back down the street. I knew they were there but couldn’t see them. This was where they’d been herding me all along. I held my gun and flashlight at the ready, knowing I was in for a fight as soon as the doors opened.

I took a deep, cleansing breath, then shoved the doors open.

I shone my light all around, my eyes darting to all the dark corners. Except they weren’t dark. There were candles lit all around. It was quite beautiful.

It was also quite empty.

There was no one there.

Even empty and well-lit, it gave off a creepy vibe. Why do empty churches always do that? You would think it would be the opposite.

My senses went on high alert. I didn’t trust it. It must be a trap. As I continued to scan back and forth, looking for any hiding spots among the pews, I noticed there was one person there. In the first pew, bent over so I could barely see them.

I slowly made my way forward, head on a swivel as I approached the lone figure. When I was nearly there it looked like they were barely breathing. I came around in front of the creature and aimed my gun.

She looked up at me.

She was naked and her hands and mouth were bound.

As soon as she saw me, she started screaming into the gag in her mouth. She was screaming so hard her face turned red. I reached down and slid the gag off her mouth.

“IT’S A TRAP!” she screamed.

I looked up and saw my worst nightmare.

There were creatures, dozens of them. Each one looked vaguely human, but they were deformed. There was one that had one healthy arm and a second that was shriveled up. One had only a single leg but still managed to hop toward me. Another had no legs but used its arms to crawl on the floor. None of them had a full set of teeth, but they all had a look of hunger and rage in their eyes.

They came from everywhere, some even crawled their way down from hiding places in the ceiling, like some horrific Spiderman.

They swarmed toward the front of the church.

I looked around for anywhere to go, anywhere to hide, when I locked eyes on a door that looked like it was a closet.

“Come on,” I said grabbing her arm and dragging her over to the door.

“No, I can’t, please don’t make me,” she said tugging against me.

“We go in here or we die,” I said, cutting the ropes around her wrists and putting my jacket over her shoulders.

She reluctantly came along with me as the horde of creatures was nearly on us.

“Quick,” I said opening the door and shoving her through.

I slammed it shut behind me, taking out my knife and jamming it into the wooden doorframe to keep it shut. I turned and nearly ran her over. She hadn’t moved. She was standing there staring into the dark.

I shone my flashlight in front of us and saw a rickety staircase descending into the darkness.

“P-please don’t make me go down there,” she whimpered.

“We don’t have a choice,” I said. “They’ll be through this door soon.”

The pounding had gotten louder. She turned toward the door, then pulled my jacket closer around her and took a deep breath. I stepped around her and led the way, shining my light all around trying to make sure we wouldn’t run into any surprises.

The boards creaked menacingly with every step I took. I couldn’t see what was underneath but had no desire to find out the fast way.

I looked back and she was still staring down. I held my hand out and she slowly took one step then another. Her bare feet were filthy. I wondered if she was getting splinters as she took each step slowly and gingerly as if walking on hot coals.

After she had taken a few steps, I turned back to guide our way. The stairway was long and attached to an uneven stone wall. At some points, it jutted out far enough I had to squeeze around to get to the next step. It was getting colder as we descended. I started missing my jacket but knew she needed it more. The spiderwebs weren’t helping my anxiety either. I wondered if they were made by the deadly breed.

I glanced back and saw she was still working her way down the stairs. When I looked forward again there was a creature coming up the stairs toward me.

I didn’t think, just reacted. I barely had the gun pointed until I fired.

The creature fell back with shock frozen on its face and tumbled down the stairs.

I instantly regretted my action as my ears were already ringing from the gunshot in such an enclosed place. I turned around to check on her, but she was curled up in the fetal position sitting on a step, ears covered, rocking back and forth.

“It’s ok,” I tried to say, but my voice sounded strange. I guess temporary deafness will do that. At least I hoped it was temporary.

She didn’t look at me. I was unsure if she had heard me so I touched her shoulder and she immediately recoiled and climbed several stairs backing away.

I bent down to her.

“Look, I know you’re scared, I would be too, but if we’re going to get out of this, we have to do it together. If I’m going to have to check on you every few steps, we’ll be helpless if another one of those things attacks.”

“I d-don’t want to go d-down there,” she stammered.

I looked ahead and then back at her.

“We have no choice.”

I turned and started down the stairs again. After around a dozen steps, I turned to see she had stood and was slowly making her way down again.

I kept going until I made it to the bottom and kicked the corpse of the creature out of our way. I looked around but there wasn’t much to see. It was a passageway made of the same rough-cut rock walls and a dirt floor. I turned to see her make it to the last step. Her eyes were wide with fear. I could only imagine what she had already been through. She looked away as she stepped past the corpse.

I decided to make a little conversation as we walked down the endless passageway to get her to focus on something other than our situation.

“You’re from the camper, aren’t you?” I said.

She nodded absently as she stared at the floor.

“Were you going on vacation?”

Another nod.

“I saw the kids' toothbrushes on the bathroom sink. How many kids do you have?”

Her eyes glazed over.

“Two… boys.”

“And your husband is with you?”

She nodded.

“Where were you headed?”

“Vegas.”

“What made you stop here?”

“The kids wanted to see the abandoned town.”

Tears streamed down her dirty cheeks making lines on her face.

“Would you like me to stop talking?”

She nodded.

We continued forward in silence. The chill of the place made me shiver, but not just because of the temperature. The thought of being attacked at any moment was more than keeping me on my toes, it was wearing on my nerves.

After some distance, we came to an opening that stretched out into a full room.

She stopped and stared.

I was puzzled at first until I noticed the smell. It was the stench of death. I shone my light around the room. The first corner I came to held a pile of bones. There was no denying these ones were human. They were large and the right shape. There were even a couple of full torsos still together that hadn’t deteriorated yet.

In the next corner, there were three bodies hanging from the dirt ceiling. It looked like a man and two boys. They had been strung up by their arms and were covered in blood. There were innumerable cuts and puncture wounds, but the most horrid sight were the many bites that were taken out of them.

She collapsed and began to sob.

I knew right away this was her family.

“I’m so sorry,” I said.

She looked at me with a mix of hopelessness and rage.

“I tried to tell you not to come down here,” she said with quiet forcefulness.

“I’m sure we can find some way to… “

She shook her head violently.

“You don’t understand,” she said looking me straight in the eyes for the first time. “This is the trap.”

She stood up straight for the first time since I’d seen her in the church, took off my jacket, and tossed it behind her. She was beautiful, even though she was covered in filth.

“My children need food,” she said stretching out her arm.

In an instant two deformed creatures appeared and stood beside her. She stroked the thinning hair on their heads as they cooed at her.

“So, there was no woman in the camper?” I said, trying to stall for time until I could come up with a plan.

“Oh, no, there was a woman. She was taken to the birthing house. She will give my children their own children.”

“Against her will, of course.”

She looked at me with disdain.

“She is a tool we will use to survive, just like my ancestors were treated as tools to be used in the mines.”

I glanced around the room and saw several more creatures emerge from the shadows and advance slowly toward me. I knew I was trapped. My mind scrambled for some plan, any plan to escape the horrors that waited for me. I glanced at the three bloody mangled bodies dangling from the ceiling and knew that would be my fate.

I made my decision and didn’t hesitate to implement it.

In a flash, I drew my pistol and shot her in the forehead.

The sound was still echoing when I started to run back to the passageway I had come from. I hoped that the shock of seeing their mother die would give me a head start before the horde of creatures hunted me down and tore me to shreds.

Time seemed to move in slow motion. I felt like I was running underwater, every move, every step seemed incredibly slow. I knew they would catch me, there was no doubt in my mind, it was only a matter of time. The only thing that kept me from giving up was the sheer will to live.

I swung the flashlight as I ran, making shadows jump and fly around. I arrived at the bottom of the stairs much sooner than I thought possible and threw myself up them two at a time, praying that I didn’t trip.

The horde was hot on my heels. I could hear them getting closer. The grunts and snarls spurred me on even faster. I felt something brush against my heel and knew I had to act.

I didn’t bother to look back, I fired two shots into the closest one. I heard the inhuman scream and the sound of falling bodies. I risked a glance back to see them all tumbling down the stairs.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I reached the door and struggled to pry my knife out of the wood. After a few agonizingly long seconds, it came free, and I dove through the door. Much to my surprise and relief, the church was empty. They must’ve all gone another way to trap me below.

COMMERCIAL

I looked over at the dozens of glowing candles and ran straight toward them, knocking over as many as I could. I ran to the far wall and did the same on my way out the door. Once I was through, I turned back and jammed my knife into the doors so they wouldn’t open.

I didn’t waste time celebrating my close escape. I ran down the middle of the street so I would have a good view of anyone or anything chasing me. It didn’t take long until I heard footsteps behind. They sounded more like a pack of dogs chasing me. I glanced back and sure enough, there were a half dozen deformed creatures in hot pursuit against the backdrop of the church engulfed in flame.

I took some solace in the fact that at least some of the unnatural bastards must’ve burned up in the blaze.

I had a stitch in my side and my leg muscles burned, but I didn’t dare slow down. Even at the speed I was running, they were catching up. I wasn’t sure if I would make it to the truck before they got me. It was going to be close.

I reached the truck and breathed a sigh of relief that I hadn’t locked it.

By the time I got the keys in the ignition and started it, they were on me.

I locked the doors and slammed it into reverse as the first body flew into my windshield, shattering it. I got some momentum going as another landed on my hood and another grabbed my door handle. I swung the truck around and slammed on the brakes, sending them flying.

I threw it in drive and stomped on the gas, spraying gravel. I hadn’t gone more than a few yards when another freak landed in the truck bed and started pounding on the cab roof. I could see the dents getting deeper. It would be through soon.

Suddenly the pounding stopped. I kept my eye on the road but turned to see what was happening. It smashed through my rear window, grabbing me by the neck. I swerved to try to break its grip, to no avail. I could feel myself starting to black out. I knew that would be a death sentence.

I pointed my gun out the window, but the creature grabbed it before I could aim at its head. My mind raced faster than the truck that was hurtling down the dirt road at breakneck speeds.

I was seeing stars. I knew it was a matter of minutes until the end if not seconds.

I squeezed the trigger.

The gun went off right beside its head, missing it by a few inches.

I was done.

It howled in pain and fear at the sound and the heat of the round going off. Amazingly, it let go of the gun. I aimed at its head and squeezed the trigger again.

Blood rained on me as its head snapped back and it fell into the bed of the truck with a heavy thump.

I sat the gun on the seat beside me as I breathed huge gulps of air wiping the blood out of my eyes.

My vision returned just in time for the turn onto the main road. The tires screeched as they bit into the asphalt on the way to the ranger station.

I got there shortly after sunrise, pulled into a parking space, and sat back in the seat. Exhaustion and adrenaline crash sapped my energy. I fell asleep.

I woke to the sound of someone knocking on my window.

I whipped around, grabbed the gun off the seat, and swung it back around at the window.

“Whoa there, son,” the older ranger said, raising his hands. “What’s got your panties in a bunch?”

I took a deep breath, lowered the gun and the window, then told him the whole story. The longer I went the more serious he became. Until the story was done, his face was made of granite.

He stuck his hand in the window.

“Keys,” he said.

I pulled the keys out of the ignition and handed them to him.

“Go inside and get yourself cleaned up,” he said. “I’ll take care of this.”

I stepped out of the truck on shaky legs and walked into the ranger station, threw away my bloody uniform, and took a long shower. By the time I had finished and changed into a fresh uniform, the other ranger was back. He stepped inside the station and scanned the room until he found me.

“All taken care of,” he said with a crooked smile.

“What do you mean?” I said. “Did you call the police?”

He looked around at the handful of rangers that were milling around the room trying to make it look like they weren’t listening to our conversation.

“Yeah, we’re not gonna get the police involved in this,” he said.

“What? Why not?”

He looked at me with an odd determination in his eyes.

“So ya really killed her did ya?” he said.

“Of course, it was her or me.”

“Most of the folks around here give that place a wide berth,” he said. “There’s signs all over saying no trespassing and danger. You’d think it was almost natural selection for those who ignore all the warnings.”

“But those travellers… “

“And then there are others who visit the place on the down low, all quiet like,” he said as if I hadn’t said anything. “Those folks might say you robbed them of their fun. You might even call them conjugal visits. There might even be some of those folks in this very room.”

I stared at him in disbelief, then looked around the room and saw every set of eyes focused on me. There wasn’t a smile or even a hint of one that suggested this was a joke.

He clapped his hand on my shoulder.

“Why don’t you head home and rest today?” he said. “You’ve had a long night. We’ll take care of things.”

He ushered me toward the door, pausing before opening it.

“Just remember that nothing happened,” he said. “Because if the police get an anonymous phone call, we might have to drive out and grab a couple of children to come visit your house in the middle of the night. Ya get me?”

I nodded my head in a daze as he opened the door.

***

That’s the story I tell when people don’t take the hint and stay away from the town. It’s been years, and every once in a while, I hear of travelers that disappeared in the area.

I shake my head and wonder…