The Cavern Tavern Inn

     Dear Dr. Bridge,

     In your last letter, you asked for me to give you a full account of the last few days that I spent at home. I don’t understand why, but since you’re my therapist, I’m sure you have a perfectly good reason. Maybe if I explain to you my origins, it might help you to help me cope with my problems.

You see, I was born in San Francisco California. I didn’t live there for very long because my parents didn’t have the money to live in the same city as tech mobiles, CEOs, and the Full House family. So we moved to Colorado. My dad bought us a small apartment where we lived for about three months until my dad discovered the Inn. 

My dad has always loved to snowboard. In fact, he’s probably snowboarding right now while I’m stuck here. One day, when he went snowboarding down a really difficult trail on Copper Mountain and discovered a very old cabin. The cabin was large and was connected to caverns and tunnels all throughout the mountain which we’ve always figured was a part of some secret mining operation a long long time ago. He then talked with the owner of the resort and bought it. 

My dad then spent the next five months renovating the cabin. When he was finished, he made the cabin a hotel and ski lodge called the Cavern Tavern Inn. I miss that place so much. It has a restaurant, a fireplace, a locker room, a hot tub, and a total of seventy rooms. It’s also connected to the caverns in the mountain. My dad made a secret entrance into the caverns, but he never told me, and I doubt I’ll ever know. The Cavern Tavern Inn became sort of a local myth/legend on Copper Mountain. It was hidden by trees and between the trails known as “Falcon Alley” and “Western Slope” which are two very difficult trails to ski or snowboard down. 

My room had always been room sixty nine, and my parent’s room was always room seventy. I remember, I used to run down that hall, racing my mom to see who could get to their room first and then she would grab me and hug me and spin me around in the air. 

I miss running with my mom. 

I miss running.

I miss my mom.

And of course, you cannot tell my story without telling you that one day when I was four, I was walking with my mom to go try skiing down one of the bunny slopes early in the morning when no one was on the mountain yet. I thought it might make my dad proud that by the time he woke up his little boy was skiing.

But that’s when the avalanche hit.

It was small enough not to damage the resort, but strong enough to take things from me that I will never get back. The avalanche paralyzed me from the waist down, and it killed my mom. 

My dad was devastated. He never found anyone else after my mom. But I still needed him, and hospital bills were expensive. So he poured all his time into the Inn. As soon as I was able to maneuver in my wheelchair, I was helping out with everything I could. I met every customer, knew all of them by name, and helped them with anything they needed. 

One night, exactly one year ago, a group of customers came in. There were three of them. A man who looked to be older than my dad and two teenage girls. Though it seemed as though one of the girls was in charge of the group instead of the grown man. 

She asked for a room for the three of them to stay in. My dad asked if they were a family. The girl said no. The man then turned his head and looked me dead in the eyes. Those eyes might just haunt me till I grow old and die. My dad gave them their key and asked me to show them to their room. I rolled down the hall and led the three strangers to their room. The man and the girl who seemed to be in charge walked into the room and the other girl stayed out in the hall with me. She bent over and told me that they would be really busy in there, so I wasn’t supposed to disturb them. Then she kissed me on the cheek, walked into the room, and closed the door behind her. 

That night, I couldn’t sleep, I kept hearing some strange noises in the other hall. So, I got in my wheelchair, grabbed my flashlight and my room key, and I went to investigate. I rolled down the hall and turned the corner. When I went down the other hallway, the sound got louder and louder. It seemed to be coming from the three stranger’s room. As I grew closer to the room, the sounds continued in their strangeness. And then I heard a loud BANG that I could have sworn shook the Inn. I think it might have been a gunshot. 

I bolted back to my room as fast as my two wheels could take me. I got back to my room and hid under my covers as the strange sounds continued. Then, I heard a scream and that was the last thing I remember from that night. 

When I woke up, some strange things had happened to my room. My suitcases were all packed and my droors were all pulled out. I opened the door and went out into the hall to ask my dad what happened. However, when I opened the door of my little mountain cabin bedroom, my dad was there holding a single one way plane ticket to New York, which, as you know, is where I’m writing to you from. 

That day was the last day I ever saw the Cavern Tavern Inn. Since then, I’ve been here at Prof. Black’s Academy for the Young and Eccentric. They have taught me a lot here. This is why I am writing with such good English for a seven year old boy.  After my father abandoned me and sent me to the other side of the country, I devoted my mind to reaching my potential. I had no clue that in Colorado I was wasting away my precious talents. Here, I not only survive on nothing but knowledge and a wheelchair, I thrive! 

Still, some nights I miss that Inn. I miss how blissfully unaware of the troubles of this world I was. But, I had to grow up fast. Hence the consequences of being abandoned by your daddy. 

It was good to hear from you Dr, I hope to hear from you soon.

Sincerely,

Hogan H. James

January sixteenth, two thousand and twenty three.

Rachel,

I fear I may have just made the greatest mistake of my life. 

Last night, I was at the counter when a group of 3 strangers came into the Inn. 

I know, I know, they are probably great people, but let me finish. 

There were 2 girls and a man who claimed that none of them were related and that they all wanted to share the same room. I was a little suspicious and was ready to call the police or at least resort security, but the girls didn’t look to be in any trouble so I just gave them room 45 and Hogan showed them the way. 

When he came back, Hogan said that he was told the 3 strangers would be “very busy”, and that no one should go in there. I found this even more suspicious, given the fact that they had no skis or snowboards and in fact, their bags looked like they were made for weaponry.

You probably think I’m exaggerating or that I’m being super dramatic, but listen baby because I am telling the truth!

That night, I was doing some bills in my office, right? And then I heard some noises so I went to check on Hogan to see if he was sleep crawling again but when I got to the 2nd hall, none of the doors were open. I then went to Hogan’s room, and he was in bed. That’s when I heard the noises coming from the 1st hall. 

I walked down the hall and made it to door 45, which seemed to be the source of the noise. I didn’t want to know what was happening on the other side of that door, but I knocked anyway. 

A moment later, the man swung the door open, said, “I knew if we turned the TV up then you’d show”. He then grabbed me, pulled me inside, and shut the door. 

He then tied me up in a chair and put me in between the room’s 2 beds. Then, the man stepped aside and one of the girls stepped forward. She explained that she was in charge, which I don’t entirely understand…

No honey, it's not because she’s a she, it's because she’s so young! Why do we always end up in this argument? And why have I missed our arguments so much?

The girl told me that she knew about the caverns, and that she meant me no harm. We just talked for a while. 

She knew something about me that I never told you. 

I thought I had long lived past this, but suddenly my past has come back. 

My love, when I was young and living in Alaska, Sitka was overrun with gang violence and organized crime. So, I became a vigilante. They called me the Black Yeti. On my snowboard I would speed through town so fast that if you blinked you could have sworn you didn’t see me (especially since I wore mostly white). I trained at my old man’s gym every day and went into the streets every night. But eventually, I put everyone in jail and no one wanted me anymore. They even tried to arrest me. I was thirteen. So I gave up that life. 

I have no idea how she knew about me, but she did. 

She said I was one of the greats back in my day. That I was a legend. And she knew that inside me, I felt empty. Somehow she knew that I missed that life. I missed helping people, actually helping them, and making a real difference in the world. She said she could help me make a difference again. 

She told me that the 3 of them were the representatives of a group of vigilantes on a global scale. Some, apparently, even have super powers! She told me that all they needed was a headquarters with secret entrances and exits so that they may come and go as they please. This is why they were here. 

Rachel, you know I couldn’t say no. So, I gave them our room. Sorry, our old room. I showed them the secret entrance to the caverns and how to open it by pulling on the longhorn’s horn. 

This is where I may have made a terrible mistake.

I sent our son away.

I didn’t want him caught up in all this and my new friends said they had made arrangements for him to go to a boarding school in New York. So, when Hogan woke up, I had already packed his suitcases and I got him a one way ticket to New York. The look in his eyes when I told him he had to go away almost killed me. 

I couldn’t even bear to take him to the airport. I asked my buddy Frank to take him. I just knew that if I took him, I’d have turned around and taken him home after five minutes. 

A few hours ago, the rest of the society arrived to move in. There looked to only be about 30 of em. There were people of all races, ages, creeds, and religions. Well, obviously not ALL of them, but a lot of them. Apparently there were more of em but they couldn’t be bothered to come. 

Then Mary, the girl I told you about, walked up to me while the others were getting unpacked in the caverns. She handed me a duffel bag. I looked inside and saw a green, white, and black uniform. I looked at her and asked what it was about. She said, “I think it’s time the Black Yeti came back from the dead.”

I have no idea what I’ve gotten myself into but I can only hope the world of adventure that I have just entered is worth removing Hogan from mine. 

I wish you were still here. You would know what to do. 

If it’s possible, could you tell me if what I did was right? 

I need you.

Love,

Your still devoted husband after seventeen years of marriage,

Jonah.

1/17/22

Dear Diary,

Today I might have found a home. 

This cabin up on a mountain resort in Colorado. 

It’s an Inn but it’ll be the perfect cover for what we will be doing. 

I looked into the owner and turns out he’s an ex-crime fighter! 

Used to go by the name “Black Yeti”.

Frankly, I think it’s a little racist that they need to imply the fact that he’s black.

But anyway, I went there yesterday with Savannah and Elisha. 

The owner, Jonah, thought we might be a family.

When we told him we weren’t, I think he thought me and Savannah were being held against our will by the big bad Elisha. 

His kid was sweet though.

He looked about five or six. 

And he was in a wheelchair which I find freakishly adorable. 

That night, we turned the TV on loud which brought Jonah into the room cause he heard it.

We talked, forgot about the tv, then a gun was shot on the tv and it sounded real.

So we turned it down so me and Jonah could talk more. 

He showed us to the caverns and he agreed to join us. 

I had to call a few favors to get his kid into a school in New York,

But it was worth it. 

Savannah doesn’t like the creepiness of the caverns.

I just told her that it’s a good thing she had me as a gf.

Cause no one messes with me lol. 

But something’s been on my mind lately.

That kid, made me think of home. 

I kinda miss my abuela.

But I ran away from there, so I can’t look back. 

I called everyone I could to start moving into the caverns because we have a lot of work to do. 

My sources tell me that the Clockwork gang is planning something huge. 

So we’ll need all hands on deck. 

I got Jonah a new suit and some new gear is being made for him which will give him an edge that he couldn’t imagine. 

So we’ll be ready for war.

But until then,

I’m just happy to have a home for the fist time since I ran away. 

Mi familia didn’t want me as I am, so I’m glad I found people who do. 

I gotta go, Savannah’s calling me and you know how she gets when I don’t come right away. 

Love you,

Mary.

Jan. 17 2022