Chapter 9 #4
Brent slid his cold coffee to the side. “While you were figuring out the ‘why,’ I think I got the ‘where.’ Ever heard of Moraine State Park?”
Travis shook his head. “Should I have?”
“It’s a bit north of the city. Nowadays, it’s got a lake and is popular for picnics and boating. But it’s built on reclaimed land that has 422 capped oil and gas wells and 53 coal shaft mines. Oh, and there’s an abandoned missile silo at one end too,” Brent said.
“That’s a lot of potential firepower all in one place.”
Brent nodded. “That’s what I was thinking. And it’s haunted. Abandoned cemeteries, a creature with red eyes, a woman in white, and soldier ghosts. Plus green orbs and white flashes. Spooky.”
“Setting off the wells there might not kickstart the entire Apocalypse, but it would definitely be a good start,” Travis said.
Brent skimmed the page he was reading and quickly jumped to a couple of other sites.
“Wow. I guess the surprising part is that there hasn’t been an apocalypse there yet.
” He let out a low whistle. “Apparently, the area that is now the park has had a shadow over it for a long time. This article says that the first tribes talked about a place where the ‘ice fingers,’ glaciers, left barrows filled with ancient monsters.”
“Barrows?”
“When glaciers push up a bunch of loose rock and leave it behind when they melt, those piles are called ‘moraines,’ hence the park name,” Brent said.
“According to the lore, people have said for a long time that there’s powerful, primordial magic deep in the land that has a darkness to it.
I guess people with abilities have avoided the area for a long time.
And a couple of legends said that the power of the land’s magic made it a locus for a final reckoning,” he read from the screen.
“Yeah, but that didn’t stop the railroads, the oil or gas companies, or the coal mines,” Travis countered.
Brent shrugged. “Think about it. In a way, all of those very dangerous types of work might have actually been attracted there if the land wanted blood. Those jobs all have a lot of fatal accidents.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” Travis agreed. “Plus, the jobs didn’t pay well, so that would lead to other problems.”
Brent nodded. “The small towns that are under the lake now had a reputation for fights, drinking too much, and suicides. Anyone who could leave, did.”
“What else?” Travis asked, intrigued. “I’ve lived here my whole life and never heard any of that, although people have mentioned the park for things like company picnics and weddings.”
“Nowadays, that’s how people think of the area,” Brent confirmed. “Did you know that back in the first half of the 1900s, there was even an amusement park on the land that’s now under the lake? It had rides, a dance hall, skating rink, bandstand, and picnic pavilions.”
“Let me guess, things didn’t go well?”
“There were accidents and deaths.” Brent skimmed the text. “People started to say it was unlucky or cursed. When it shut down, arson burned most of the buildings, but the metal rides were out there in the woods for a long time.”
“There’s nothing creepier than an abandoned amusement park.” Travis shivered.
“I’ve got to agree with you,” Brent replied.
“All that’s gone now, right?” Travis asked.
“When the wells and mines petered out, the railroad stopped running, and there weren’t any jobs, so people left.” Brent chuckled. “Interesting phrasing, people called the rich men who owned the mines, wells, and railroads, ‘vampires’ because they sucked the life out of the communities.”
“They weren’t wrong.”
“Then in the 1950s, the land was bought to create a park and build a lake. What was left of seven towns was razed and flooded, including all but a few cemeteries.” Brent sounded excited about his findings.
“Locals still said the area was haunted. People drowned in the new lake, and campers said there were ghosts and vampires in the forest.”
“Sounds a lot like what we went up against at Livermore,” Brent added. “Is there a haunted town under every man-made lake? It sure seems like it.”
While Brent talked, Travis did some searches of his own. “Huh. The chat boards for apocalypse watchers have glommed onto Moraine. They’re chock-full of stories of omens, sightings, and predictions from psychics.”
He fell silent as he read for a moment. “According to the chatter, between the natural dark magic and all the death and destruction, it’s fed the area’s power, with the park and the lake as the nexus. One person wrote, ‘all that was buried will be revealed.’”
“That’s not worrisome at all,” Brent replied.
“It’s a good reason for the park to be the ‘where’ for the disaster,” Travis said. “There’s inherent dark power, a history of tragedy, angry ghosts, and maybe some ties to vampires.”
“And releasing all the stored power of those capped wells and mines, and the twisted magic, would certainly feel like the End of Days to anyone nearby,” Brent agreed. “Might even be enough to trigger other explosions, set off some sort of chain reaction.”
A knock at the door broke off their conversation. Jon stuck his head inside.
“Travis, there’s a man standing outside beyond the wards like he can’t cross them. He’s dressed like a monk and says he wants to speak with you.”
Brent turned to Travis. “A monk?”
One of the Keepers from the library? No way, Travis thought, but as soon as the words crossed his mind, he knew it was true, however unlikely.
“I’ll be right there,” Travis told Jon, who nodded and withdrew.
Brent put a hand on Travis’s arm as he moved to rise. “It could be a trap.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to invite him in or go past the wards. But if my hunch is right, this might be the missing piece we need.”
At this point in the evening, the community rooms were dark and empty. Curfew was near, and most residents welcomed the quiet.
Jon waited for him by the door, armed with a silver crucifix, a wooden stake, and a high-powered rifle. Brent stood next to him, equally well-armed, where he could step in if needed.
“Glad you’re prepared,” Travis said, and Jon gave him a nod.
“Gotta be ready for everything,” Jon replied.
Travis opened the door and walked out onto the top step.
The man on the other side of the sidewalk wore a brown, hooded robe with a knotted rope belt.
Travis recognized the outfit immediately from the Sinistram library, and when the man raised his head, he knew he had seen the Keeper before, on his most recent visit.
“Father Dominick,” the Keeper greeted him. “Dire times are upon us. Choices have been made that many oppose. The elders have been replaced with immortals, vampires, ancient witches, shifters, and others. I have brought you something that may help. You will need it to stop the End of Days.”
From beneath the voluminous sleeves of his robe, the man produced a leather-bound book that looked exactly like the one from Travis’s dreams.
“From the missing section you inquired about,” the Keeper replied with the barest hint of bitter humor in his voice.
“Thank you, but I have to ask, why now? And if others oppose the…regime change…why haven’t you gone against the elders?” Travis remained alert for treachery, but neither the protective ghosts nor his own intuition suggested the situation was other than what it seemed.
“Their protections are too strong,” the Keeper replied. “And our vows carry a compulsion. I bring you this at the risk of my life for breaking my vows. I’m trusting you to do what we cannot.”
At that, the Keeper placed the book on the ground, turned away, and vanished into the darkness.
Travis waited for a moment, alert for trickery, but when the ghosts assured him that no one was lurking to attack, he hurried down the steps to take the book. He felt a frisson of magic as soon as he touched the tome, and quickly returned to the sanctuary behind the protective wards.
Jon had stepped outside to cover him and had brought out a steel-sided, warded case that they used for hazardous relics. Travis put the book inside and felt the buzz of power end.
They moved back inside to where Brent waited in the lobby, gun in hand.
“Who was that?” Jon looked up and down the street to make sure they weren’t about to be besieged.
“A Keeper, one of the librarians at the Sinistram library,” Travis told him.
“They’re pretty creepy, and they’ve usually made it clear that while they will assist me, they disapprove that I left the Order.
That guy helped me the last time I was there, when I noticed all the vampire books were missing. ”
“What did he bring you?” Brent eyed the box warily.
“I haven’t had a chance to look, but I felt the magic when I picked it up,” Travis said.
“Do we need to contain it?” Jon looked askance at the case as if the book inside might attack.
“He said it put him at great risk to break his vows and bring me the book,” Travis said. “But even if it’s not a trap, magic is dangerous. Let me get a space prepared so I can study it in a ‘bubble.’”
Jon waited with the case while Travis and Brent went back upstairs and cleared everything from the kitchen table. Travis said protective spells while Brent set down a salt circle and marked sigils to banish evil. Jon brought the box to the door and watched from a safe distance.
“Everything okay?” Jon asked.
Travis nodded. “Yeah. I think the real danger is what’s in the book, not the book itself. There’s something that the new bosses at the Sinistram didn’t want anyone to know, and I can’t wait to find out what it is.”
He checked his watch. They still had two hours until they were due to talk with Cassidy and Sorren. “With luck, I might stumble on something useful by the time we do our call.”
“Let me know if you need anything,” Jon said. “I’ll close up for the night.”
Brent checked the coffee pot and made fresh. “How can I help?”