Excerpt from Story from the chapter "Spirits in the Trees" (setting inspired by Brown Mountain, NC)

A solitary man passed among the green hills of Southerly along an overgrown trail, carefully watching the spaces in the forest. He knew that until twilight came he would not be able to see the demons that haunted this place.

The thin trail the traveler followed led to Dead Mountain. The mountain stretched for a mile like a corpse frozen on the ground. Twigs and branches dropped from the dying trees, a warning to all those who passed of the fate that awaited them if they continued.

No one lived anywhere near Dead Mountain and travelers only passed by it if they had no other choice. Those who had dared to venture within its cold shadow said that as day gave way to night eerie, flickering lights could be seen drifting through trees, even from a distance[1].

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[1] Dead Mountain is inspired by Brown Mountain. The Brown Mountain Lights are an unexplained phenomenon that occurs in the mountains of North Carolina. Those who witness the lights describe them as white, yellow, or red in color. Sometimes the lights are described as having a misty appearance and a sizzling sound. There have been many attempts to explain the lights even as early as eight centuries ago when the Cherokee witnessed the lights and believed them to be the spirits of warriors. More recently, investigators believe them to be “earth lights” which are caused by seismic activity. Although the United States government has investigated the lights on three different occasions, the mystery remains unsolved.