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Don V Hylton
a book bubble about
Blue Mountain Explosion
Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Author Insight
Nightmares happen!
I have been retired for nearly eight years after spending a lifetime working in underground coal mines. I continue to have dreams, and at times, nightmares from my past life as a coal miner. Every time there was a fatality underground, a part of me died with that person. It is devastating to lose a co-worker and friend to the mountain. Twice, the shaft mine where I was employed had violent explosions that forced the immediate withdrawal of employees, and the sealing of the mine for months to extinguish the ensuing mine fires. These incidents were traumatic for every miner involved. My mine foreman went inexplicably missing while hunting. The disappearance may, or may not, have been related to his employment at the mine. Authorities have yet to solve the case more than eight years later. Sometimes these memories are triggered, and my subconscious madly dances with these events in my nightmares. I wish it would stop. This excerpt demonstrates how my main character's nightmares force him to see the unimaginable.
Book Excerpt
Blue Mountain Explosion
THREE
All that we see or seem, is but a dream within a dream
—Edgar Allen Poe
My mind and body were restless after Phil and Hank departed. You know how it is in a hospital bed—just hold on until the meds kick in.
Despite my pain and anxiety sleep finally found me, and took me underground to the tailpiece where Charlie died.
In the dream, Nettie is standing by the conveyor belt where Charlie had stood and I frantically reached for her hand but it kept drifting away from me. My wife was in danger and needed to be saved but I could never quite grasp her hand. After lunging for her, we both stumbled toward the beltline. The shock jolted me awake before we plummeted into the belt and suffered the same fate as Charlie.
After the nightmare, I hoped to remain awake but it was an impossible task. Sleep was now my enemy and overcame me once more.
The next gruesome dream was just as dreadful except this time my twenty-year old daughter was standing in a mine entry. Kathy had explosives wrapped around her abdomen. Kneeling in front of her, I was trying to disconnect the detonating device by cutting one of the wires, but couldn’t choose which wire would be the correct one to save my dear girl.
When panic forced me awake again, I tried not to return to sleep to prevent myself from submerging into the depths of this nightmarish, horrific world my mind was conjuring into an alternate reality. I had to stay awake and sort this out. What was happening to me? Was it guilt
about Charlie’s death? Was my family in danger because of my actions two days ago? Was it my knowledge of this unbelievable terrorist threat causing my disturbing hallucinations?
The drugs given to me for pain were a more powerful sedative than my resolve to remain awake. I dozed again and relived my surreal reality.
Everything in this dream happened exactly as it had with Charlie on the conveyor beltline. My subconscious would not allow me to awaken after tumbling into the moving belt as I threw the hammer. My dream world psyche made me watch the hammer; made me see its flight toward the conveyor switch. I woke in disbelief. Something, someone was there!
Could it be real?
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