“That’s right.” He smiled back. “Jürgen thought I was American and apologised.”
“Where we talkin’? No, I haven’t got you for a city boy. More like somewhere remote in Saskatchewan or British Columbia, maybe on the coast.”
“Huh, not bad. Live on the west coast in British Columbia.” The American nodded at Braydon like a friend in the making and formally introduced himself. “Tommy Braxton.” They too shook hands and he then left to allow Braydon to freshen up for this gathering of new acquaintances. Not wanting to hold things up he had a quick shower, redressed and jogged down the stairs with damp hair. He took a little breath to compose himself for the evening and then went past reception in the opposite direction to enter the living room.
In the centre of this neatly decorated room was an oval table designed to sit six people. Taking his place amongst the other three left the two head chairs empty. “Glad to have you!” said Jürgen once Braydon finished tucking his chair in. “Thank you,” he said and acknowledged the other faces. “I’m not late am I?”
“Not at all.”
Braydon’s entrance had actually interrupted Jürgen and Stefan questioning Tommy. “Yeah, so I’ve tried skydiving before, but not bungee jumping,” resumed Stefan. “The big difference is skydiving is mostly scary in the build-up whereas bungee jumping is scary before and during the jump,” affirmed Tommy. “You gotta at least have total faith in the equipment or it’s not worth it. I’ve seen people just freeze up there and have to come down.”
“What about base-jumping? Would you try that?”
“Probably not, but only because it doesn’t really interest me.”
“And it’s more dangerous…,” added Stefan with a smile.
“Well, yeah, and that, ha-ha.”
Jürgen shifted his gaze to Braydon who noticed the host was out of his traditional clothes. “So how did you find your first day here?” Tommy and Stefan were equally interested in the answer.
“Really good. I must admit it was weird seeing Stefan at the salt mine after seeing him fix a light here.” They both laughed. “The same thing happened to me,” said Tommy. “Really weird, like is this guy following me?” all three laughed. “By all means help yourself to a drink,” Jürgen said abruptly. In the middle of the table was an ice-filled bucket of bottled beer. Braydon did just that and raised his to everyone who did the same. After the first swig he felt more relaxed, more able to speak freely.
Jürgen took the reins again. “Did you get around to showing Tommy the secret area, Stefan?” Before he could answer the resident chef came in with a collection of soups on a large tray. He was a portly gentleman and in the appropriate chefs clothing – the white double-buttoned top and chequered trousers. A stand in his other hand gave him something to rest the tray on, after which he carefully laid the soup in front of the guests. “Dig in!” instructed Jürgen. The chef stood behind one of the empty chairs until everyone had a taste, waiting for reactions. When everyone emphasised how good it was he cracked a big smile and went back to the kitchen.
“That’s my five star cook. He doesn’t say much, just likes to see people enjoy his food. I guess you could say that’s his contribution to the world.”
“I had something similar in France,” said Tommy, “but it wasn’t as good as this.”
Silence then ruled the dining table until all were finished. Tommy eventually spoke to Braydon about what his travel plans were after Austria while Jürgen looked over at Stefan like he was trying to remember something. He patiently waited for a lull in the conversation.
“So, Stefan, as I was saying before the soup, did you manage to show Tommy that secret area in the salt mine?” Tommy smiled while Stefan confirmed he had. “Sure did. Well impressed weren’t you?”
Jürgen turned his attention to Braydon. “Basically, without trying to give him a bigger head than he’s already got, Stefan found a new area within the 7000-year-old mine. And the best bit is he hasn’t even told his colleagues yet!”
“The fact is if I did they’d want to take credit and make it public straight away. There’s no doubt it will eventually become public. For now I can investigate it myself, and show other people if they’re interested.”
“That’s pretty awesome,” concluded Braydon, failing to get the hint.
“Would you like to? I can arrange that tomorrow if you want, I mean, if you enjoyed the tour.” Braydon looked over at Tommy, a bit hesitant. “Definitely worth it,” emphasized the American. “Have you checked it out?” Braydon asked Jürgen. “As soon as I can afford to I’m there.”
“Well, what’s in it?” asked Braydon in an excited manner.
“I can’t lie it would take away from the surprise. Let’s just say there are some old objects that hint at what workers used to get up to.”
“I’ve only got tomorrow so I want to figure out what I’m doing, but I’ll definitely consider it.” Everyone nodded along to the answer with no further convincing. Another beer and the rotund cook made his entrance again to replace the empty bowls with plates full of meat, gravy and vegetables. Stefan gave his plate a good smell. “I’ll be damned if you’ll get a bigger portion anywhere else.”
“Right, I mean I’m not sure I will be able to stand after this,” said Tommy which made everyone laugh.
As it was before, the cook waited for affirmative noises. Everyone opted out of dessert, preferring to have a few more beers and share stories. Braydon could not remember anyone being so interested in hearing what he had to say. It was nice but after his fourth beer he felt dog tired. Not wanting to be the first to leave it was with some effort he asked if they’d excuse him. When he did it was met with raised bottles.
“Good of you to join us!” said Jürgen.
“Thanks a lot. It’s been fun, just knackered.”
“You get yourself to bed. See you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
Braydon marched his tired body up the carpeted stairs and noticed a drop in volume which was considerate. Before stripping off for bed he saw Jennifer had texted him but decided to reply tomorrow when he could gather his thoughts. More than a cuddle from his missus he wanted to sleep which he did in that revised position.
3
After another good night’s sleep Braydon reached for his phone. The latest message from Jennifer had an anxious tone to it, asking him if he was okay. He texted back that he had decided to stay in Austria longer but that would in no way affect his return date – a snippet he felt best to highlight in bold so there were no hysterics. With that done he got up and decided on another shower to start the day. As he left his room he saw that his next door neighbour, Tommy, had had the same idea.
“Oh,” Braydon reacted.
“Nope, it’s fine.” Tommy replied with an arm insisting he go first. “I don’t mind waiting.”
“You sure?”
“It’s fine. Good night last night eh?”
“Yeah, I enjoyed it. Would have stayed up longer if my eyes weren’t so heavy.”
“What you here for, one more night?”
“Yeah.”
“If you can, check out that place in the salt mine Stefan was talking about. Really cool.”
“I probably will. I’m guessing it’s safe?”
“Yeah, it’s all good. You can wear a hard hat if it makes you feel better.” Braydon laughed then asked the question, “What are your plans today then?”
“I think I’m mainly gonna check my money and travel plans.”
“And where is it from here?”
“Poland.”
“Cool. Well…,” Braydon was a bit gutted they did not get to hang out more, “if I don’t see you again it was nice meeting you.”
“You too buddy.”
Braydon carried on and Tommy went into his room. Once dry it was back into his own room where he went through his morning ritual of using his language book to see what new words he had memorised. Back out onto the landing and he could hear someone talk
ing in German, an ideal follow up. Slinking down the last flight of stairs confirmed it to be Jürgen’s voice. After a minute of not understanding anything he picked up salt mine and, strangely enough, his own name. Walking up to reception showed Jürgen seated in a small room behind his desk, talking into some kind of elaborate machine.
“Funny looking phone that,” said Braydon, partly amusing himself. Jürgen was caught a bit off guard. “Oh, good morning!” He stood up back in his traditional attire, left the room and began locking the door behind him. “Yeah, it’s just really old.” It appeared that Braydon was going to ask something else but Jürgen cut him off. “Actually I was just talking to Stefan. He’ll be back here later for a drink but is more than happy to give you the special tour if you’ve got a spare hour.”
“I just spoke to Tommy upstairs about it. I’ll probably go and see what the fuss is about.”
“Great, and then later we can toast your departure!”
“Sounds good to me!” Jürgen had this infectious enthusiasm which had made Braydon’s stay here a memorable one. Before leaving he asked the host if there was a particular time he should be back to meet up with Stefan.
“I think six would be ideal.”
“Okay, I’ll be back before then. See you later.”
Exiting the lodge and walking through that gap between the trees reminded Braydon how remote his place of stay was. He also remembered he’d have to walk up here again, not that it was a present concern. The stroll downtown was worth it for the views alone, the clouds which swirled near mountain tops and the odd boat that cruised along Hallstatter See. Braydon must have stopped on eight different occasions to take it all in. Into the main street and he went back to that postcard stand. Figuring he had not been replying to Jennifer as he often as he should, Braydon took out a postcard of Hallstatt in the winter and wrote on it, “Like home but warmer. Keep going with your studies! See you soon. Love, Braydon.” The rest of the afternoon drifted by inside coffee shops, one of which he had lunch in.
He would have been content spending the evening there, watching the sun shimmer on the lake go from white to orange, but having explored the town his appetite to check out this secret area was replenished. The walk back to his digs wasn’t as tough as before. Between the trees which shielded the lodge he could see there were more lights on than usual. He was about to hit the bell when he heard Jürgen and Stefan again speaking in German. Part of him didn’t want to earwig but then another part of him felt like he may hear something interesting. It wasn’t any word that got his attention this time so much as another German voice, surely too high to belong to the burly chef. When he heard someone walk away Braydon hit the buzzer. Jürgen welcomed him in as usual.
After a moment talking about his day Stefan swiftly came in from the dining room, asking Braydon if he was good to go. “Yeah, sure.” There wasn’t quite the same enthusiasm. “Shouldn’t take more than an hour,” he clarified. It felt like the suggestion had slipped back into convincing territory.
“Okay then!” said Jürgen with his hands on his hips, “Have fun!”
As he had grown accustomed, Braydon was the first to be led out through the door and the gap between the trees. Stefan trailed behind him in the dim lit area before asking that they stop. “There is a shortcut we can use to get to the funicular.” Stefan could see a frown come over Braydon’s face. “It’s not a problem. I normally take it whenever I come here from work.” And so the newly acquainted pair ditched the path straight ahead for a narrower, more remote trail, one probably used by hikers in the day time. Not a lot was said as they made their way over the undulating path. Braydon sometimes felt like breaking the silence, asking how long Stefan had worked at the salt mine for, but all he got was single answers.
When the path joined onto another flight of stairs Braydon knew this part of the journey was almost done. On the last few steps it could be seen that the funicular was very close, and that it wasn’t running, of course, because the last tour was at 4 p.m. “Err, isn’t it all closed now?” asked Braydon, hoping for a good answer. “Sure, but we all have our own set of keys,” assured Stefan. “And what about the funicular?” Stefan received the question with the same indifference. “It’s the same situation as it’s connected to the mine.” Though Braydon did not believe him 100% he carried on with soft footsteps. A minute or two was needed to get the cable motor going. When it began to hum Braydon looked back at Hallstatt, to see if anyone would make it known that was an irregular practice, but the idyllic village was as peaceful as ever. When they got inside the small, mountain climbing vehicle it was Stefan who was now more talkative.
“Tommy had a great time. I’m sure you will too,” he said while leaning on one side. Braydon nodded while looking out at the dusky scenery, mainly focusing on the multitude of orange lights, the signs of life that became more insignificant the higher they climbed. Eventually Braydon stopped to notice Stefan looking at him in a relaxed manner, too relaxed for someone who barely knew him. “You seem nervous,” he said at last. Braydon laughed to ease some of this atmosphere which his mind was probably the main contributor. “Just feels like something you do as a kid, but, if you say it’s all on the level, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Exactly,” replied Stefan with a knowing look.
The funicular halted at the top and the pair walked, again in silence, to the opening which began the tour. Stefan found a switch to give the tunnel light. Naturally he took the lead with Braydon behind. “If you’re wondering why we haven’t got the protective suits on we’re not going to be doing any sliding.”
“Ah, okay!” shot back Braydon, grabbing onto whatever conversation came his way to try and normalise this eerie errand. “So, how many people have you showed this area to?” he asked while watching the way Stefan brushed his fingertips against the narrow walls. “You will be the fourth.”
“Okay, cool.”
They went down the wooden staircase and, where they would usually carry onto the slide they took a different turn, heading to what looked like a cul-de-sac. On closer inspection there was an opening. “The wall gets a little narrow here.” In fact it came close to touching Braydon’s shoulders while it did touch Stefan’s who was the wider man, not a nice experience even for one who wasn’t prone to claustrophobia. “We won’t stay here too long, I’m getting rather hungry,” said Stefan while relying on his flashlight. Braydon had a welcome vision of dinner around that table again. “Yeah, sounds good,” he replied, listening to his breathing in this contained area. So small and crudely excavated was this tunnel it was clearly the work of a few men, some kind of furtive getaway from the daily grind. It dipped a little and Braydon could sense an opening. “Just a little bit further,” said Stefan. His breathing had also picked up.
At the mouth of the secret area Stefan stopped. “Right, everything looks good.” He turned around to face Braydon and raised his eyebrows. He moved a bit to the side and offered him another flashlight. “After you,” he said, using his arm in that servile gesture Braydon had encountered so many times now he found it strange, especially in these oppressive settings. It made him hypersensitive to the next moment, and as Braydon timidly obeyed he looked at Stefan’s nearby face to see a wicked glint. Using his peripheral vision confirmed that a flashlight was not the only thing in his possession. He began to unravel something with both hands.
Had Braydon’s reactions been a millisecond off the cord would have become an ill-fitting necklace. With the speed one retracts a scalded limb his forearms blocked it. Frantically he struggled, trying to break free, during which he stepped onto some kind of platform that wasn’t entirely steady. When he managed to do something more imaginative than struggle he saw an opening and kneed Stefan on the side of a leg, either breaking or dislocating something. There was an awful yell but a rabid type of breathing as he tried to fight back. He stumbled off balance, let out another yell and that is when Braydon followed up by smashing his head into the wall, knocking him c
old. The flashlight was held firm and he began to run but carefully, making sure he didn’t injure himself. Out into the night he was observant enough to remember how Stefan had got the funicular going and did so himself. If only he had taken his bag with him. It had most of his belongings in it. There was no choice but to go back to the lodge.
Jürgen’s House had never looked so ominous, nor had Braydon breathed so hard which he tried to get under control. He considered the drastic plan of hitting the buzzer then rushing past who ever opened. Instead he went to the side of the building and looked into the dining room. Nobody was there. Better yet a window was ajar. Before attempting to climb in he did the smart thing and took off his shoes. It felt like he was dipping his toes into a piranha tank. For a moment he hid behind one of the chairs, listening. So far so good but the more he waited the sooner activity would pick up. With his shoes in hand he tip-toed past reception, past that room which he was sure Jürgen was in. Next came the stairs, yes, he was halfway there.
Unavoidable noise came with putting the key in his door. Five seconds later other people started moving. He locked his door and got everything he needed, plus the butt of a lamp, not sure if he’d have to fight his way out. Loud footsteps and frantic voices in German were heard, then a gangling of keys. The shoes were put back on. A brief look at what the other options were and Braydon locked onto the tree just outside of his window. Yes, that’s it! Carefully he slid the window up and put one foot out, waiting for another pair of keys to enter his door. As soon as they did Braydon clumsily jumped into branches. He almost broke a limb sliding/falling out of it but got up and started running. The front door re-opened and someone else gave chase until the main steps were reached, at which point Jürgen gave an instruction in German to cease.
The truest kind of euphoria came over Braydon, of self-preservation wriggling itself free from the clutches of death, but that did nothing to slow his pace which he kept on until he reached Bad Goisern, over six miles away. It felt safer to run than get in any kind of transportation, and when he arrived he did not sleep, just waited for the trains to start again so he could get to Salzburg airport which is where he paid through the nose for an immediate connecting flight back home.
Dare to Read: 13 Tales of Terror Page 6
