Ginger put her hand on my shoulder. "Cut yourself some slack; you've had a rough day. We'll make sure we get her, but first, I think Oliver is right. We need to go back topside and get the sheriff."
Oliver nodded. "Damn right." The plump man seemed ready to go that moment, but Thorn held up his hand. "What is it?"
Thorn looked around and then lowered his voice. "I think someone’s coming. Do you hear that?"
We all stilled, listening intently. Sure enough, there was a slip-slap sound like someone or something moving. Ginger eased closer to Oliver and me. Darren shifted uneasily.
"What the hell is that?" I asked in a whisper.
Darren whispered frantically, "It's the Morlans."
"The what?" I asked in bewilderment.
The big man sighed. "They're creatures that live deep in the mountains. You aren't from around here. I don't expect you to believe me."
"Grams used to talk about them," Oliver said, and he glanced over at Thorn. "That’s just a bedtime story, Darren. It's probably Robert."
Darren shook his head. "That ain't Bob."
Thorn commanded, "Everyone, get in the way station." We all quickly complied, and soon we were seated in the way station lit by our harsh lamps and lights. Thorn stood near the door, looking out the window. I peered out one of the access windows but could only see darkness. My dream came back to me, and I shivered.
Outside, the slip-slap sound grew louder, but the darkness was absolute. Thorn shined his light out the window slot, panning it around. I tried the same thing with the floodlight through the bigger access window.
Ginger let out a little cry of alarm when the light panned and caught movement. It was so fast, we could not make out what it was. She grabbed my arm, and the light beam wobbled with her impact. "What was that?" she asked with a trembling voice.
"Morlans!" Darren insisted. "I didn't believe in them either until I worked in the mines." The man seemed to be talking to himself, and the rest of us said nothing to him as we looked out the windows.
Darren continued as if we were paying rapt attention—or maybe he’d forgotten us. "The boys in the mines said that the Morlans would sometimes call to them. They’re drawn in by the light, even though it burns them. Our headlamps were like dinner bells to them. Some of the older men said that the Morlans were shifters and could take the shape of other things or people to lure miners away to their death. Some people said they were the Singers in the caves. I never believed in it."
Ginger looked at him intently, and I knew what she was thinking. Her father had chased something that looked like her. I put an arm around her shoulders; she leaned into me heavily, and I felt her trembling against me. "I want to go home," she whispered.
"Still owe you that burger and walk in the moonlight," I teased, trying to take her mind off it.
She laughed and said, "I'm going to hold you to it."
I nodded. "You do that."
Oliver watched us, but I paid the man little mind. I had no designs on Ginger, but I did consider the girl my friend after all we had been through together in these tunnels.
Darren shook his head. "I never should have taken this job. Wasn't worth the pay."
"What job?" Thorn asked as he turned toward the man.
"I got hired to do some work in the mines. We were supposed to try to dig a bit to open up the tunnels that caved in."
Oliver looked at the man in interest. "Who would hire you to do that?"
Darren ignored Oliver's question and scowled. "It seemed a good deal at the time. I got all the gold I found as payment and anything else I could get my hands on down here, no questions asked. Then that policewoman goes and gets herself killed, and it somehow becomes my job to deal with you brats."
"How did Donna die?" I asked softly as I looked at the man, who suddenly seemed to be quite talkative.
Darren looked at the far end of the way station, considering things. "The Morlans got her. I saw her when I was on my way back from the cave. She went into the mines calling out her little girl's name. There's no way I could’ve gotten there in time. I found her later deep in the tunnels."
The man shivered. "Robert and I were supposed to move her so she could be found somewhere else to keep people out of the caves, but her damn body got moved somehow. We had just found her when you all showed up. We tried to scare you away from the corridors where her body was, but somehow you found us again."
"I didn't find anything. I was dragged!" I said irritably. "If you didn't drag me, then who did?"
Oliver said, "Well, whatever is out there doesn’t look that big, from the glimpse we got of it. Could it have dragged Victor, you think?" He seemed to be asking his brother.
Thorn considered the idea. "I don't know how strong they are. Gram's stories never said."
Oliver sighed. "I thought she made all that stuff up to entertain us."
"She was teaching you, Oliver, not entertaining you. She always treated you the same as she did me," Thorn said, scanning the area where the light shone outside.
"I never was meant to know all of that. I'm not like you, Thorn. You were born into it. I just borrowed the name."
"Suddenly you believe in all this?" Ginger asked Oliver incredulously. She had let go of my arm finally and wandered over to sit next to the plump man, who looked overwhelmed.
"I don't know what I believe anymore. I've never been one to believe things without proof. I knew Thorn, Dad, and Grams could do things sometimes that I didn't understand, but that doesn't necessarily translate into monsters existing," Oliver said in a distressed voice. "Gin, I wish you weren't down here."
Ginger put her hand on his arm gently and smiled. "That's the sweetest thing you've said to me in years." The two of them shared a quiet laugh, and I turned my gaze back outside the way station.
"Well, we can't just sit here," I said quietly.
Thorn nodded. "I'm going to go see if it's gone."
I looked at the man and shook my head. "No way."
"What do you suggest?" Thorn asked in exasperation.
"I'll go with you,” I suggested. “I don't think any of us should be anywhere alone down here with everything that's happened."
"I assure you that I can take care of myself," Thorn said, but he sounded amused and not irritated.
I stood up and said, "All the same."
He conceded the argument with a dip of his head. Thorn leaned over and handed Oliver the gun so he could keep an eye on Darren. The brothers exchanged a nod, and then Thorn cautiously opened the door. He kept the light pointed out the door so he could see anything waiting. Darren sat stiff, watching the door as we slipped out.
I really felt like we should probably have brought the gun with us as the door shut behind us. We swung our lights around, moving forward. I made sure to check around the way station, where anything could be hiding.
There was a noise in the tunnel to our left, and I stilled. My dream hit me again and my breath caught in my throat. I swung my light around and choked out a sound of distress. I saw a malformed arm for a moment before it moved swiftly out the beam. "It's here," I whispered.
"Yeah," Thorn said. "Maybe we can scare it off. I wonder how well it hears."
I shivered. "Going to sing it to death?"
"That's not a bad idea," Thorn said absentmindedly.
I sighed. "I was joking."
"I caught on to that," Thorn assured me. He fumbled in his coat and produced his phone. He tapped it a few times, and a song blared out. "I keep demos on my phone," he explained.
There was a scrabbling sound and a high whine as the creature fled from the noise. "It does not like that," I said firmly.
"Everyone's a critic," Thorn said, and I laughed despite the situation. We eased back toward the way station and opened the door. "Come on; I think we can make it," Thorn said as he motioned for everyone to come out.
Darren reluctantly came out of the way station. We turned all our lights on and then blared music or other noise from our p
hones. Thorn put Ginger and Oliver at the front. Darren was in the middle. I was behind Darren, and Thorn brought up the rear, where he could keep an eye on everyone.
I again wondered whether his actions were more inadvertent or methodical. I mostly ended up walking beside Thorn, as the tunnel was wide enough, and I had no desire to be close enough for Darren to grab.
We moved slowly at first but then more quickly as everyone gained confidence in the noise's ability to keep the strange creatures at bay. When we finally saw the mine entrance, everyone picked up the pace. As soon Oliver and Ginger reached it, there was a cracking sound.
Darren yelled, “The ceiling is giving in!” I grabbed Thorn's arm and pulled him back down the tunnel.
With a roar and a thundering crash, the mine entrance collapsed. The dust rose, and rocks rained down. The ground shook with a tremor. Thorn pushed me down, covering me. When the sound and motion finally ceased, Thorn pushed up off me, and rocks rolled off his back.
I coughed at the dust that I sucked in with every breath. "Are you okay?" I asked Thorn.
He nodded. "Yeah." He leaned forward and sputtered. We realized at the same time that we'd left our packs with the air masks in them at the way station.
"Damn," he choked out. "Oliver!" Thorn eased back down the tunnel cautiously as he yelled to his brother. "Oliver!!"
I followed him with my arm over my face to protect against the dust. Scooping up a flashlight that had fallen on the ground, I held the light so that Thorn could see where he was stepping. The cave entrance was completely blocked.
"Fuck."
Through the rocks came a muffled cry. "Thorn!"
Thorn yelled back, "Victor and I are okay!"
"Where's Darren?" Oliver's voice came through the rocks. "Ginger and I are fine!"
I looked at the pile of rocks. "You don't think he's under there, do you?"
Thorn glanced at me. "He'd have to be. I think I can move this, but I don't know. Get back down the tunnel."
"There's no way you can shift that, Thorn," I said resolutely. "It might collapse more."
Thorn spun around and grabbed me by the arm. "Get down the tunnel. Now." He pulled me back from the rock pile. "Be quiet and keep the light behind us in case any of those things followed us. I have to try to save Darren. It's my duty."
I started to speak but thought better of it. I aimed the light behind us, but I watched Thorn. He raised his hands toward the rubble and then shouted, "Oliver! Get clear!"
Faintly, we heard Oliver give the okay. There was a sound like the rocks were vibrating, and Thorn ground his teeth in concentration. First, the smaller rocks shifted and rolled off onto the tunnel floor. Then the pile of larger stones shook and tumbled, as if they were being shaken loose. The rocks cascaded and rolled, bouncing down the tunnel. I began to see sunlight through the rocks, and I heard Oliver give a shout. "Thorn! He's trapped under a large rock. Can you lift it more?" Thorn shook with his concentration. "Just a bit more! Easy! Steady the rocks!"
A bead of sweat trickled down Thorn's face as his muscles trembled like he was holding the weight of the mountain of rocks in his hands. "We've got him!" Oliver shouted. "We're clear!"
At Oliver's words, Thorn let his hands drop. The rocks crashed down, and the dust welled up. The blond swayed unsteadily on his feet. "Thorn?" I asked and then swiftly moved to brace him as he fell to the side. I put my head under his arm, breaking his fall, and slowly lowered him to the floor. "Thorn, are you okay?"
"I need to rest," he said softly. I nodded as I helped prop him up against the tunnel wall. The entrance was still very much blocked, and I sighed at the rubble. We would have to go out the cave that intersected with the tunnels.
I regarded Thorn thoughtfully. I’d heard of telekinesis from my mother, but it wasn’t one of the abilities I had ever seen. He had his head leaned back against the wall, and his eyes were closed.
I must have fallen asleep in the dark tunnel after some time, because I found myself in a room that I was not familiar with. The dream around me seemed foreign. I stood in a cottage that I didn’t recognize. I looked up at a flicker of movement.
The door opened and Thorn came through, seemingly unaware of me. I stilled and watched him. This was not the Thorn I knew; he was much younger. He walked down a hallway. I hesitated and then followed. The walls were filled with pictures of his family. I followed him through the last door on the left.
He stopped in front of a desk. Reaching into his shirt, he grabbed a necklace of silver, slipped it over his neck, and put it in a drawer. The way he did it seemed final, like he was locking it away.
He stepped away and went toward the bed, and I eased over to the drawer. With a glance over at him, I pulled the drawer open and saw a silver chain with a pendant that resembled three crescent moons in a knot formation. I’d seen the symbol before; my grandmother had an altar cloth embroidered with it.
I reached down to touch it but found a hand around my wrist. I jumped and looked up into the face of the Thorn I knew. He pulled me away from the drawer. I wanted to say I was sorry, but the dream was already changing. So I closed my eyes and let it.
When the dream re-solidified around me, I stumbled forward. I was firmly in my own dream now. I sighed at the darkness around me. There were no gunshots or gaping chasms. There was only the blackness. I realized I was sitting on a stone floor. I stood up, wary. I felt lost, and there was fear present as well. There was also a pull toward something—a pull that said everything would be fine if I just followed its lead. I hesitated and then followed it until I could hear its voice.
The sound of the melodic water calling out to me pulled me deeper. There was something nearby. I knew that there was something else in the dark, but I pushed on. I felt in front of me carefully and avoided what felt like a pool of standing water.
I saw light in the distance. The perpetual midnight abated just a bit with the faint, unearthly glow. The light beckoned with the very song of the water that had enticed me this far, and I moved swifter. I needed answers.
As I drew closer, I realized that there were lights near the ceiling. Thousands of glow worms hung down as if they’d been there for eons. There was a rushing of water, too. The glow from the dangling worms was beautiful, and between that and the warmth of the cave, I was mesmerized.
I heard a rush and a splashing sound, as if something alive was moving through the water. I peered at the glistening water and approached it, realizing it was a current of water cutting through the rocks. It’s an underground river. I edged forward, and I heard something move within the water again. Why can’t I see it?
I got as close to the slippery banks of the river as I thought safe and peered in. It was black, not even reflecting the light of the worms. I stared. I saw no reflections in the water whatsoever.
I felt unsettled. It was not right. There were no answers here. Then I saw the light far in the depths. I stared at it for a long moment. It swirled and danced like a million stars, moving with a grace that entranced me. I noticed that they were getting closer, and my breath caught in my throat.
I wanted to move backward but felt like I could not. Then there was someone else there. Someone's arms were around my waist, dragging me away from the river.
My eyes flew open. Into the darkness, I mumbled, "The river."
There was movement, and I realized suddenly that the flashlight had gone out. A faint light glowed, and I saw Thorn was looking at his phone. "I must have fallen asleep," he said softly and looked over at me. "Are you okay?"
"Me? I have a headache. Are you okay?" I asked incredulously.
He nodded. "Yeah. I feel much better. Have you heard anything out of Oliver and Ginger?"
I shook my head. "I fell asleep, too."
Thorn looked at me for a moment, then he pushed up off the tunnel floor. I looked at my own phone and saw that we'd passed out for an hour. "Oliver!" Thorn shouted at the rubble. There was silence. He pulled up his phone again. "No signal."
"Yeah, mine either," I said.
Thorn tried shouting again, and again we were met with silence. "They probably took Darren to the hospital and to get crews up here to get us out," Thorn said reasonably.
I nodded. "Hopefully."
“I wonder how long the flashlight has been out," Thorn mused.
"I don't know. Hey, can I ask you something?"
Thorn blinked at me. "Don't suppose I can stop you."
I regarded him and then asked, "When Darren had me in the tunnel, did you use your telekinesis against him?"
He sighed. "Yes. I'm not supposed to use it in front of people."
“Why?" I asked curiously. "I mean, I'm familiar with this stuff."
Thorn asked, "Do you tell people about your dreams as a habit?"
"Lately it seems that way," I said, shaking my head. "No, I don't. I was taught to keep it to myself and protect the secret."
His blond hair moved as he nodded. "My family has watched over this mountain for generations. Even though most people know or suspect we have psychic abilities, they are unaware that we have any offensive abilities. It was a choice made a long time ago to make ourselves appear weaker than we were."
"So, Oliver knows?" I asked curiously.
Thorn shrugged. "He's my brother. We grew up together. He doesn't have any abilities because he isn't direct blood with Dad, but they never treated him differently for it."
We stood in silence for a moment before I ventured, "I had a dream about you when you were younger."
"No, you didn't," Thorn said, and then he sighed. "That was my dream."
"How did I see it?" I asked with genuine interest.
"Do you remember when you were with Darren?" When I nodded, he continued, "How do you think I found you?"
"Noise? I don't know. How did you find me?" I asked as I stuffed my hands into my coat pockets.
He took a deep breath. "We were searching for you, and I heard you calling me. Not so much in words, but it was there. I got a sense you were in trouble or scared, and I did something that I've never done with anyone." He looked over at me and shrugged. "I reached back. Normally, I get sensations and feelings from people, but I'm careful not to reach out to them. My grandmother said it can make a connection that's inadvisable. I reached back because you were afraid, and I wanted you to know that I was coming to get you."
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