The Beast of Horner Mountain
There was a crisp chill in the breeze that blew through the Rockies, despite the fact that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Their famous purple tint could be seen in the crags and precipices farther away, but the closer ones were a much less breathtaking mix of greens, browns, and greys. At this time of year, only the evergreens still had their leaves; brown oaks and white aspens reached up toward the sky with bare branches and near skeletal twigs.
The narrow roads that wound around and between the mountains were fairly busy with traffic, as people took advantage of the clear weather to enjoy a day among nature. Among those vehicles was a black van, nearly taking up the entire road with its size. Fist sat at the wheel, his eyes repeatedly flicking to the right as he drove, as he tried to make sure the van didn’t go off the road...and over the cliff that ended just a couple feet past the shoulder.
Ice, who sat in the front passenger seat, was doing a much better job of ignoring said cliff, focusing instead on the map that was folded out in front of him. “Aight, looks like tha town should be just ‘round this corner.”
As the road curved to the left, the cliff started to extend further beyond the shoulder, gradually morphing into a narrow valley. At the far end, a small cluster of buildings could be faintly seen.
“There it is,” Ice said as he started to fold up the map. “Twin Creeks.”
Once they had crossed a creaky wooden bridge over a dry river bed, they had entered the town proper. Many of the buildings they passed were visibly old, with siding of slightly warped wooden planks and dusty windows. The road itself was unpaved dirt, and the sidewalks were also made of wood slats. The largest building was also the only one with two floors, and Fist pulled the van into a large dirt plot located across the street from it.
As the three climbed out, the faint hushing of a nearby river could be heard from behind the building. Plenty of other people were walking up and down the sidewalks, looking at the various buildings and checking out the small shops, and another vehicle drove up or down the road every few minutes.
“Pretty hoppin’ for a ghost town,” Cobra idly commented as he looked around.
“Yeah.” Ice nodded towards the two-story building, which held a slightly faded sign reading “Twin Creeks Lodge.” “Come on, lessee what we can find out here first.”
