You exhale slowly. You're still here. You're only here because Luke warned you that something dangerous was on the other side of the door. Without him, you might be lying in an unmarked grave somewhere...or worse. You owe him.

You steel yourself and look at the map once more. While the police were here the night before, they'd also had the internet company come out and replace the line that the intruder had manage to mangle. Luckily, it was an easy fix. After a solid look at the map, you down some breakfast and look over at where you'd first seen Luke.

"I'll be back soon, okay?"

You head out the door and into your car. You drive through thriving Gatlinburg, long before the tourists are out in great numbers, so the drive is nice and smooth. The roads start to curve more as you arrive at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and turn right onto a winding mountain road. The speed limit drops drastically, and you notice with some trepidation that you've lost all cell signal again.

Damn mountains.

All around you, trees burst up through the ground, right next to a burbling river. There are pull overs all along the ride, for you to stop and take pictures without slowing down the traffic or causing an accident around the curves of the road. You drive through, albeit slightly slower than you normally would. You pass over old bridges, made of packed earth and stones covered in moss. Eventually, you drive into Cade's Cove.

To the left, there is a stand for information. You pull up to it and hop out of the car. An older woman dressed in khakis greets you and lets you know that Jim can tell you more about the history of Cade's Cove and direct you anywhere you'd like. When you walk over to Jim, he's standing in front of an informational plaque that shows the entire 11 mile, one-way track that is Cade's Cove scenic loop.

He tells you that there are no more living residents in the valley, the last one died in 1999. He points out the three churches that remain, and tells you there are graveyards behind all of them. You grab a pamphlet for a single dollar and hop back in the car. The very first church along the route is a little out of the ways, though you can still drive to it. It's a small, one-way gravel road full of ruts and curves.

Finally, you manage to pull up to the parking lot for the church and hop out. The sun is nice and warm now, and you're glad you brought your sunglasses. The building is a simple design, square with lots of windows. You peek into it and it creaks just when you look at it. It smells like old wood. White pine, according to your pamphlet. To the left of the church, there is a monument and a path around to the back of the church, where many of the townsfolk of Cade's Cove are buried.

[Go to chapter: Nineteen]