apocalypsehowcomm | Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

Appalachia: Into the Pines

Footage plays on the television as a new story comes on, showing a series of sweeping vistas, intercut with clips of wolves that have clearly been filmed at some local wildlife sanctuary. "As far as anyone knows it, the last wolf to ever freely roam the Allegheny Mountains was slain in West Virginia in 1897. Daniel Stoffer Hamrick saw to the beast's passing, and the woods in our part of the world have gone quieter ever since. Appalachia does not forget its history, though. It buries it beneath coal and flyash, debts and white powder and pills. And the blood of people taken before their time, by the mines, by the mountain, by things we don't have names for, just hurt. But Appalachia does not forget.

"This is Cindy Parsons with Channel 5, Wolf News." Footage cuts to a newscaster standing outside a gated apartment complex with FYRE's logo emblazoned on it. "As we know, our beloved Wolf Pen is home to one of the biggest FYRE worker housing complexes in Wyoming County. It is a monument to the history of our town, and this week, we'll be on the lookout for visitors from all over the country, coming to see the grand re-opening of the historic Bluestone Mine as a museum."

Footage cuts to a nondescript businessman, identified by the news footage as Carl Watts, CEO of FYRE. He's smiling blandly as he stands at a podium and gestures to the entrance of the mining tunnel behind him. "The Wolf Pen community has been a partner to us for decades now, and we knew it was finally time to give something back to all y’all. We'll have our soft opening on Monday with a full Rumble Down Under party in the old mines scheduled for June 15th. We'll have a live bluegrass concert and anticipate a huge influx of tourists to the area to help out our neighbors itching for a few more pocketbooks to tend to." A wink.

The footage returns to Cindy. "FYRE has stated that this new museum will provide an educational tool and tourist attraction for those wanting to learn about West Virginia, Wolf Pen, and the hard-working men and women who have made this beautiful part of our nation their home. Time will tell. Time is always telling when it comes to the promises of people who have used our land and our bodies to line their pocketbooks. They fill our blood and our lungs with black tar and-"

Cindy cuts out and is replaced by in-studio anchors. "Thank you, Cindy!" a blonde woman says, smile just a little strained. "I think we're all looking forward to seeing the big opening by FYRE on Sunday and that rocking good party next month. It should be a gneiss one! Now to Tim with the weather. Tim?"

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"The Plessys?" She huffs something like a laugh. "That what you're chasing out here? Sorry to disappoint you, but there wasn't no massacre. I was just a kid when it happened, but far as most of us knew it, Albert Plessy stopped paying taxes. Got arrested for it, and the rest of the clan scarpered 'stead of trying to figure out how to pay on his behalf. We had animal attacks up here, sure. But it wasn't nothing to do with the Plessys. And that's why we got Henry here."

The dog perks up and wags his tail. He spooks most of the spooks back into the woods at night.

Jaeger doesn't look particularly crestfallen, just listens with a small nod to indicate that she has his full attention.

The comment about Henry being on guard gets a small smile from him, a glance at the mutt. He's fully aware of the idea of animals being able to detect things that humans can't or won't, and it seems like a comforting measure to have. Whether it be wild animals, or more ethereal sorts of things.

"That makes sense. I heard both the massacre story, and the mine collapse story. But I know how stories grow with the telling. One little unknown, and people come up with some very interesting ways to explain it." He glances back toward the woods idly, speculatively, before returning his attention to the fire again.

"Are animal attacks in the woods common? I know there's some legends about that too."

"More common than they should be, seems like. It's got bad the past few years, mostly. Not sure what's got the beasts riled up, but they're coming closer and closer into town. Mostly it's the night, though." She sighs. "Used to be you could go walking in the woods late, just looking up at the stars, and it'd be safe.

"Good old days. Back before the assholes at the mine started dumping their shit out here in the crick. They're worse than any animals. At least with them, you know they ain't got the faculties for a conscience."

Jaeger winces sympathetically, because that is a detail that he hadn't quite expected, and...may or may not explain some things.

Certainly, it's worth noting, filing away in his careful memory to be written down later.

"I wish I could say that was a surprise, but it's not, unfortunately. The mine seems to hold a lot of power here, and they...don't seem particularly inclined toward charity and thought." It's a delicate way of putting it, but she's already said as much in starker terms, so he feels comfortable enough there.

"And I'll keep that in mind about the woods. I am planning to do some hiking, it was one of the things that got my attention here, but I want to be safe."

Robin huffs quietly to herself. "Maybe shouldn't say it like that. The dumping's recent. Most of they time they do what they're supposed to. Can't say I like the tailing ponds up around Keppler, but they're there for a reason. They hoofed it all out here farther than they usually do just to... hide it? I don't know.

"My little grandson, he thinks rock and shadow monsters are bringing things over from the mine along with some lady. Kid's got a wild imagination."

Jaeger can't keep the faintest sadness from his smile at the mention of her grandson. He knows a little too well what kind of stories kids can tell, and it stings to be reminded.

But that was a long time ago, and literally a world away. So he brings his mind back to the moment.

"Children often do. I hope it doesn't distress him too much, to be thinking about things like that. They move on to the next idea pretty quickly, at least."

He gazes into the fire for a few seconds, thinking about the whole thing before framing his next question.

"Are there any other spots of interest that you might recommend, while I've got my hiking gear with me? I know about the overlook, that it's good for birdwatching." A quick flash of smile. "And where the creek is, so I can be extra careful. It doesn't sound like a very safe place to be exploring."

"The crick runs all the way down to Silver Lake. You been passing by it on your way up here. Just use the crossing they got down on the main road when you're going back into town, you'll be fine." She glances off to one side where there are tall reeds and the hum of mosquitoes. "Thing starts further up the mountain, but you can see where they dumped their shit through them reeds.

"Can't really show you personally. Hurt my leg chasing the baby down to make sure he didn't get in the water, but you push through, you'll find it all easy enough. For better places to visit? There's another holler down the road from here. Camden Drive. We used to call it Lover's Lane. It's where everyone'd take their sweeties. Big ol' pine back there we carved our initials into. You'll see just about everyone in town's name or initials or sign on there. Good memories back that way."

Event - Appalachia: Into the Pines

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