"Is anything that comes out of your mouth the truth?"
"You wouldn't believe me, even if I answered that honestly."
•
As soon as you learn that the things that go bump in the night are real, the line between truth and fiction begins to blur.
That's t...
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Chapter 6
Back in the little diner on Main Street, nursing her second coffee of the day, Ali frowned determinedly down at her laptop screen as she waited for the boys to show up. They had gone their separate ways that morning in an attempt to discover the identity of the miner they had encountered, but so far, she'd found nothing.
The bell over the door chimed cheerfully, drawing her eyes up to where the distinctive forms of Sam and Dean Winchester hovered in the entryway. Casting them a small wave, she turned back to her screen, waiting for them to join her. She didn't miss the way Sam raised an eyebrow at the obviously not-black coffee in her hands as he settled opposite her at the table.
"Any luck?" Dean asked as he lifted the laminated menu she'd propped against the salt shakers, his eyes leaping to the offerings of burgers and then jumping to the dessert options.
"Nothing." Ali sighed, cupping her jaw with one hand as she stowed the laptop away, "I even went to that stupid little town museum, there's nothing anywhere that suggests any of the workers died in that mine... In fact they celebrate it pretty loudly – it's kinda unusual to have a track record that good, but I guess they were keeping the Tommyknockers sweet and got a fair warning before any cave ins..."
"Good thing we figured it out then." Sam smiled a little smugly across at her as she raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"Newspaper archives in the library." His smirk grew a little at her clear interest, "You're right, none of the workers died in the mine, but this guy wasn't a worker."
"Go on Sam, I can tell you're dying to explain." Ali rolled her eyes dramatically and took a swig of her coffee whilst Dean waved the waitress over. Clearly enjoying his superior knowledge, Sam waited until all three had ordered their lunch before he rested his elbows on the table, leaning in with a smile.
"So, when the mine closed, it hit the owner pretty rough. Bankruptcy – the coal had dried up with the money and people said it drove him mad."
"Ah, the first ingredients of our angry spirit cocktail."
"Absolutely." He agreed, enjoying the way she had leaned in towards him, mirroring his pose as she listened; "He was convinced he could still make money from the mine, that they hadn't looked hard enough to find new lodes – so one day he suits up, grabs his pick and heads into his derelict mine..."
"And is never heard from again?" Ali guessed with a smile.
"No body was ever recovered." He nodded, "And get this- he was a very outspoken believer in the Tommyknockers, always had his workers leaving out offerings for them."
"This is the weirdest foreplay I've ever seen." Dean muttered as he watched the pair staring at each other so intently, wearing the same stupid smiles as they put their pieces together.
