37. An Arizona Story
retold by: John Cornish (cornish@tfon.com)
My friend was collecting deep, deep underground in a remote Arizona copper mine, working with a small group of collectors. They were a tight group and had worked closely on many other occasions. They'd been several days underground at this point and had made a base camp in one of the old tunnels. One night (day/night, time doesn't matter underground as its pitch black ALL THE TIME!), the group was awakened by the panicky shouts of one of its members. Charley (not his real name) was nearly hysterical and was madly, hurriedly cramming his gear into his pack while over and over saying, "We've got to get out of here. We've got to get out of here NOW!" As the situation escalated, everyone was woken up and added to the chorus asking... What the H E Double Tooth Picks are you talking about?!
In a frenzy, for Charley would not stop packing and was leaving whether anyone was coming with him or not, related that he'd awakened to find an old man, a gnarled miner, standing above him and starring down. The man didn't say a word, just emptily, eerily starred down and that was it, Charley was leaving! His face was ashen, his breathing quick and panicked, a sheen of sweat covered his skin. No amount of dissuasion would stop him, Charley was leaving. Not knowing what else to do, and everybody was a bit freaked out by this time, everyone packed up and they began a hurried ascent, following Charley out towards daylight.
Charley never did go underground again after that. That was it for Charley. That was it. None of the others saw the "ghost", but every one of them will testify, Charley was scared to death.
He'd been solid as a rock before this and had spent innumerable trips underground in a score of mines, but this was it, Charley never went underground again.
Text © 2007 John Cornish Minerals, Images © 2007 Brandy Naugle, All rights reserved.
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