Page 12 of The Fragile Ones
“Sounds great, but I’ll pass.”
Ty pulled up a chair. “Well, now is as good a time as any.”
“For?”
“I wanted to get some background info about the town of Silo.”
“I really don’t know much, just what I’ve heard around town, from friends and family. I’m not sure what’s fact from fiction.”
He smiled. “That’s okay. I’ve looked up some things, but you’re right, there’s not much out there. That’s what makes it so intriguing…We want to give more facts than fiction. We’re trying to find the angle on what made these places—now ghost towns—so prominent that they shaped towns like Pine Valley today.”
“That sounds interesting,” she said.
“See,” he said. “Controversy. Economy. Land. Growth. That’s what makes it so intriguing, and some ghost stories sprinkled in for good measure.”
Katie laughed. She was beginning to like Ty. He was quiet, but it was clear that he really enjoyed history and storytelling. His eyes brightened and he became animated when he talked.
“Some people try to connect the Gold Rush to this area, the town of Silo, but the rush was from 1848–1855 and there is no record of Silo until the 1860s. I think they were mining for other minerals and even stones in this area.”
“Really? You mean like silver or garnets?” she said.
“Possibly. The Gold Rush was over by 1855, and the only people who got rich were the merchants. Not the men panning for gold. Let’s face it; Native Americans have been finding stones for a lot longer. I know that there are many mine shafts around Sequoia County.”
“True.”
“I just think that stones are more likely, or even silver, iron, lead, zinc, and manganese. Your town of Pine Valley is rich with these minerals.”
“That’s a good point. But really the only thing I know about Silo is that it was a small mining town of about a hundred people. And yes, there are many mine shafts around the area, but there’s no other evidence of the town except some piles of brick, old square nails, and the occasional abandoned tool, like from a blacksmith or farmer.”
“Well, maybe we’ll get lucky,” he said.
“Maybe.”
“That’s what we’re here to see. We want to find facts, or artifacts, showing what made this area what it is today. We want to explore the sink holes, whether mines or geographical anomalies. Thanks for your time, Katie—whether you know it or not, they appreciate it too.” He got up and joined the other crew members.
The mention of the sink hole made Katie shiver and her mouth go dry. The memory of the dark abyss below and the dirt caving in on her was terrifying beyond comprehension. The state geological association and the local colleges had studied them, but could never agree on how or why they existed…whether because of the movement of the mountains, impact of mining, earthquake shifts, or some freak of nature.
“Hey,” said Emir. “Look. It’s clearing up.” He gestured outside, still filming to capture the beautiful sky as the last of the black clouds parted. “Wow, it’s amazing,” he continued, panning his camera. “One minute the storm from hell, and the next—sunshine.”
Soon, bright light blanketed the area and lit up the regular fall day again. It felt to Katie that a weight had lifted off her shoulders. The rain had ceased. The hail chunks were merging with the flood water, which was still draining off at a high rate. In another hour or so, there wouldn’t be much trace of what had happened.
“What do you think?” asked Matt.
“Let me hike out to Rifle Ridge before we drive—in case there are any hazards we need to be aware of.”
“I’ll go with you,” he said.
“You don’t need to.”
“I don’t think you should be alone.” He glanced back at his team.
Katie thought that was a strange thing to say, but she didn’t mind the company.
“Hey!” Matt said, getting everyone’s attention. “We’ll be right back. DO NOT leave this area. Understood?”
“Yeah,” everyone mumbled, going straight back to eating.
“Keep an eye on them,” he said to Emir.
