The Old Silk Hat, A Frosty The Snowman Prequel

by P. Edward Auman

Speak Rain – Sample Chapter

  The trail down from the kivas near the ledge of the mesa was considerably more inclined and difficult. It was suitable enough in the summer for most visitors to the park, young or old, but had there been snow or ice it would be terribly dangerous and could potentially even take someone unawares over the face of the cliff. Rachel had warned them, too of the potential for black ice and there ensued a short jovial conversation amongst all six of them about the likelihood in the 60 degree weather. Still the same, Daniel kept his eye open per the instructions, knowing it probably got well below freezing the night previously.

  As the group approached the dwelling every one of the visitors were gawking and snapping photos, including Daniel. The idea that the living spaces had sat here in the cliff for nearly a thousand years without crumbling was amazing from his perspective. Prior to moving to the Rockies he’d lived in a larger city where land had become so valuable, even in a down market, that people would buy fifty-year-old homes, pull the house down and start over again with a contemporary home. But even without that intervention, Daniel knew most modern construction would not last more than a few decades unkempt, let alone a full millennium.

  “…Many of the areas have of course deteriorated so there are some structures which we know were here within Spruce Tree House which no longer exist,” Rachel was continuing on her ranger’s explanation as part of the tour once they had stopped a few yards from the cave. “Like the kivas above, the kivas in this and all the dwellings in the park, would have had a wood-log and thatch roof. Those are gone, but if you look at the wall of the main tower and some of the other standing walls you will see some of the framing wood that they used to build the multiple floors.”

  “Is that the original wood too, then?” asked the woman from the other couple on the tour.

  “Some of it is!” Rachel was in her element and clearly loved speaking about how humans had so affected the landscape. “However, we’ve begun a sort of restoration in the last five years or so, because even since ranchers first found these dwellings we’re beginning to see some pretty significant deterioration. I guess you could say it’s lucky modern society found them when they did instead of one-hundred years later or many of the rooms would not still be standing throughout the park.”

  “But how do you know how old they are?” asked Mr. Smith.

  Before Rachel answered, Daniel leaned to him and mumbled, “The graffiti.”

  Mr. Smith smiled back and leaned in closer, “What do you mean?”

  “Inside a lot of the rooms there was a spray-painted sign that says ‘Kilroy was here. 1002 AD.”

  Both Mr. and Mrs. Smith chuckled with Daniel, and that caught Ranger Rachel’s schoolmarm eye. It surprised Daniel a bit that she had the capacity to elicit such scorn when her countenance normally radiated such joy. But the momentary look was apparently just a play, because her smile returned and she scolded ‘Mr. Tremon’ and explained they had more sophisticated means than that.

  “Most of the carbon dating actually put the logs in the framework at very late in the tenth century AD. But because we can also date the trees in the valley back to a certain date, as well as other artifacts in the dwelling and around it we know that Spruce Tree House was probably began just after 1000AD and completed by before 1200 AD when they suddenly disappeared.

  At any one time we think there were between 100 and 120 people living here, but there are more rooms, including the kivas, than that. So it could be that some were for storage. We know that some were also used for ceremonial purposes, and some of the kivas were used as family gathering spots.”

  After pointing out a few other features and expounding on the anthropologists’ ideas about the people that built the dwellings Rachel invited them to move into the dwelling to check out the rooms, provided they stay in the roped areas and not attempt to climb anything. Daniel poked around some of the front walls and stuck his head inside a window. Then he returned to Rachel’s side while the others kept peering in amazement. The gentleman from the other couple shot photos of just about everything, including using his scoping lens to capture the cliff faces on the other side of the ravine where a few smaller dwellings had been built.

  “So…where did these people go when they all of them suddenly left?”

  Rachel’s reply was official enough, but Daniel detected some nervousness about it.

  “Generally they moved further into the desert and became the pueblo-building Native Americans.”

  “But…?” Dan pressed.

  “Well…I feel like I know you well enough I can tell you something and you won’t freak out on me or think I’m crazy, right?”

  There it is, thought Daniel. I knew she wanted to talk about something.

  “Of course not, but…what is it?”

  “Well…I’ve been working at Mesa Verde for about four seasons already. I used to really love coming in here and looking at the rooms and imaging the people. It gave me a sort of weird feeling to think about these incredible old souls that would have been here…sort of like the dwellings were still alive, keeping people warm.”

  Dan nodded, “But now you’re feeling a little creeped out by it all?”

  “Ya,” Rachel nodded. She did not turn to face him but looked up and scanned the Spruce Tree House buildings as if she was looking for something. “How did you know?”

  “Well…you kinda mentioned it last night. But I’m also noticing you don’t like to get too close the buildings…you’re just letting us crawl around them here on our own.”

  “Ya. …I guess I’m just not as excited about it anymore. Maybe that’s why I’m looking for another park to work in.”

  “No. I don’t think so.”

  This time Rachel did turn to face him a bit. While not unpleasant this was the first time her expression was entirely serious and intent since he’d met her.

  “I think you’re feeling something or you saw something that’s made you really uncomfortable. Did you?”

  She turned back to gazing at the construction and folded her arms around her as if to keep herself warm. Before answering she dropped her eyes to her feet and leaned back against a rock outcropping behind her so that her bottom was perched on the rock and her legs were kicked out in front of her. She crossed one foot over the other almost as though she was trying to force herself to be casual about the conversation. But the charade didn’t last long. A tear fell from her left eye, which she wiped away and sniffled at before continuing.

  “Earlier this year I started feeling like someone was watching me. I would go on the tours for Cliff Palace and swear someone was following us down the hike into the dwelling and it would sit there and just watch me. Crazy isn’t it? To think something is there following me when there’s fifty other people making a racket the whole time?”

  “No,” said Dan. “I don’t think so. In fact, I’ve been sort of feeling like that the whole time I’ve been down here…even at the campground.”

  “Really?!” Rachel startled.

  “Well…” Daniel found himself back-peddling a little as he did not want to worry her while he’d just gotten Rachel to open up a little. “Not in the campground itself, per se. But sometimes I feel like there’s someone watching me from just outside of the area…Just outside of my view.”

  “Ya.” Rachel returned to kicking the earth with her one relaxed foot. “Anyway…one time, I think I saw him.”

  “The guy who’s been watching you?”

  “Yes, but…I wouldn’t say it’s a guy necessarily.” Rachel looked up from where she was leaning at Daniel to judge his expression when she explained, more tears were flowing down. “I think it was a ghost or something.”

  “Really?” Daniel’s inquiry was quiet and soft though. He wanted to hear more, because it felt good to know he wasn’t the only one haunted by this craziness.

  “Ya,” she replied sniffling and wiping her face with gloves again. “He felt like an
old soul that was here when the people still lived here. …But he’s really angry.”

  “He seems pissed off to me,” Daniel replied. Fortunately, that elicited a smirk and grunt from Rachel. He was glad he could buoy her up a bit.

  “He does.” Rachel stared at Spruce Tree House. “It’s silly, I know, but even though I didn’t ever see him anywhere but the Cliff Palace, I look at these other dwellings and I’m scared. I don’t know why. I’m just scared. I feel like there’s ghosts all around me when I’m in there, and I just can’t do it anymore.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you? You’re not just trying to calm me down when you really think I’m crazy?”

  “Nah.” Daniel was now shuffling his feet too, and avoiding looking at her as well. It wasn’t because he did have a tough time acknowledging what she was saying, he just subconsciously didn’t want to expose his own feelings right then either. She needed a listener, and as a friend, that’s what he was trying to do.

  “You may actually be crazy,” he smiled. “But I don’t think you’re crazy about this.”

  Rachel then stood up, and stepped to him. She placed a gloved hand on either side of his face and aimed him square into her eyes.

  “Look at me.”

  He did. Her eyes were so bright blue and seemingly desperate to find something that he did not dare look away.

  “Tell me you believe me.”

  “Yes, I do. I do, Rachel. I’ve seen this thing.”

  Her hands fell and slipped into her parka pockets again. Head cocked with a confused look on her face, she quietly asked, “Where have you seen it?”

  “It’s been harassing me at my home. I think it’s been around ever since the rain started in October. I can’t say that I really saw it until about a week ago now. It’s kind of partly why I came down here for a break. But I saw it in my yard and in my dreams!”

  Rachel finally took a step back, giving Dan a little more comfortable elbow room between them. She squeezed her brows together and thought about this for a moment. Then she started to turn away to lean against the rock again.

  “You’re just teasing me, I think.”

  Daniel did something he felt was a little forward then, since he’d only known her for a couple days. He grabbed her hand and held it in both of his for a moment.

  “No! Rachel, I’ve seen this thing here! In the museum, just before you saw me in my truck!”

  “Now that is crazy!” She said, smiling again, but she was searching his face with her eyes again. Doubt was clearly departing and she awaited his explanation.

  “While I was looking at the dioramas I had a…well…I don’t know what else to call it, so please don’t laugh at me. I think I had a vision. But I he was right there standing by me when it happened. That’s why I was sitting in my truck for a bit.”

  She smiled, gratefully, and replied, “I wondered why you didn’t get out and walk in with us…you seemed like you were a little more interested in me than that.”

  Dan returned the smile but stammered as he said, “Well…yes…I mean…I think you’re a pretty neat lady. I like listening to you.”

  Rachel’s smile broadened and but she looked down at Dan’s extended hands. “Um…you’re still holding my hand.”

  Quickly, Daniel released her hand and cleared his throat. “Sorry. I didn’t realize. I just want you to believe me.”

  “I do.”

  Rachel put her gloved right hand on the back of Daniel’s neck and moved to pull his face down to hers as the top of her head fell well under his chin when they both stood upright. She planted a very quick but warm kiss on his check and whispered a thank you. Daniel did not quite know what was intended by the gesture but thank fully he didn’t have the opportunity to open his mouth (or at least use it for something other than gape since his jaw was already notable dropped) and say something stupid.

  Their conversation was cut short by another throat cleared nearby. Mrs. Smith was within a few paces and flashed a teasing grin their way. Her husband and the others were still wandering about the ruins and flashing as many pictures as a smart card could hold, it seemed.