"Legend of the Blue Mist" Original Creepy Deep Woods Story

The sheriff stood in the doorway of the cabin holding a handkerchief to his nose and mouth choking back his breakfast smell was beyond putrid it only been sheriff of Coloma for a few months it was no stranger to dead bodies or the smell of death but this one well this one took the cake the corpse some panner had discovered a few days ago was in the middle of decomposition somewhere inside the gloomy single room structure he stepped off the porch Fanning his face with his flat black crown hat trying to give him some relief from the now hot spring day he perched his shoulder on one of the six rudimentary graves just outside cherished the fresh air now filling his nostrils what did you find the scruffy old man wearing a pair of suspenders and straw hat past and patiently well I ain't done yet but far as I could tell someone shot three times directly through the door from the inside one rifle two shotgun blasts by the look of them and you said the door was nailed up from the inside when you got in he asked his stomach beginning to settle down sure was window too had to break down the door just to get in I wish I hadn't he remarked scratching the back of his neck well because of the circumstances I'm going to forget about the fact that you technically broke in I need to get in there and see what happened he said reapplying the handkerchief to his face and walked back towards the cabin stepping back up to the doorway he entered and inside it was dark but from the light entering the doorway there was just enough to see two tables a couple of bunk beds one being partially disassembled a stove a large rug tossed the sod revealing a hatch frame in the floor and the chest resting to its side were the only things of note but there in the corner lay what he assumed had been a man the body draped in a dirty stained bedsheet a large black pool of ooze forming around it he stepped up to the sheet trying his best to avoid the black sludge on the ground and grabbin the cleanest corner torrid off and threw it aside the half skeletal figure had large chunks of rotting me still clinging to its face and ribcage the arms and neck were completely barren of flesh and only dull white bones remained he turned and dry heaved slightly off to the side of the body after a few minutes of heaving he regained his composure and walked to the boarded single window he inspected it and finding that the boards were intact and securely nailed to the wall began prying them off letting in more light after dismantling the improvised bed frame barricade he made his way back over to the body looking as best as he could for any obvious signs of injury he examined the remains but with the body being so decomposed he was unable to find anything conclusive and after investigating the corpse and finding nothing of note he turned and looked back at the interior there was plenty of firewood so the man hadn't frozen to death even though the winter had been particularly harsh that year he opened the chest finding a few days worth the spoiled food inside as well as a generous amount of gold thus kept inside an old mason jar he hadn't starved and with all the snow would creak only a few hundred feet from the cabin chances were he hadn't died of thirst either on top of the mason jar rested a small fold that piece of paper he grabbed it and unfolded it to reveal a bank receipt Joseph Catholic Thomas Higgins recipient for 84 ounces of gold dated November 14th 18-49 Coloma Bank hmm he mumbled to himself he couldn't help but think he had heard those names before the year was 18-49 and the California Gold Rush was in full swing thousands of families were selling everything they had loading up on a wagon and heading west to strike it rich in total more than 300,000 people would relocate their entire lives to California in search of the yellow metal that drove men to do desperate and dangerous things Thomas Higgins Jefferson Moorish and Joseph gala were young and full of hope that they too would have their chance to strike it rich Thomas were simply Tom as his friends would call him was 21 years old who had just finished law school Jeff and Joe were both 22 and had been working at the local coal mine in their town of Petersburg West Virginia for the past six years they had been friends with Tom since grade school but instead of attending a higher learning school like Tom they decided to start working to help support their families the boys would meet at least once a week at their favorite tavern to talk and catch up and the last few months to talk Sam was always centered around either the gold rush happening in California or the civil unrest that was starting to brew between the north and south I'm telling you Tom we need to get out there get some of this gold before half the country moves out there and takes it all Jeff said after draining the rest of his mug I don't know Jeff I mean I just finished law school haven't even gotten a reply from any of the courts I put my application to Tom replied gingerly swirling the last few sips of beer in his glass I know and it's bloomin perfect I'll think about it we go out there and start prospecting if we hit a rich why he ain't got nothing to worry about not if we strike out you could go to work for a court or law firm out there I'm sure with all the influx of people in their desperate need of men such as yourself me and Jeff well we could just sign on to another outfit that hit gold and make enough to scrape by Jeff replied gesturing wildly yeah you got nothing to worry about bud like Jeff said if we hit a rich whoo you win if we strikeout no you could be a lawyer or a judge or whatever it is that you do and not to mention there's a lot of angst going on between north and the south right now if it keeps up much longer there might be some fighting I don't like the idea of me getting tossed in a uniform and mixed up in a squabble between the government and enriched farmers down south Joe finished Jeff got up and went back to the counter to get fresh round of drinks and Tom sat thought about it for a moment look if you want to come wow that's fantastic Jeff and I are leaving in two weeks I already talked it over with our families and well we're kind of set on it talk to her friend of mine that runs the caravans out that way and he got us a passage for free if we guard the shipment of supplies he's sending out that way Joe said in a subdued tone Jeff returned to the table and passed tankards around the table and Tom's silent weighing his options after what seemed like an hour Jeff nudged Tom's arm so what'll it be move out to California and maybe strike it rich or be cooped up in some stuffy courtroom combing over old books for ten years before sitting out of judge's podium a Jeff asked Tom glanced down at his beer then picked it up as if to toast I suppose one of you bastards got a rifle I could borrow for this trip out there he asked smirking slightly the other two roared with laughter and raised their glasses to me his the next two weeks were spent gathering supplies and selling all their belongings they would not be able to take along on the trip by the time a stagecoach had left the three men had managed to acquire large canvas tent three sleeping rolls three rifles three canteens a shovel two picks three pans a various set of cookware that included a good-sized Dutch oven three backpacks in a total of two hundred and thirty one dollars between the three of them they bordered the coach at noon on June 3rd 18-49 and their journey to California that would take almost two months began six wagons carried the cargo of the caravan that consisted of almost one ton of salt 500 pounds of soap 200 gallons of Kentucky whiskey and about 50 pairs of pants and various sizes an older man named Chester was the lead stagecoach driver of the caravan who rode at the front with a shotgun locked in a rifle rest by his left foot yet made the trip out to Coloma California nearly half a dozen times in the last four years was what you would call a grizzled veteran of the trail he showed the boy is some useful bushcraft skills while sitting around the campfire at night but they would later find invaluable and after two months in a relatively uneventful trip they had finally made it to Coloma the mecca of all American gold miners the boy is thanked Chester for his help and for the ride and wished him good luck on his return trip Chester wished them well and began rolling down the street to the dry goods store to offload his cargo now the town was a little more than a Main Street with a handful of permanent structures including the dry goods store a saloon the prospecting office the town government building and a bank everywhere else mud and soot stained canvas tents blotted the small clearing looking as if an army had invaded and set up camp hundreds of people bustle de round the encampment carrying supplies playing poker or stagger and back from the saloon the smell of campfire smoke urine and sour vomit hung in the air as thick as the morning fog causing the boys eyes to water and their stomachs to churn and as they made their way down the muddy and rutted dirt road they passed the man and stained overalls that smelled even worse than he looked the wretch shot the boy is a scowling glare unbuttoned his fly and began pissing directly in the middle of the road they cringed and continued towards the prospecting office was slightly more haste this was not at all what they had imagined when talking about the gold rush upon reaching the office all three of them had talked and decided that they needed to get as far as way from the cesspool town as possible they walked up and were greeted by short fat man's sitting behind the counter behind him was a huge map of the surrounding area that had tax with strips of paper attached to them indicating where people had made claims the men told the clerk their full names paid the $3.00 fee and soon they each possessed a prospecting permit now then where would you like to stake your claim he said gesturing on the map the three of them had no clue where to go or what looked like good terrain and eventually they settled on a small River about 10 miles from Coloma there are a few claims made along it but for the most part it was fairly empty after having their own pin struck on the map the clerk informed them that the first claim was free but if they wanted to move it would be a five dollar charge the men left the prospecting office and head to the dry goods store where they saw the wagons they had rode on being offloaded they guess Chester was at the saloon getting something to eat and drink they entered the dry goods store and began perusing for some last-minute supplies they couldn't believe the prices of some of the items in the store the pics that they had bought in West Virginia had only cost a dollar and five cents but here there were almost $4 there was also the second price that read 1/16 of an ounce they assumed that you could buy supplies and just straight gold and finally after about 20 minutes of shopping they walked out of the store with a map compass a fishing pole a second shovel a small tent stove and five pounds of bacon the items had cost them dearly at a price of $40 they were thankful that they had purchased most of their supplies back in West Virginia and the next thought they made was at the only stable in town they walked in and asked what horses the stablemaster had for sale he walked them outside and they saw about ten horses all lined up they asked how much for one and their jaws dropped when they heard him say $300 per horse with only about a hundred and fifty left after their trip and the purchase made at the dry goods store and prospect in office there was no way they had enough for one let alone three horses Jeff looked back behind the stables saw an older mule hitched to a post how much for the mule he asked pointing to the old beast the burden well that there is Bess stablemaster groaned she's ornery and stubborn as hell more likely to bite you than a halt your gear and if you really want her I could give her to you for I don't know 100 bucks the three boys conversed for a moment before turning back to the stable master and told him he had a deal stable master somewhat surprised that they went for the deal offered to throw in some saddlebags for free and made a note to mention there were no refunds the boys walked out with a slightly irritated old mule now in tow they loaded their bulkier items in the saddlebags with only slight protests from Bess and set out for their new prospecting site it was almost ten miles and they would be lucky if they made it by nightfall they set out and snapped on some of the bison jerky while they trekked through the pine forest it was the middle of August but because they were at a much higher elevation and there was almost no humidity it was relatively cool it made good time even for walking up and down the steep hills and by the time the Sun was setting they were setting up their camp next to the small Creek it took a few days but they finally began seeing some gold flakes and their Pam's another week and they had begun finding a handful of small nuggets they lived off the land either catching fish in the stream or hunted the deer and rabbits that inhibited the woods the prospectors near them were friendly and imparted some wisdom enabling the boys to find more gold and soon they had almost 50 ounces of the gold thus contained in an old mason jar the other prospectors also told them a place up near the Rubicon River that supposedly had more gold than any man could carry they wouldn't go up that way because it was nearly 60 miles away it would almost take a week to get there and they also said that the prospectors that came back from there were well they just weren't right and after a few weeks they had begun panning less and less gold out of the stream and decided to take a trip back into town to get supplies and changed to a different prospect in sight it had been a month since they got to Coloma and the place only looked worse more tense more people and much more filth the road was now just a river of mud and waste that people avoided the dry goods store had run out of almost everything the stable master luckily had four horses left and decided ten ounces of gold per horse was a suitable trade the price of gold at the exchange office in the bank was about eighteen dollars per ounce and they had more buying power by just using gold instead of using stamped silver or paper so they bought with gold instead they walked into the prospecting office and the clerk asked them how they were doing and after chatting for a bit he asked that they wanted to change their prospect they answered yes and looked at the map the Rubicon River lay at the top right corner of the map and only a few pins had been struck at the base of the river were formed a small lake Rubicon River Jeff said pointing to the top right corner the clerk's swiveled and looked to where he was pointing he sucked air between his teeth as a grimacing from an injury listen you boys seem like a good la so I'm gonna tell you something that River he said pointing at the map has a lot of gold in it but you see prospectors that come back from there well if at all they're different yeah I was in the saloon one night when a man came storming in half-crazed he jumped over the bar and grabbed the bottle of whiskey began draining the thing the bartender began yelling at him for payment well that's when he slammed the Nugget the size of an egg down on the counter continued drinking well I figured he was just celebrating but after he had made his way to another table I heard him telling his friends that he was going back home sure enough he up and left the next morning headin straight for Pennsylvania the boys talked it over for a minute but the allure of Nuggets the size of chicken eggs were all they could think about Gold's fever the old-timers would call it the desire for gold that would blind men to danger and even drive them to savagery to obtain it the boys had gotten a taste of what could be had and the only thing they could think about was how to get more of it they decided against the wishes of the prospect and clerk and had him sink their pin at the base of the Rubicon River they slept on the outskirts of Coloma that night occasionally hearing gunshots off in the distance whether drunken celebration or someone being killed for the gold well they didn't know deciding it would be a good insurance policy they slept them shifts and it paid off around midnight a man snuck quietly to their horses and began rifling through their saddlebags Joe was on watch told the man to stop and get the hell out of their camp he was armed with a rifle and shouldered it pointed directly at the man he raised his hands and backed off into the dark the next morning the boys had broken down their camp by the time the Sun was rising and decided to get out on the trail as soon as possible the trip to the Rubicon River would take almost a week luckily there's a fairly well-established trail leading north that the boys could take for their first half of the trip the last three days they would be taking a very small trail east to the base of the Rubicon River were a small length leg the trip was straightforward enough and the boys were grateful they were making it on horseback rather than walking the farther from Coloma they got the less people they saw and as a result safer they felt the gold rush they heard about a while back in West Virginia was nothing like the hell they had become a part of and only when there were miles from any town did they feel safe enough to all sleep at night on the fourth night the boys had just bedded down for the evening their fire still fairly bright when they heard something not far off in the woods sticks were snapping softly but the boys didn't pay much mind to it because there were many deer in the area that became much more active at night low growl emanated from somewhere close in the inky blackness of the forest this got the boys attention and they quickly scrambled out of their bed rolls and grabbed their rifles for the next five minutes they sat looking to where the growl had come from each man had beads of sweat on their brows despite it being a cool night they heard some twigs behind them snap and they wheeled around rifles at the ready and there just at the edge of the darkness to beady green eyes sets the men hatred seemed to emanate from them they stood frozen staring back at the eyes and remembering that they were intruders in this land but whatever stalking them had been here much longer than they had been a black nose came into the light accompanied by a muzzle covered in brown fur the face of a bear came into view that was larger than any they had ever seen the boys were locked in fear they weren't even sure that they could kill something that big the bear is sensing their fear decided to make the first move and step forward and Rose its hind legs to a height of well over eight feet tall and let out a bellow that chilled the three men to their bones this bellow was what broke Jeff out of his stupor he didn't even aim but he did manage to pull the trigger and a bright flash illuminated the camp and a sharp crack echoed through the mountains the shot had grazed the animal causing it to drop back down on all fours and charged towards Jeff in a range Jeff was the next one to fire and hit the beasts high and it's shoulder causing it to lurch to one side and stagger as it was trying to regain its footing it let out another ear-splitting roar and scowled at the men but it was injured and that gave tom enough confidence to aim and fire his rifle the round sailed true and buried itself squarely in the center of the Bears chest a brisket shot the bear dropped to the ground but started getting back to its feet after struggling for a moment it relented and slumped to the ground on the stomach and began breathing and ragged raspy gasps another thirty seconds in it lay still the next morning they dressed the Beast cooked what meat they could and smoked the rest for later this would add on about a day to their trip but their food for the next few weeks would be taken care of as they move closer to their destination the small goat trail they had been traveling on became very narrow and soon sheer cliffs rose to over a hundred feet on either side of the trail they had come to a pass that was no wider than ten feet but extended several hundred yards before opening back up to the mountainous expanse and finally in the early evening of the seventh day they saw the lake shore and on the other side lay peculiar sight about seven canvas tents all stood nearly touching each other in a tight orderly formation this was uncharacteristic as most prospectors preferred to be far from one another due to thievery or crouching on one another's prospecting sites the boys made it to the other side of the lake and began setting up their tent when an older man with long silver hair and bushy white beard walked over from the cabin about a quarter mile of the shore of the lake but howdy fellas he said coming to stop about 20 feet from the other three men as they started to unpack their tent an old Kentucky rifle rested in the crook of his elbow but he didn't seem aggressive or threatening the tone of his voice had been genuinely warm and inviting ah so you boy has decided to come up to the valley of the Blue Mist try your luck I see yeah well I heard some rumors that the gold was good up this way our other spot was pretty much dried up so we feared we'd give it a shot Jeff answered unhinging his saddlebags now listen before you boys start setting up a camp why don't you come on over to the rest of the group and set up over there now I know that panners aren't usually so hospitable and it might seem odd but I can explain once we get over there Roger and marther cooking up some mighty fine grub tonight and usually they let newcomers eat on the house their first time the older man said almost pleading this caught the boy slightly off-guard but after a few moments of discussion they figured the old man was being honest and friendly enough they agreed to follow the man who then introduced himself as Herbert once their two other men met them and began helping them set up their tent and by Twilight they had finished and could smell something delicious waving its way towards them from the chuck wagon sitting at the center of the camp the other six men appeared from their tents and introduced themselves as they walked to the few small tables set up just outside the wagon Roger and Martha were busy at work under the canvas canopy of the chuck wagon preparing food for the men chili and cornbread were on the menu and it smelled heavenly the couple looked to be in their early 50s but obviously knew their way around a camp kitchen soon steaming bowls of chili and cornbread were being served the taste was outstanding and after dinner Herbert sat down with the boys let an old corncob pipe and spoke to them so you've had a chance to sit down get to know everyone we're all pretty honestly good folk now I have to warn you boys there is gold in this river up here but by God there are some rules that you need to follow if you want to stay safe while getting it first you never go anywhere alone should be easy enough for you lads second you never go out at night ever and third if you ever see the mist you get inside as fast as you can and you make your tent as airtight as you can light a fire and keep it burning until the mist is gone his tone was low almost the whisper but serious is all hell the boys were quiet as the grave for a minute the old man's goal had been to unnerve them it sure had worked Tom spoke up now sir I don't mean no disrespect but why I mean there are bears out here could be bears but I don't think so now listen some just trust me follow those rules and you will bring home more gold then you know what to do with better yet you'll be alive to spend it another prospector named Smith walked up and interrupted the conversation herbert been telling you about the mist he asked a half chuckling Smith was obviously slightly intoxicated he told you he was piss drunk when he was coming back down that Valley right he followed up now outright laughing now that's a load of hogwash Smith Herbert shot back slightly angry and I'm sure there isn't an empty bottle of whiskey sitting at the top of that valley Smith retorted as he took a drag off his hand rolled cigarette all right young whippersnapper prove me wrong why don't you go take a walk there and tell me what you find in that fog Herbert said pointing to the moonlit Bank of mist at the far end of the lake Smith stared blankly to where the older man was pointing trying to decide if he wanted to tempt fate in order to prove him wrong and after a good 15 seconds of Smith staring blankly at the ominous fog bank he snorted well old-timer I would but that's a long walk down there over there rocky terrain well I'm liable to twist an ankle if I just go walking out in the dark like that yeah maybe next time he said drunkenly walking off towards his tent after asking Herbert a few more questions about the rules and where to start panning the boys thanked him for the information as well as Roger and Martha for the meal they went back to their tent and bedded down for the night they decided to keep a watch posted just in case these folks weren't as pleasant as they appeared to be the nights were starting to get cold as the onset of fall was well under way so the man on watch was given an extra blanket and sat close to their fire which they kept burning all night the next morning the boys had a quick breakfast of jerky a few slices of bacon and some older sourdough biscuits and the boys set out towards the far end of the lake with the others the fog had been burned off as they were eating breakfast and now the end of the lake as well as the Rubicon River were completely clear all of the panners including the three boys set up about 500 yards up river and began panning at around 9:00 in the morning within the first 10 minutes the boys had begun finding flecks of gold everywhere and they were excited beyond measure something strange finally registered with Tom after the third day of panning at Camp there were plenty of birds and creatures running around what one was to expect one in the backcountry of California's wilderness but when they went to the river to pan he couldn't remember seeing a single living creature while they were panning not a bird rabid deer or even a fish in the river while this was odd he decided not to tell his friends about the mysterious observation for the next month the boys had tremendous luck finding gold Suman had more than 50 ounces put away in their mason jar meals provided by Roger Martha were relatively inexpensive that sixteenth of an ounce per meal but if you caught enough fish or shot a deer and donated it to them they would let you eat free for a whole day the other panners were all likable aside from Smith and told outrageous and hilarious stories around the dinner table every night the boys enjoyed themselves and were smitten with the beauty and grandeur of the California wilderness about a month after they arrived at the Rubicon River Tom and Joe noticed slight changes in Jeff he became more irritable that things that he would normally never give a second thought about and he seemed well he seemed off someone moved his chair he got mad Joe and Tom talking after they had bedded down for the night now seemed to irritate him he even began complaining that the meals provided by Roger Martha were tasteless and he began eating large portions of the jerky they had saved he wanted to leave earlier and return later every day but relented when Tom and Joe told him they would not go out before the mist had cleared and after starting to find less and less gold at their spot they decided to move to the farthest position along the river closer toward the cabin and farther away from the lake they were still well within sight and shouting distance of the other panners but were now the group farthest from the lake they began finding nuggets and their lust for more the yellow material only intensified they showed the other panners who were pressed but also cautioned them not to move too far up the river the boys listened but as the day's wore on and the nuggets became less and less plentiful they decided to move farther up the river again as they moved up the valley they began finding chunks of gold nearly the size of acorns two months after arriving at the lake and well into November Tom Jeff and Joe we're returning from the valley near dusk when they met herbert who had also just finished packing up his equipment for the day listen boys I know that you have the gold fever something fierce but I got to tell you I'm not comfortable with you guys pushing so far up the valley lately I mean what if one of you were to fall and break a leg god forbid could take you several hours to get back down to Lake the old man asked a genuine tone of concern well herb the boys had taken to call on the old timer that since they had gone to know him better if one of us Falls we got two other that will be able to carry us down Tom answered with a smile well I know but winter is coming and it's know something fierce up here I just don't want you lads getting caught in a blizzard and not being able to make it back before dark he said honesty and word he's still apparent in his voice look old man I think you're just using that mist as an excuse to keep everyone away from the upper part of the river trying to save her for yourself probably Jeff snapped at the old timer Tom Joe and herb stopped staring and disbelief at Jeff say what Tom asked incredulously well we've all been here for a few months and I haven't seen or heard anything strange coming from that mist my pet is herb sneaked up there sometime during the night and looks for nuggets where everyone else is afraid to go Jeff stated as he kept walking down the valley well I must certainly am NOT Herbst back I'm trying to see your goddamn life you idiot Jeff just rose a hand over his shoulder and may a shooing gesture as if to deflect the man's words as he continued down towards the lake Tom and Joe had no idea where this had come from he hadn't expressed his opinions to them at all this was the first time they had heard him talk about her in such an ill manner pardon our friend herb Joe mumbled he seems to be out of sorts lately well talk to him and find out what's going on that no need to dam Gold Fever got into that boy he said and spat on the bank of the river the whole damn place is cursed I got more than enough gold to live comfy for the next few years I'm done I ain't gonna bury no more bodies in this damn Valley he stated looking back towards the top of the valley with a cabin set then he began briskly walking back towards the camp without uttering another word what did he mean by burying no more bodies Tom asked in a whisper Joe shot him a glance and it was apparent he was unnerved as well when the three men had made it back to camp Joe and Tom questioned Jeff about what he had said Jeff of course had no proof of her doing but claimed it was a gut feeling after telling him that herb planned to leave Jeff jumps and stated yeah well fool is probably going to circle on the back side of one of the mountains and start panning at the top the river near the cabin would you listen to yourself Joe yelled anger in his voice herbs been nothing but kind to us since we got here and now you're saying that he made up all those rules to keep people away from that Valley makes them a sense I think we need to take a break head back to Coloma for supplies Tom interjected it's going to start snowing soon and who knows when we'll be able to get supplies again well you could go back if you want but I want to get as much gold as I can before winter hits Geoff remarked after arguing back and forth for nearly an hour the group decided that Tom and Joe would go back to Coloma while Jeff remained behind and continued panning for gold Tom and Joe weren't happy about it but Geoff refused to budge the most they were able to get him to agree to was not move any further up the valley at least until they got back the next day after particularly silent and chilly breakfast Tom and Joe saddled up on their horses and left for a Coloma on their way out of camp herb came riding up beside them and said that they should travel together I don't want a grizzly making a meal of me he gave us his explanation for wanting to ride with them the conversation the boys had the night prior was still fresh and Joe and Tom's head this action only confirmed that Geoff was wrong about the man in the group but three set out and within six days they had made it back to Coloma entering the town it seemed much less chaotic and much more somber there were only a handful of people out and about the most of them wore blank or indifferent expressions once at the bank Tom and Joe deposited half of their goal well herb traded his gold in for dollars the clerk was impressed with the haul the men had brought in not a bad summer halt lads rest assured we will keep it safe for you while you go more the clerk said writing 84 ounces on the boys receipts well that's very much appreciated but we've only been here for two months and well that's only half our haul Tom said grabbing the receipt from the clerk and pocketing it where gee boys say been prospecting he asked in bewilderment well the Rubicon River Joe answered the clerk furrowed his brow and leaned in closer listen boys there have been some strange things happening up there had a man in a few months back that said the place was cursed Tom and Joe shot a glance to one another well there are some rules that you need to follow but first now I'm not too sure about that Joe answered looking back towards the clerk after their deposit at the bank Tom and Joe stopped by the dry goods store they bought a bunch of supplies coffee winter coats shotgun some shotgun shells and after packing their supplies on the horses they decided to go to the saloon to get a hot meal upon entering the saloon they were met with silent stares which was stark contrast to what they had experienced only a month ago the patrons looked at the two men and then turned back to their drinks and food the piano that occupy the corner of the room sat empty in silent the bar which usually was occupied by drunken and flamboyant banners was only occupied solemn stony faces that were glued to their liquor choice and after sitting down and ordering some food and a few shots of whiskey Joe and Tom saw a man sitting in a far corner booth who scored his Silver Star in his chest new sheriff in town I guess commented Tom who nodded towards the man must be the reason for lack of debauchery smirk Joe sheriff noticed the two men looking him over and got up to introduce himself and after assuring the sheriff they weren't going to cause in the trouble he bid them farewell tipped his large black flat crowned hat and strolled out to the street their meals arrived shortly after and they began eating it was at that point herb walked in dollars practically spilling out of his vest he went to the bar and ordered a whole bottle of whiskey then turned and saw Tom and Joe he meandered his way over and sat down while the boys ate their meal and herb drank his they began talking after the meal Tom and Joe ordered more whiskey and they sat drinking with the old-timer listened to him tell the stories when he first got to the valley in an hour into the conversation Joe asked the question hey herb what is in that mist we never heard nothing from him but seems like everyone in that camp was scared stiff of it Herbert got deadly serious there's Mary drunken phase replaced with one that looked as if you were choking back terror he drained the last shot of whiskey and then calls for another bottle well when I first got out here almost a year ago everything was normal me and a few other panners had pretty much free rein of the place and boy did we find some gold about a month after getting there a group of five men started moving farther and farther up the river to the valley that sits on the other side of that mountain they came down from there with more gold than I had ever seen and it seemed to only come back with more it wasn't long before odd blue mists started pouring out of the valley and down the river almost every night he withdrew his old corncob pipe and lit it anyway after week this mists starting to roll down the river we realized that we hadn't seen them so I set out to go and find them one day and well after about two hours of walking up the river I found where they had set up that small cavern by God the HAR that I found up there still haunts me to this day all five of them dead just outside their cabin their bodies were starting to rot and the smell was beyond description on top of all that their horses had died as well still hitched to their posts here's the weird thing though with all that meat just laying out in the open wood figured that the critters would have gone after them but I'll tell you that not even one of them had been gone had he took a drag on the stem of his pipe the glow from the embers illuminated his face momentarily in the dimly lit room his eyes were as wide as saucers after burying them it was starting to get towards night when I heard a cacophony of birds light into the sky and as I looked there there were hundreds if not thousands of birds all flying and screeching down towards the lake and then I saw it the mist it seemed to seep out of the mountains themselves soon flowed down towards me and I dropped everything and ran as if the devil himself was on my heels now near the bottom of the river right by the lake that's when the mists caught up to me and just as I thought I was about to get swallowed the wind changed slightly and the mists began pouring out the lake instead of following me along the shore I was about fifty feet away from the massive blue wall and turned around to look at it and that's when I heard it he said taking another even longer drag on his pipe chasing it with a shot of whiskey the boys hairs were standing on end now it sounded simpler to an elk but not quite as high-pitched I've been all over this country and I've never heard something making noise like that one I heard come from out of that mist very clear something entirely otherworldly about it I swear I could hear hushed voices chattering frantically shortly after and then I heard footsteps let me tell you it would put a grizzly bear to shame after I heard the footsteps I kept running back to camp no way in hell was I about to stick around and find out what was making those steps and that is my story the blueness now what caution you boys tell your friend Jeff he's acting just like those five men before they died at the top of that Valley Tom and Joe mounted up on their horses and began the sixth day ride back to the valley of the Blue Mist after being in Coloma for less than three hours they left around 5:00 in the evening and as they did it began to snow softly as the men neared the lake on the sixth day early in the afternoon they saw something that unnerved them about a quarter mile away on the top of the pass to their right the men saw an Indian dancing around a fire after watching him for nearly a full minute the man stopped dancing stared directly at them it was at this point that Tom and Joe realized the man was covered in a pale blue paint the Indian continued staring at the men as they rode past ahead on a barren spot of the mountain to their left tom was able to see another Indian dress identical to the first who was also performing the same dance the sound broken English dragged Tom's attention back to the first Indian on the right Mountain cursed evil spirit leave leave now the Indian shouted hands cupped along the sides of his mouth the boy's spine started to tingle they hadn't known much about the American Indians but one thing they had learned from herb was at the local tribe in the area were called the Naja peaceful in Alton with the panners near the Rubicon River so when there's an Asha warrior told them to leave they knew he genuinely cared about their well-being but was trying to warn them of something as Tom was about to shout back and try and get more information the warrior quickly grabbed his bow mounted his horse and began moving back down the far side of the pass out of sight for Tom and Joe sat on their horses Tom turned to look where he had seen the second inage he was gone as well but the fire still remained the clouds lifted slightly and they saw that all along the tops of the nearby mountains and Hills trails a smoke from dozens of fires could be seen making a large arching circle that was lost in the distance looking right they saw a similar line of fires and in the center of the two lines lay two solitary mountains with a lake at their base the two men broke into a gallop and rode hard towards the lake another half an hour and they're pulling up to the camp which was in a flurry men packed up their tents and loaded down their horses with her equipment a party of nearly 15 Indians were there helping them and pack they were all wearing the same blue paint they had seen earlier and amongst the chaos Tom found Roger Roger what the hell is going on he asked looking around in confusion where's Jeff your friend went completely crazy nearly beat Nathan to death yesterday he's up in the valley somewhere I don't know and when we get back to Coloma well I'm gonna send the law after him deserves to be in Chains for what he did to Nathan the Indians are Nadja and their chief gray al says that there's a big snow storm coming if saved our bacon a few times before so we figured it's best to listen to them the gold will still be here in the spring he said and asmath on command the gray sky began softly dropping snow on the bank of the Tom looked over to the only Indian still mounted on his horse he wore a large headdress with black feathers in a chest blade which looked like it was made of small hollow bones with bright beads for accents he too was painted blue but his mouth and eyes were painted pitch-black giving him a ghoulish appearance it was when Tom looked at the Chiefs eyes he noticed the elders staring back at him Tom walked over to him and removed his hat gesture of respect excuse me chief Tom spoke in a soft and respectful tone are we in danger big snow coming Pass will soon close before nightfall he said in a deep yet quiet intonation Tom paused the moment not sure if asking his necks inquiry would offend the chief I'm not talking about the snow he said in almost the whisper what is in the mist the Chiefs gay is hardened and his eyes looked directly into Toms he raised his hand and beckoned Tom closer Tom stepped closer he make this land sick you are greedy violent destructive and now earth unbalanced you set evil spirit free he finished his words dripping with disdain what evil spirit Tom asked enough talk pack your things and leave with others the chief commanded turning his horse just then Joe came running up completely out of breath talked to Smith and he said Jeff is up in the valley right now also said that he beat the hell out of ya I know Tom said interrupting him we need to get him right now relieved in this place he briskly walked towards his horse and mounted it the chief watched the two men mount their horses and then he and Tom locked eyes again gray owl shook his head and turned his horse to the pass and began leading his warriors and the rest of the panners away from the lake they were now officially on their own the two men broke out in full gallop and within five minutes they had gotten to the mouth of the river and were riding up the valley as they neared the last spot they had penned their pace slowed as they began looking for their friend the light snow had become heavy and constant and now slightly impaired their range of sight as they rode past Joe caught a glimpse of something that made him stop their canvas tent was now set up nearly halfway up the valley Tom jumped off his horse and ran to the tent fearing that Jeff may be inside and after entering he was slightly relieved to find it empty their stove was warm and did have a few coals still inside so he had not been gone for more than a couple of hours they looked around the area for a moment and decided that he must have moved farther up the valley slowly they began making the red closer to the top of the valley making sure to keep an eye out for any danger as the men move slowly farther up the valley a gentle breeze began blowing just enough for them to notice and feel against their skin and the snow began sticking to the ground a pit began to form and Tom stomach as they were now halfway up the valley and were very close to the cabin they had made their way up nearly to the top of the valley when they finally caught sight of Jeff's horse that was tied to a small pine tree Tom dismounted his horse and saw a Jeff at the top of the river with a pan in his hand as he approached he stepped on a dried branch which cracked under his boot Jeff dropped his pan grabbed his rifle that had been laying on the ground next to him and turned to fire the rifle was leveled directly at tom who now stood motionless with his hands in the air a gesture of surrender Geoff's eyes were cold and a slight sneer was barely perceivable on his face as he pointed the rifle at Tom for an unusually long time and after what seemed like a full minute recognition finally registered the Jeff and he lowered the rifle sorry one of those panners had come for blood he said resting his rifle back in its original spot after I beat the hell out of Nathan I don't think the rest of them were gonna like having me around he finished as he grabbed this pan out of the river and started searching again Jeff we have to go one of the Indian chiefs was at the camp saying the pass was going to get snowed in everyone else packed up and left Tom said still standing more than 20 feet away from him oh you believe that crap Jeff said with a hint of humor and his voice as he swirled the pan looking for gold flakes probably just trying to lull us into thinking we're safe and when we get back to camp and they're gonna jump us do you hear yourself Tom asked and disbelief you see what is going on right now he gestured toward the now darkened sky and increasingly dust and wind you don't even know why I had to beat Nathan with an inch of his life to you he said standing and walking towards his horse as he marched from the river to his horse a violent gust of wind came roaring down through the valley and chill Tom to the bone jeff reached into one of the saddlebags and pulled out the largest nugget of gold Tom had ever seen there's nearly the size of an apple and weighed at least 50 ounces I found this two days ago and brought it back to the camp the only person I told about this thing was Roger in the next morning I woke up to Nathan rifling through my saddlebag looking for her I confronted him and he tried to throw down on me with his pistol I wrestled it away from him to eat him until he stopped moving you're still alive though and after that everyone else seemed pretty upset so I packed up and moved up here Tom as well as Joe who now joined them with a shock on his leg over his shoulder were amazed at the large piece of yellow metal Jeff now held in his hand they were memorized even and finally after what seemed like minutes of staring at the thing Jeff placed it back in a saddlebag which broke their stupor look I know the gold here is good but there is a storm coming and it's gonna be here any minute we need to pack up right now and get out while we can it's not worth dying over it's winter and there is supposed to be snow jeff responded and as he did another gust of wind came down the valley and descended on the men the horses startled they wined and made as if the wind had brought the scent of a predator with it and they began shifting and turning nervously Jeff Tom's right something's off feeling in my gut Joe chime then as he bundled his new coat around him look if you do want to leave go ahead but me I'm staying right here he said pointing a finger to the ground his voice not betrayed a hint of anger we're not gonna leave you here Jeff and we aren't staying here so you need to stop panning and pack your stuff up right now Tom said walking towards his friend as Tom reached him he grabbed a hold of Jeff's pan and waited for him to let go of it Jeff's eyes were full of anger but relented slightly as the two men stood faced the face his grip loosened slightly and he was about to let go of that when another gust of wind more violent and cold than any other howls from the two peaks of the mountains and into the valley Jeff's eyes ignited with a rage and looked as if the fires of Hell itself burned behind its gaze he wrenched the pan away from Tom drew back and brought the metal object crashing against the side at Tom's face the horses all three of them reared and let out cries of terror as soon as their hooves hit the ground they bolted the Jeff's horse even tore the small tree ax had been hitched to out of the ground carried along as he fled down the valley towards the lake Tom hit the ground dazed and Jeff stood over him with his hunting knife now in hand Joe attempted to intervene but one glance from Jeff had him stopped in his tracks Jeff leaned down close to Tom's ear and in a whisper barely audible over the torrent of wind said I ain't leaving this Valley and with that Jeff pushed off grabbed his pan and strolled back down to the river seemingly oblivious to their now grim fate Tom shakily was helped to his feet by Joe who asked if he was alright he isn't coming we got to get out of here right now he said pulling his bloody hand away from his head and inspecting the crimson liquid Tom had missed the part where the horses had bolted on account of him getting hit in the face with a pan when he looked for his horse are now all too familiar sense of dread first settled and then tore through his stomach frantically trying to follow their tracks and what was now a full-on blizzard Tom and Joe tracked them for nearly an hour before the tracks were lost in the driving snow cold tired and with night quickly approaching it began making their way to the tent Jeff had set up over halfway up the valley the thought of spending a night in a blizzard was revolting enough but spending it in that Valley with the mists surrounding them was more horrifying than they wanted to imagine as the light began to die out their hope of reaching the camp began to wane they can only see about 50 feet in any direction and the valley was easily half a mile wide and finally Joe called out I see it he had to yell to be heard over the deafening wind snow clung to their beards and large clumps and stung their cheeks as a two men sprinted the last bit to the tent thankfully Jeff had recently cut and chopped the large pile of firewood that would be more than enough to last through the night snow was already beginning to drift and pile up on the sides of the tent and that required their immediate attention otherwise the tent was liable to collapse or tear from the build up of weight after clearing the drift with a shovel they had found an attempt the two men now shuddered with cold huddled inside and began attempting to relate the fire that was now only embers eventually Tom stepped outside to grab more firewood for the night and noticed that the all-encompassing white of the blizzard had been replaced with a slightly blue haze the mist was here even in the bitter cold the mist that managed to avoid freezing and was rolling down the valley he quickly through a dozen logs into the tent and took one last look for Jeff in the now darkening landscape he can only see 50 feet but there at the limit of his vision he swore he could see the outline something shambling slowly down the valley towards him Tom called Jeff's name into the howling tirade of snow and wind opening to garner his friends attention the figures stopped moving and turned slightly to face Tom something was immensely wrong the figure had been crouching and walking on all fours but now stood up on two legs it was well over eight feet tall and decidedly not Jeff the hairs on the nape of Tom's neck prickled and he stood frozen his gaze fixed on the figure who stared back at him the figure then raised to impossibly long arms from its sides and stretch them into the shape of a why above its head a crime or terrifying an unworldly than anything he had heard was carried on the wind down the valley it was a blend of an angry animalistic how combined with the wails of a dying man that amalgamated into an unholy union of sound that torn to Tom's psyche causing his heart to seize his breath the quiver and his will Tabaco he tore away from the monstrous sight and threw himself into the tent he began tying off the tent door as quickly as he could his breathing ragged and labored his head became light and for a moment he thought he was about to pass out when he finished the door he looked for the closest object he could use to defend himself his rifle had been in its scabbard attached to this horse's saddle and that mistake have left him defenseless a small hatchet that Joe had been using to split kindling lay buried in a log next to the fire he ripped it from the log and held the overhead ready to kill anything that came through the tent flap Tom what are you doing Joe asked does he unslung his shotgun and held that had a low but ready position he had been more cautious than Tom and had brought a shotgun with him before dismounting his horse something is outside and it isn't Jeff his words were low and his breath gasping you didn't hear it here what Joe asked confused that unholy scream that came on the wind Tom answered still not daring to take his eyes off the tent flap the only thing that I've heard since we got here was the wind no screams you took a pretty good blow to the head maybe you should lay down and just then a muffled rifle shot could be heard coming from a long distance up the valley Jeff Joe said in a concerned voice don't even think about going out there we will go check on him in the morning Tom answered still not daring to break his gaze from the door the two men stood weapons are ready for nearly half an hour waiting for something else to happen the crunching of snow just outside snapping of some twigs or branches a horrendous monster to come crashing through their tent something but nothing came Joe broke from the standoff first to feed the fire the wind buffeted the canvas walls of the tent but the interior began to warm slowly and subdued the cold another half-hour and Tom sat down on his cot with blankets wrapped around him the hatchet still firmly in his grip his ears were now straining to hear anything as his eyes were useless in the small nine foot by six foot tent sleep did not come that night Tom had taken first watch and was responsible for keeping the fire burning as well as holding security at the entrance of the tent he sat through the night alert and posed for something anything to happen but Joe shotgun resting in his lap at 3:00 in the morning the scream of a horse pierced the night and sent Tom's heart racing he stood shotgun tucked into his shoulder Joe had shot up from the sleeping roll and joined Tom at the entrance their heartbeats in the wind were the only sounds perceivable gradually the sound of galloping became audible and as the galloping got closer and louder the sound of snorting and whining became apparent as well the horse ran past the tent and up the valley away from the lake and suddenly a loud thud as well as another scream echoed from somewhere in the night thrashing could be heard which was then joined by more screaming and after about thirty seconds of what sounded like a life-or-death struggle the valley became relatively silent again at this point both men knew there would be no more sleep and sat at the entrance of the tent on edge and petrified after what seemed like an eternity the walls of the tent lightened and the wind began to die down well after 9:00 in the morning joe peeped through their small gap in the tent door the mists had abated and a thick layer of snow blanketed everything transforming the valley overnight into a winter paradise after reporting to tom that he couldn't see anything the two men untied the tent flap and cautiously with weapons at the ready entered their frozen countryside the snow was deep nearly to their knees which made walking difficult and slow they checked the tent and examined it for damage and after finding no tears holes are missing guidelines the men decided to see if they could find out what had happened to the horse they heard walking up the valley about fifty feet they saw a mound of snow next to the tree Tom had seen the figure standing under last night now as they reached it tom swept the snow off of the creature revealing its head its eyes were wide open with blood leaking from them its mouth was twisted in an unnatural manner looking as if it had died midstream and the bitter cold had frozen a milky white foam along the corners of the mouth frozen blood formed icicles leading from its nostrils to the ground Tom shuddered and back to quickly then he realized something wasn't right the head and neck were not in their correct orientation they seemed upside down he stepped back up to the horse and brushed the snow off its neck down to its front shoulders its neck had been twisted around a hundred and eighty degrees Tom noticed that it was his horse and gingerly uncovered the part of the saddle that had his rifle scabbard attached to it finding it he quickly unbuckled the retaining latch and withdrew his rifle he saw it and relief at having a firearm to protect himself what in God's name does that to a horse Joe shivered I don't know what it is but it was big enough to twist a horse's head nearly off let's get the hell out of here they walked back to the tent and began making breakfast bacon eggs and hash browns were on the menu and while eating they decided to try and make it to the pass and hopefully make it halfway to the next closest panning outpost which was more than 10 miles away the deep snow would slow them considerably but if they left by noon they should be able to make good use of the daylight we need to check on Jeff Joe stated we heard that rifle shot last night he might still be alive Jeff made his decision where did you forget he knocked a few teeth loose with that pan Tom snapped so what you're just gonna let him die because he hit you fine but if he says anything but yes I'm leaving after Tom had finished packing the bag he helped Joe finish the snow shoes they donned their makeshift spruce Bopha where and began making their way slowly up the valley they didn't sink nearly as far with the snowshoes but because of the heavy and awkward Footwear it slowed their pace considerably after nearly an hour of trudging through the all-encompassing winter landscape they arrived at the spot where Jeff had been the other day they looked around for a few minutes and without finding an unusual pile of snow that would have encased his body they figured he had left to find shelter sometime near dark they looked around and saw the cabins sitting at the top of the valley less than 300 yards away the trek took them only 10 minutes and before either of them knew it they were standing outside the cabin it was a very small rustic structure with the front porch and a single door directly in the center a few pair of antlers hung on the wall in an old rusted oil lamp sat suspended near to the door something caught the men's attention while they examined the door a single hole most likely caused by rifle sat in the dead center of the door most of them became tense and Joe raised the shotgun to his shoulder and called out Jeff you in there Wow they were met with complete and utter silence Joe motioned for Tom to open the door while he covered it with a shotgun Tom slowly crept across the groaning floorboard of the porch and winced as every step he took caused the wood to creak in protest upon reaching the door he looked back at Joe who gave him a nod Tom grasped the makeshift handle toward the door open it jumped back training his rifle on the open door as well again silence was the only answer Joe began slowly creeping towards the doorway aiming down the barrel of a shotgun when his barrel was nearly parallel to the door he paused for a moment and listen for any indication of a living presence the only sound he could hear was the blood pounding through his veins he stepped quickly through the door followed immediately by Tom who brought his rifle to bear as soon as Joe was out of the way the room was dark darker than it should have been and the two men stood still and waited for their eyes to adjust to the murky room after nearly a minute Tom spotted a candle sitting on a small wooden table a mere two feet from him using one hand to hold his rifle he reached into his breast pocket and drew out a small tin of matches he withdrew one and struck it against his pant leg igniting it he slowly touched the flame to the wick of the candle and a soft glow illuminated the table and surrounding area besides the table a few chairs were clustered around it a large stove occupied the corner he was closest to tom maneuvered his way forward revealing more of the single room structure the back wall had set a bunk bed sitting against it with another set of deer antlers fastened to the wall Joe called out to him Tom he said in a whisper look he nodded slightly directly down the barrel of the shotgun Tom followed the barrels and nearly jumped when he saw a set of two glowing dots sitting low and what he guessed was the opposite corner of the room his hair stood on end a shiver ran down his spine and his heart began beating as if he were sprinting they sat there motionless staring at the small dots of light waiting for them to move or blink out of existence to let them know that whatever gaze back at them was alive and after another minute of observing the eyes had neither moved nor blink it's a Tom decided to advance on whatever the object was walking slowly from heel to toe he advanced on the orbs what seemed like hours probably took only seconds the candle illuminated only about five feet in front of him so he would be nearly on top of whatever owned the glowing spheres the orbs seemed to glow brighter as he moved closer the abysmal light source revealed another bunk bed quite tucked into the corner it also revealed something much more profoundly disturbing to boots as well as the beginnings of pant legs sad just inside the small circle of light tom swallowed hard and the entirety of his concentration was now focused solely on the two spheres that were shining brightly he took another step and began extending his arm towards the man it revealed a pair of gray pants a plaid work shirt and a fired rifle laid beside the man the man's arms were outstretched and petrified in front of him as of holding an invisible monstrosity at bay the fingers curled and contorted like he was gripping an invisible object the strength that could break bones snaps in you Tom pause and let out of shuddering the ragged exhale before he continued moving closer the last foot illuminated the face of their friend the glowing orbs they had seen were the reflection of light and his milky white pale blue eyes that were sunken into their sockets and nearly rolled into the back of a skull his face was homeless a pure white compared to the tanned complexion he had up until yesterday the most unsettling sight though was his jaw it hinged open and pulled to left so much that it looked as if it were dislocated an expression of unequal agony frozen into his muscles and flesh Tom exhaled violently and dropped the candle to the floor with a clatter that again the darkness overtook the room Tom sprinted towards the doorway and burst through it dropping his rifle on the porch a violin attractions constricted his stomach and putrid tasting bile burned on its way up his throat after losing his breakfast and dry heaving for nearly a minute he regained his composure and turned around to find Joe leaning against the doorframe that's it we have to go he said picking up his rifle Joe stood quietly at the door staring off into the distance his shotgun rested in the crook of his arm do you hear me we have to go Tom said asserting the need for urgency Joe glanced at him from the corner of his eye no way we make it on foot well I would rather take my chance and stay here another night no horses mean we can't carry the tent and no tent means we freeze to death come nightfall he answered now pointing towards the darkling clouds on the horizon screwed that I would rather get caught in a blizzard than stay here another night tom was now angry then go be the little boy and wander off I'm staying here and taking care of this problem Joe answered irritated and walked back to the cabin Tom followed him and was surprised when Joe ripped off a piece of thick cloth that had been covering the only window of the cabin allowing light to flood into the room it still seemed too dark but there was enough light now that you can make out most of the interior after pleading and arguing for nearly an hour tom unable to make his friend see reason set out towards the lake with his pack while Joe stayed at the cabin and prepared himself for the night the trek from the top of the valley down to the bottom of the lake took tom well into late morning he stopped and snacked on some jerky at the lake then continued past the lake in towards the pass snow was relentless in ever-present force that strived to halt Tom on his journey but but the snowshoes he was able to make decent time about midway through the afternoon he arrived at the pass it was snowy but he was sure he could make it he entered the lake side of the pass and struggled through the narrow gap with the snow now well above his waist it took him nearly fifteen minutes to reach the halfway point and when he did he heard something chanting and a quick but steady drumbeat sounded from somewhere overhead he looked above him to see nearly 20 Indian warriors with their bows drawn and aimed directly I am somewhat shocked he raised his hands and a gesture of surrender remain completely still the chanting and drum beat began to move down the far side of the pass and soon a group of men could be seen on the opposite side of the pass the correction he was attempted to travel the small party of men began to advance down the pass towards him and after another minute of watching them and approach Tom could make out the lead warrior it was chief gray owl and in his right hand was a large spear decorated with bones and feathers its tip constructed a black and shiny material that resembled glass he looked into the Chiefs eye and saw that they were full of fear and anger chief gray eye he was cut off as the Spears sailed through the air and grazed his raised right arm he stumbled backwards and fell into the soft snow the pain from the cotton his arm hardly registered adrenaline had taken over and he was now in a full-fledged flight response and was scrambling to get back on his feet and run another spear flew past them and buried itself deep into the snow he was up and running now his heart pounding and blood thundering through his veins he thought about turning and firing his rifle but with only one shot and more than twenty warriors above him he decided it was a foolish endeavor he trudged onward at a painstakingly slow pace as the dark sky began dumping snow from the clouds inky depths nearly three hours in and he had just made it to the lake and was beginning his climb to the canvas tent that's at nearly halfway up the valley the Sun sank lower and lower into the sky and as it did the wooden began to howl and blow harder Tom knew he wasn't going to make it before dark at this pace so in a last chance decision he dropped the heavy pack and began running as best this one could in knee-deep snow just as the canvas tent came into sight the dimming environment took on a blue hue again a cry of hatred and anguish wafted on the howling winds as if to signify the creatures coming Tom ran faster than he thought possible in the snow for the last hundred feet and just as he reached the entrance of the tent his snow shoe snapped and the Spruce bow that had comprised the main wooden hoop came undone with a snap and caused him to trip falling face-first in the snow he attempted to stand but now unbound a piece of wood attached to his foot made it extremely difficult to stand he drew out his hunting knife and began cutting at the leather straps that have fixed it to his boot as the cold steel sliced through the last strap he shot up and plunged into the tent scrambling to closed the tent flap another roar assaulted his ears it had been just as close as the night before upon tying the last fafsa on the door he wheeled around to the stove and rested his rifle on top of it with what little light there was in the gloomy tent he grabbed a handful of kindling that thankfully they had chopped and left the previous night he shoved it into the stove and by some miracle a large cold remained glowing slightly inside the cast-iron tube he piled the kindling on top of it and began blowing softly to the smoking nest the splintered wood soon a small orange light jumped from shard fragments and provided just enough light for Tom to find some smaller logs that he began to pile into the stove it was gasping for breath as he tended the fire and whether from the run or from sheer terror he was experiencing you didn't know as he added more wood to the fire and kept glancing towards the door the sound became more and more receivable in tandem with his heartbeat the crunching of snow could be heard moving towards the tent and getting louder panic gripped him and he dropped what he was doing with the fire to retrieve his rifle he cocked the hammer back fully and aimed directly towards the entrance waiting for whatever owned the footsteps to reach him as the footsteps got closer they began to slow down until it sounded like the creature was slowly walking two things struck Tom about the sound of the footsteps the first whatever the creature was it was walking on two feet in the second even that even in knee-deep snow the sound of the footsteps told him that this thing was massive no man could have been large enough to make the ground shake slightly as if his stroll towards his tent suddenly the footsteps became silent Tom again was relying on his ears in the small tent and the sudden absence of sound nearly drove him to the edge of insanity after almost a minute of listening to the wind batter the canvas he heard it the ever so subtle crunch of snow near the back of the tent Tom silently wheeled around and tracked where the sound was coming from it moved slowly from the back and then along the right side of the tent about halfway up the right side five points appeared on the canvas wall as of a branch for pressing into it slowly they began raking across the side of the tent and were pressed so hard into the fabric that tom was terrified they were going to tear to the material as the creature reached the front of the tent Tom's vision began to blur his heart thundered and his chest heaved as he tried to inhale air five long gray fingers thinly veiled in the black hair with sharp black nails slipped inside the entrance flap of the tent and Tom stopped breathing altogether they curled around the fabric and began pushing it aside slightly to reveal a black and green orb as seemed to glow in the dim light the I was surrounded by a white bony socket devoid of flesh Tom fired and the creatures scream exploded with what sounded like a dozen voices of anguish its bony and he long gated jaw parted revealing teeth the more resembled broken jacket black glass than typical bone white fangs its breath smelled like death and rotting meat the scream was so loud and disjointed that Tom began to feel dizzy he could hear the creature stomping away and growling back into the freezing wind something was wrong with him black and Gulf the edges of his sight and began in crouching on what little blurred sphere remain at the center of his vision he fumbled with his Powderhorn attempting to reload the rifle but as he was trying to fit the musket ball into the end of the rifle the muscles and his arm cramped so hard that he let the rifle clattered to the ground he slumped to his knees and began gasping unable to breathe his hands contorted and disfigured grasped uselessly his throat his vision became a pinprick and the last thing he saw before he fell forward unconscious was the small but growing fire inside the stone Tom awoke when cold engulfed him and something slammed against his legs causing a dull pain to shoot up his body he scrambled but there was a weight on top of him that restricted his movement he struggled for a moment and then realized it was light out the sooty white engulfed his vision and soon he identified the wall of the tent he put the pieces together and realized that the tent had collapsed on him he withdrew his knife and pierced the fabric allowing a large amount of powdered snow to fall through the opening and after struggling for a few minutes he breached the surface of the snow and daylight greeted him sky was again clear and the only evidence of the storm the night before was the fresh toothed fetus note that now encased everything in an oppressive white blanket after taking in several breaths of fresh air he winced realising that his head was throbbing and his throat was dry to the point it felt like it was cracking after several coughs he took in his immediate surroundings and due to his haste the night before he hadn't taken the time to clear the snow that eventually piled up on the side of the tent causing it to tear and collapse the pain he had felt was one the large timber poles that held up the back left corner of the tent collapsing on his legs he stood shakily and every muscle in his body screamed in protest his legs were by far the worst the pole had certainly bruised them but he didn't think anything was broken he searched in the snow for a few minutes until he fished his rifle and Powderhorn out of the almost liquid like soft snow he looked around but found nothing else abuse and he thought about going back to where he had dropped this pack to retrieve the food but he knew the snow had probably swallowed it during the night his only option was to go back to the cabin to see if Joe was still there and so he slowly began making his way toward the cabin and as he's logged onward his dry throat aching head and burning need for water only intensified the valley stood completely and utterly silent snow covered everything even the tall pine trees looked like they had been coated in an excessive amount of white icing as their branches drooped down nearly touching the ground it was so cold so silent so desolate and after another two hours he neared the cabin and his attention was drawn to where the five crosses sat he got his wish he wasn't the only thing alive in that valley three black Ravens sat perched on a sixth cross that sat next to the original five crosses he walked closer to thirty the Ravens as they sat and just watched him curiously when he was about five feet away one of the Ravens let out a CAW which caused him to pause the Ravens cocked their heads at him and then took flight travelling down the valley towards the lake he watched them fly into the distance and envied their ability to traverse the terrain so easily after watching them fly at a sight he turned back to the cabin and notice something hadn't been there the previous day two large blasts where a shotgun had fired from the inside now adorned the door as well as the single rifle shot dread filled tom and he collapsed on his knees Joe he called out in a hoarse voice his lips cracked and began to bleed as he formed the words silence was the only answer he called out again this time is a voice louder but more raspy again nothing he stood and ready to his rifle he finished the last 20 feet to the door and attempted to push it open and he pushed harder and the door eventually slid slowly open the large drawer had been pushed against the door effectively barricading it Tom squeezed the small opening and shambled inside the stove still had the faint glow of embers still burning inside but then Tom turned to the chair that sat directly from the door and collapsed the one side of it Ledo scorp see his face and hands in a similar state to that of Jeff mouths gaping and warped hands contorted and outstretched Tom slowly backed up against the dresser and sank to the floor he began sobbing tears and snot running down his face he was now entirely alone what in God's unholy creation was the creature that hunted them after about 15 minutes he dried his eyes and closed the door dragging Joe's body to the corner where they had found Jeff he draped him and a dusty bed sheet and said a silent prayer for his friend's soul he walked over to the fire and placed a few logs in it and soon a warm fire burned in the cast-iron beast pot of water had been left the top of the stove which he took and drained completely slaking his thirst and easing the burning in his throat he rifled through the dresser and found old clothing which he took in exchange for his cold wet clothes he was wearing and after emptying his pockets he realized that he still carried the bank receipt he had obtained a week prior realizing that he may not make it out of the valley alive he decided to at least leave some evidence of who he was and also to try to warn whoever else might come up there he walked to the fire with a set of iron tongs Rab de coal out of the fire to let it cool and after a cool he took it and scribbled a note as best he could on the back of the receipt he walked over to the chest and opened it and inside lay a mason jar nearly filled to the brim with gold dust and nuggets Geoff's mason jar he thought as well as the jar a large cloth bundle set as if it were carrying something as well as a small tin can of carpentry nails he placed his receipt on top of the jar and retrieved the cloth unwrapping it he found three sourdough biscuits and almost a pound of bear jerky silently thank God and set one of the biscuits and fused strips of jerky into one of the pans and placed it on the stove after a few minutes he devoured the hot food which satiated the gnawing pain in his stomach and feeling slightly better with his headache subsiding he began making his preparations he toppled one of the bunk beds over and began dismantling it placing the board's over the door and using a small can of nails tack them to the frame after nearly an hour and using most of the bunk bed to barricade the door window Tom sat down in the chair and picked up Jo shotgun that had fallen to the floor he examined it and concluded that both barrels had been fired he reloaded it and rested it against the wall next to the chair peering out of one of the slits and the boards he saw the Sun was beginning to set a feeling of numbness settled over him and he knew that almost certainly this would be his final night on earth he stoked the fire and let the stump of the candle that was set back on the table as the small rays of sunlight vanished from between the gaps and the boards as he walked over to the chair and across the rug his foot noticed a slight change in both feel and sound his footstep came across the slightly more Hollow and the board's dipped slightly he bent down and noticed the carpet was much colder than the surrounding wood he lifted a corner of the rug to reveal a large hatch framed in raw iron the large ring handles set into the boards he pushed the chest out of the way and flooding the rug off the rest of the hatch it was large enough for two men to stand shoulder-to-shoulder and still have plenty of room on either side he grabbed the shotgun from the wall and lifted on the large ring it gave a slight pop as the frame broke free from the frost that had formed near its edges to reveal a large black hole directly under the floor Tom grabbed the candle and held the flame close to the entrance revealing a tunnel that led down slightly at an angle into the ground and just then the roar of the Beast penetrated the walls of the cabin and sent Tom to a panicked sounded like it was coming from somewhere across the valley his brain trying to process the discovery of the tunnel and the impending encroachment of the creature stalled him for a moment finally he made a decision the creature was out there and was expecting him to be in the cabin if he went into the tunnel and closed the hatch there was a possibility that it wouldn't find him as he finished his thought another roar echoed across the valley this one much closer he lowered himself into the hole and closed the hatch the candle his only source of light he backed away slowly deeper into the ground as he listened for any sign of the monster after another minute he heard thundering footsteps as the creature sprinted up the cabin steps and burst through the door his fortification splintering from a single blow Tom turned away from the hatch and quickly began making his way down the winding dark passageway and for nearly ten minutes he followed the tunnel which he soon realized was a natural crack in the earth that had been widened by picks and shovels old planks covered spots in the floor were chasms naturally formed and thick wooden beams supported the sea where the path became slightly water Tom stopped and listened for a moment as he caught his breath there was a slight hum emanating from seemingly all over him which he guess was the noise of the earth and a slight flow of air moved slowly back towards the hatch he had entered it was cold but not as cold as the outside air after regaining his breath he kept pushing farther down the tunnel and deeper into the earth another five minutes and he arrived at what he guess was a large chamber the tunnel wall split sideways and the ceiling rose steadily overhead until it was lost in the all-consuming blackness he stopped a few feet in and fear gripped him as he stood alone in an ocean of darkness his ship the small orb of light produced by the tiny candle he backtracked into the tunnel and followed the caverns right wall until he found an oil lamp hanging on a nail that was driven into a large beam he saw it and retrieved the lamp checking if there were oil and then examining the wick with half a container filled with oil and nearly fresh-looking wick he opened it touched the flame to the candle to the wick it hissed and popped for a moment as the moisture in the wick burned off but then it took the flame and began casting a much more intense light he made his way back to the tunnel entrance and placed the candle on the ground so if he were to wander too far he could find his way back after ensuring the candle wouldn't tip over he made his way into the center of the cavern now able to see 20 feet in any direction about 40 feet into the cavern he ran into a large chasm that dropped into an inky pit of darkness a rudimentary pulley system had been erected over and a single rope dropped and disappeared into the gloom sidestep in the chasm he continued away from the candle and farther into the black another 20 feet and he reached a wall with three different passageways to look man-made and only extended about 20 feet in either direction but their contents left Tom speechless veins of gold ran from the bottom of the floor to the top of the ceiling more gold than he could even imagine lay right before him after marveling of the sight for a brief moment he exited back into the main chamber the third passage looks similar to the one he had followed down combination of natural crevasse expanded by the tools of man he was about to enter it when the smell of rotting flesh invaded his nostrils he gagged and took a few steps back he gagged and took a few steps backward which only caused the order to become more pungent a low growl forced him to wheel around there at the opposite side of the cavern where he had originally entered right next to his candle and not more than 60 feet away stood the creature it was like nothing Tom had ever seen before near the eight feet tall and massive that had feet that looked like they were whose legs covered in long black hair that been awkwardly backwards like the goats its torso look like that of a man but was covered in thin black hair that partially obscured the pale gray flesh underneath and spots near his ribcage were rotting and organs could be seen glistening in light of the candle through the bones its arms were long and nearly touched the ground and chunks of flesh missing from its bicep his hands were unnaturally long sported the same sharp black nails he had seen the night before but its head its head was most disturbing the jaw and primary skull look like that of an oversized deer the antlers were well over three feet in length rotten flesh clung to the snout and jaw line of the skull and the viscous slime seeped from both its nose and mouth its teeth black and jagged glistened slightly in the light in the skull of what looked like a dog fused into the side of the deer skull by bone and fleshy tendons on the other side one that looked like a bear skull affixed to the same manner and its eyes burned with more hatred and disdain than Tom thought possible he stared back at the monstrosity unmoving in its scowl the back ahem it dropped slowly to all fours arching its back like a cat ready to pounce and rested its atrocious hand on top of the candle snuffing its light from existence it let out a roar and Tom could hear the scraping of nails across rocks as it bounded towards him in the darkness he panicked and ran full speed down the third tunnel and away from the creature red green blue and golden glints reflected off the tunnel walls and Tom realized they were untold amounts of ruby sapphire emeralds and gold lining the walls of the tunnel he could hear it snarling and scraping behind him and just outside the light of his Lantern it was getting closer Tom wheeled around and levelled the shotgun he waited merely seconds and the creature bound into view it was struggling to make its way down the tunnel its antlers scraped along the rock as it charged toward him and he fired one of the barrels of the shotgun in crimson RuPt it from its chest and let out a howling scream of pain and halted for a moment not stopping to see if the creature was gravely injured he turned and kept sprinting down the tunnel another moment and he realized the creature was again following him I'll be further away than it had originally been he kept running and the further he ran the deeper the tunnel took him soon the creature was again nearly on top of him and so he turned and fired his last shot into the dark there was no cry this time so he figured he had missed and threw the shotgun into the darkness he sprinted his lungs burned his muscles ached and his head again began to throb and glancing a look over his shoulder he could see the antlers bobbing in and out of the lanterns light he turned back around and saw only darkness his feet of the ground in a feeling of vertigo overtook him he fell through the air down a long shaft and screamed and he slammed into the wall and the searing pain shot through his body as the sound of bones crunched glancing off the wall his body slammed into the ground and pain erupted from every nerve his vision went white and for a moment he passed out groggily he woke tried to move his legs lay still in dormant ignoring his commands and again he tried willing them to move but not even so much as a twitch answered his command he pushed himself up on his arms and cried out as a sharp pain shot up his left arm and slowly he looked around and saw the lanterns shattered much like his body the fall had broken the glass and tank and the oil had ignited forming a large pool of fire that ran down the uneven stone floor the base of the shaft was small less than 20 feet wide and slowly angled down to a large wall with a crevice starting at its base and running up its entire length about 15 feet from him using his right arm he dragged himself toward the wall and upon reaching it noticed strange symbols and markings carved and painted into the rock surface then he observed something strange a blue mist began seeping out of the crack in the wall flowed like water in slow motion and began covering the floor and slowly rising he lifted himself onto a large rock to escape the sluggish rising mist and then something caught his attention behind the fire he saw a figure of a man it was Jeff he stood behind the fire and smiled at Tom skin was a ghostly white suddenly Joe seemed to materialize out of the darkness as well and stood next to Jeff tom was in complete disbelief and thought must be dead when Jeff spoke now time he joined us he said a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice tom was entirely confused and could get words too for him in his mouth well it shouldn't be a surprise Joe chimed in after all his fears what kept him alive this long true Jeff said now walking towards him but that's also the reason he is here now he came to rest a few feet away from Tom Joe then joined him for me Jeff spoke it was my greed that got me killed he raised his arms and gesture as if he had committed some trivial mistake and my anger got me here joe said scratching the back of his neck but you just said pointing accusingly at Tom you it was fear that was your sin too afraid to drag me out of the valley too afraid to get me out of the cabin Joe scoffed and too afraid to make it past the Indians Jeff said smiling and suddenly more people began stepping from the shadows as the oil began to burn itself out dozens of people miners fur traders pioneers Indians men and women all they stepped forward and looked at the newest member to join their ranks and here you will stay the choir of dead disembodied voices answered as a finishing his friend's statement Tom's head drooped down and he stared weeping as the blue vapor began rising more quickly and now nearly covered his waist he wept for the woman he would never marry the children he would never father the life he would never live all of it was gone now he was laying at the bottom of some cavern broken and dying and there was nothing he could do about it no more tricks and no more luck it had been youthful arrogance and pride that drove him to California greed that had spurred him towards the valley of the Blue Mist and it was fear that drove him to abandon his friends he would die at the bottom of this pit and no one would find him this would be his home this would be his legacy he blinked away the tears and looked back up to see the last light of the oil extinguished as the mist rose above his head he sat and listened the hum of the earth the only sound he could hear his chest tightened and he could feel the presence of something in the darkness ancient evil without mercy lurking just beyond his eyes a thunderous crash took the ground where he lay on a something massive landed not far from him and his breath caught in his throat a slight crackling resonated off the walls of the shaft and two glowing green orbs appeared in the murky void from deep within the bowels of the earth a stream of pure terror resonated and filled the tunnels caves and all was silent the sheriff closed the lid of the chest and stood he turned the receipt over and read the hastily screwed note aloud whoever finds us get out of this Valley burn it to the ground the devil us green eyes he stood pondering the words for a moment and began walking back to the door when he heard a creaking sound that caused him to turn around the hatch was cracked ever so slightly and two green eyes peered out from the black slit and watched him the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he turned to face a Foley retrieving his 1847 Colt wall quarry from its holster as he did so a deep and throaty chuckle emanated from the hatch as the tendrils of blue fog creaked and slithered from the hatch and began worming their way across the dusty wooden floor toward him he aimed and fired once causing whatever was holding the hatch open to drop it the doors slammed shut cutting the tendrils of mist off and he watched in disbelief as they writhed on the floor as if they had been tentacles cut from a living octopus before dissipate he looked to his right and so on old rusted oil lamp hanging on the doorframe he retrieved it and smashed against the interior wall spilling the oil all over the floor he drew out a match and struck it against the doorpost he bent down and touched the flame to the oil and watched it as it lit slowly and then rapidly spread to cover most of the entryway and he backed down the steps never taking his eyes from the doorway the panner ran up to him and asked him what he found the sheriff only stood panting and watched the cabin go up into a blaze he murmured seemingly to himself the devil has green eyes and after another minute and satisfied that nothing would be making its way out of the now inferno he turned to the panner it's never happened you hear me this cabin that body you don't tell another soul about them you got it he asked his pistol still in his hand the panner looked down and saw the weapon nodded slightly and then briskly made his way to his mule and began following the river that wound down the valley at the base which lay a small lake the sheriff just waited while the fire consumed the entirety of the cabin he had to stay he had to be sure that whatever that thing was would not get out and as he sat and watched the fire burn couldn't help but to think to the names on those receipts he then remembered the two men he had met in the saloon nearly six months ago in a wave of recognition and familiarity washed over him he stayed through the night and well into the next morning until the only thing left in the cavern was embers he saddled his horse and began his trip back to : ma from the top the side of the valley the old withered chief sat on his horse accompanied by his three sons and watched the sheriff ride down the valley one of his sons spoke in their native do you think that's it is the spirit destroyed no son you see the spirit is something that lives in all of us it hides in his dormant for most but it is always there as long as there are men in the world the Windigo will endure they turned their horses and began riding back towards the lake and away from the valley of the Blue Mist you

Channel: Creepy Ghost Stories

Views: 111,317

Rating: 4.7522659 out of 5

Keywords: creepypasta, Deep Woods, narration, Reddit Story, Cryptid, creature, mystery, monster, woods creepypasta, nosleep story scary story, scary stories, horror stories, creepy story, Original Horror Story, Exlusive Story, True Scary Story, Creepy Ghost Story, Aberration, Legends, Urban Myth, folklore, Supernatural Story, Legend of the Blue Mist, Wendigo, skinwalker

Id: Bv-uxo7tb8I

Length: 121min 4sec (7264 seconds)

Published: Fri Dec 28 2018