Lost World Mine – Sunday Photo Fiction – Coloring Outside the Lines

Written as part of a challenge called Sunday Photo Fiction, details are available athttps://sundayphotofictioner.wordpress.com/2016/07/24/sunday-photo-fiction-july-24th-2016/

The claim was his Grandfather’s. His name sake as well. Red Jasper held out in a kingdom of one. The Superstition Mountains held ghosts hostage in gold and silver cages. Copper left once and returned as wooden frames and joists.

Five hundred feet below the second Red Jasper sees his storage shed looking inheritance. The turnout barely makes a parking place. The highway four lanes wide scales uphill here. The grey white Mountain seems like the world forgot it. Another look at the map and the deed confirm this is now his nowhere.

The beauty of nowhere is no improvements. No roads. No path to lead the world in. Only the truly independent should look upon nowhere. It holds a mirror to the soul you have not the soul others see in you. Nature cares not for approval ratings.

“The old bastard was 86 years old! He had 60 years to build a stairway! A driveway would be nice. I guess I can build me own.” Jasper (Red hasn’t been used in awhile) starts the climb.

The rough hillside made of quartile, with layers of sandstone makes for giant stairs. Large sections of footfalls seemed to have been placed at all the right spots. Twenty minutes of climbing yields a landing. The crazy old bastard hid the way up. Looking East, a series of shelves drops down easy but out of sight from the highway.

Looking West, a hand craved set of stairs leads to Grandfather’s Ark. The rest of the way explained things about the old guy.

“Never show everything to anyone.” His words remembered in his voice. His face was weather worn and coveted by a conductor’s hat. His eyes just short of crazy.

Three hundred stairs require a few pauses. Each step lowers the rest of the world. Horizons expand. More colors seep in to view. The final landing captures the magic of the place. The little shed turns into six rooms with solar power, running water, and satellite TV.

On the table sits a white binder with dozens of documents. Pictures show inside a mine. Keys to a jeep. Map to where the jeep is parked.

A note reads “Red Jasper read. You sell smell amounts. You have three metal ores. There should be plenty underneath for first year. The mine opens from the building to the left. The shafts leads down by rope. Instructions are take tools and find what matches what you already have in the bins. Leave the world behind.”