reached an embankment at the end
of the road. “We walk from here,” he said, opening his car door and stepping
out. The night had settled around them, and the sky was covered in stars. Can’t
see stars like this in Seattle, Steven thought involuntarily. He gazed up
at them until he felt Winn pressing a flashlight into his hand and the lights
from the other flashlights distracted him.
“Follow me,” Winn said, heading down a trail. They passed a
portable outhouse and a small trailer with the lights on inside.
As they passed, a ranger stuck his head out the trailer door.
“It’s after hours,” he said. “The trail is closed.”
“It’s me, Don,” Winn said, and kept walking.
“Oh, howdy Winn,” the ranger said. “Go on ahead then.” The
ranger pulled his head back inside the trailer door.
“Went to school with Don,” Winn said as they walked.
“Does he know what’s going on out here?” Steven asked.
“Not exactly,” Winn said, “but I helped him and his family
out of a scrape a while back, so he trusts me.”
“If he knew you’ve had sex with his sister,” Deem said, “he
might not be so friendly.”
“Now why would he need to know that?” Winn said.
“Winn isn’t one for full disclosure,” Deem said.
“I’m for smart disclosure,” Winn said, picking up the
pace. “Come on, we’ve got a half hour walk ahead of us.”
Even with their flashlights bobbing up and down on the trail,
the stars above were crisp and clear, and the Milky Way was out in full glory.
On the horizon Steven could see the moon starting to rise off a line of
mountains in the distance, and there were high clouds surrounding it. To the
right the sky was lighter.
“Sun’s not all the way down yet?” Steven asked. “It’s after
ten!”
“No,” Deem said, “that’s Vegas. So much light it spills over
into here.”
They walked for a while, concentrating on their steps. The
path was uneven, and a twisted ankle was only a misplaced foot away.
After a while Winn stopped, shining his flashlight on a
cement foundation that rose three feet out of the ground, forming a rectangle.
“We’re here,” he said. “This is the old Whitney home, the first
house at the north end of town. What we’re going to do is move in and out of
the River as we go. Go ahead and jump in now.”
Steven slipped into the flow, and was startled to see a
full-fledged house appear behind Winn, sitting on top of the foundation he had
lit. He examined the house, which looked at least a hundred years old.
Slip back out , Winn thought, and they all exited the River.
“Never seen anything like that before,” Roy said.
“This entire town came back in the River when the waters
receded ten years ago,” Winn said. “People think it’s a ghost town, and that’s
what it looks like to the tourists who wander out here during the day to poke
around these foundations. None of them have a clue that the entire town is
still alive and functioning in the River. What we’re going to do is walk
around. I want you to see a few things, so follow me. When we walk, exit the
River so you can maneuver safely. When we reach something I want you to see,
we’ll stop and all jump in. Keep your flashlights on the ground right in front
of you, don’t shine them around. Got it?”
They all nodded, and Winn turned and walked past the
foundation. After another minute of walking, he stopped and turned to them all,
like a tour guide.
“Alright,” he said. “Jump back in.”
They were at the head of a street that was lined with
buildings on both sides. It looked like an old main street, with store facades
that came right up to the sidewalk. At the end of the street was a large
building that looked like a lodge. Its lights were on, and Steven could see
movement inside.
This is old downtown St. Thomas, Winn thought. That building at
the end of the street is the Gentry Hotel, which was always the biggest
building in town and the center of activity. There
of the road. “We walk from here,” he said, opening his car door and stepping
out. The night had settled around them, and the sky was covered in stars. Can’t
see stars like this in Seattle, Steven thought involuntarily. He gazed up
at them until he felt Winn pressing a flashlight into his hand and the lights
from the other flashlights distracted him.
“Follow me,” Winn said, heading down a trail. They passed a
portable outhouse and a small trailer with the lights on inside.
As they passed, a ranger stuck his head out the trailer door.
“It’s after hours,” he said. “The trail is closed.”
“It’s me, Don,” Winn said, and kept walking.
“Oh, howdy Winn,” the ranger said. “Go on ahead then.” The
ranger pulled his head back inside the trailer door.
“Went to school with Don,” Winn said as they walked.
“Does he know what’s going on out here?” Steven asked.
“Not exactly,” Winn said, “but I helped him and his family
out of a scrape a while back, so he trusts me.”
“If he knew you’ve had sex with his sister,” Deem said, “he
might not be so friendly.”
“Now why would he need to know that?” Winn said.
“Winn isn’t one for full disclosure,” Deem said.
“I’m for smart disclosure,” Winn said, picking up the
pace. “Come on, we’ve got a half hour walk ahead of us.”
Even with their flashlights bobbing up and down on the trail,
the stars above were crisp and clear, and the Milky Way was out in full glory.
On the horizon Steven could see the moon starting to rise off a line of
mountains in the distance, and there were high clouds surrounding it. To the
right the sky was lighter.
“Sun’s not all the way down yet?” Steven asked. “It’s after
ten!”
“No,” Deem said, “that’s Vegas. So much light it spills over
into here.”
They walked for a while, concentrating on their steps. The
path was uneven, and a twisted ankle was only a misplaced foot away.
After a while Winn stopped, shining his flashlight on a
cement foundation that rose three feet out of the ground, forming a rectangle.
“We’re here,” he said. “This is the old Whitney home, the first
house at the north end of town. What we’re going to do is move in and out of
the River as we go. Go ahead and jump in now.”
Steven slipped into the flow, and was startled to see a
full-fledged house appear behind Winn, sitting on top of the foundation he had
lit. He examined the house, which looked at least a hundred years old.
Slip back out , Winn thought, and they all exited the River.
“Never seen anything like that before,” Roy said.
“This entire town came back in the River when the waters
receded ten years ago,” Winn said. “People think it’s a ghost town, and that’s
what it looks like to the tourists who wander out here during the day to poke
around these foundations. None of them have a clue that the entire town is
still alive and functioning in the River. What we’re going to do is walk
around. I want you to see a few things, so follow me. When we walk, exit the
River so you can maneuver safely. When we reach something I want you to see,
we’ll stop and all jump in. Keep your flashlights on the ground right in front
of you, don’t shine them around. Got it?”
They all nodded, and Winn turned and walked past the
foundation. After another minute of walking, he stopped and turned to them all,
like a tour guide.
“Alright,” he said. “Jump back in.”
They were at the head of a street that was lined with
buildings on both sides. It looked like an old main street, with store facades
that came right up to the sidewalk. At the end of the street was a large
building that looked like a lodge. Its lights were on, and Steven could see
movement inside.
This is old downtown St. Thomas, Winn thought. That building at
the end of the street is the Gentry Hotel, which was always the biggest
building in town and the center of activity. There
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