In a small village which will be called Romen, one would find a rather delightful town alongside a fair sized creek. Near the town's center along the bank of the same name, one would come upon one of the few businesses in the village - The Copper Ring.

     It was a tavern of sorts, once containing upper rooms which would be rented out to travelers. In time, the modes of transportation developed and changed, and at the time of this writing, the upstairs rooms were mostly empty. The few rooms still occupied were some elderly men and women who had found Romen rather satisfactory in continuing their lives there.

     The main floor kept its purpose and remained a place to stop, visit and eat. It was mostly rectangular with wooden booths placed here and there built in the old style. It was dimly lit, as such places were in those days. Upon entering The Copper Ring, one would immediately catch a scene from the past.

     At the north end of the room were some stairs which led down into the cellar. In the cellar were three small rooms which for a fee could be rented for a space of time. Each booth contained a table and seats which were built right against the walls. They could hold four adults, or if need be, up to six. The booths were actually tiny compartments which contained their own little roof and walls. Privacy was almost complete when occupying a seat inside.

     Although it was in the cellar, the booths were quite comfortable. One booth, the Copper Ring it was called, was usually visited by three friends on a regular basis. In years past, someone had taken a ring of copper and nailed it on the post above the booth ceiling. And the name had stuck gradually meaning the whole inn iteself. The other two booths had no names.

     On a breezy but warm March evening, three friends had gathered in the Copper Ring. It was their custom and habit to gather there at least once a week, as they had done for years. Here, they would have a meal and a few drinks and swap advice and stories.

     On this particular night, they sat in the booth carrying out their usual routine. There was some upstairs noise which made them pause.

     "Hope it's not a fight," said Hawkins.

     Gensel laughed. "Hasn't been a fight in this place since Goates and old Cooter tore into each other. Years ago."

     "Nevermind," said Hawkins. "It's stopped now."

     Mandus took another sip from his drink. He was rather quiet on this night. His friends remarked about it. He smiled.

     "Just thinking about Clare," he said. "I miss her around this time. March was her last month to see the world."

     The others grew quiet at this. They had forgotten that he had lost his wife about a year ago. The atmosphere grew darker.

     "But I know," he said after a pause, "It's all water under the bridge. And I like the bachelor's life, really."

     "There are good things about it I'm sure," Hawkins said, trying to put in some positive light.

     The talk shifted to other things for a while.

     "It's starting to get late," Gensel said. "I'm dreading that walk home, man! that wind. Seems like something evil is coming when you hear and feel that."

     "I can give you a ride," said Hawkins. "You don't mean to be out on a night like this pal."

     But going back home was a bit difficult. They put it off again by sitting back and talking of other things. As it often did on such nights, they began to share their accounts of the strange and unexplainable.

     One of their favorites was a local legend of the grim wailer. Many had heard his eerie call in the night which supposedly signaled a terrible event in the community. Some had claimed to have seen him from time to time. He was very tall, dark and silent, slipping from tree to tree along dark streets and woods.

     Mandus shook his head. "You know fellas, I can tell you something that might just chill your blood. This is something that's happened to me, not too awfully long ago."

     "You're not going into that fishing trip beside that haunted lake again."

     "No, it's not that," said Mandus. "And I don't care what you think, that lake is really haunted. But this is something else completely. In fact, it's not very far from here."

     "So what is it?" Gensel asked.

     "It's a house. It's a six roomer out by itself in the woods down by Patterson Creek. It's been left to itself for a long time."

     "And it's haunted," Hawkins put in.

     "I won't say that," said Mandus, "but there is something very strange about one of the rooms."

     "So what happens in that room?" Hawkins asked.

     Mandus bowed his head for a few seconds. "You know something? I don't think I will tell you. It's something that you have to see for yourself."

     "Oh come on," said Hawkins. "When are we ever going to find out something like that for ourselves?

     "We can be there in thirty minutes," said Mandus.

     "You mean now? It's already pretty late now."

     Mandus chuckled. "We're all retired. What's the big deal here?" Maybe we'll get up a little late tomorrow. Would you like to see it?"

     "Going around in the woods at night?" Gensel commented. "It's not something that guys our age should be doing."

     "Well, we need a little excitement in our lives," said Hawkins. "I guess this is one way that we can do that."

     "You're right," Mandus agreed. "This right here, is the most excitement I get now. And it's probbly the same for you. So, let's just do something unexpected maybe. Why not?"

     "Not me," Gensel said. "I'm going straight home from here. Besides, I have a wife at home."

     "I'm not twistin' your arm," said Mandus.

     "Come on," said Hawkins after a pause. I think I know that very house. It's only a ten minute walk from the parking place."

     They agreed to make the little trip which Mandus assured would be easy and brief. They left the Copper Ring and got into Hawkins' little car outside. Mandus directed him to drive down the east road out of the town.

     Patterson Creek was a favorite hunting spot for the locals there. They were familiar with the area pretty much. But at night of course, everything would be different. They had two flashlights between them. They said very little as they turned onto that narrow gravel road. The air was tense.

     Gensel was not in the mood for the trip; but he was going along. They knew that a road led through the woods; and he hoped that their path would be on it. After a few minutes, they arrived at the forest on the edge of town.

     "We'll be stopping at the parking place," said Mandus.

     He spoke of the wide area off of the road where everyone parked and took to the woods. After a minute, the saw the little area in the cars headlights.

     Hawkins pulled the car over and came to a stop. They all looked out at the immense blackness before them. They checked the two flashlights to see if they still worked.

     "Is this really necessary?" asked Gensel. "We could get lost."

     "Not a chance," said Mandus. "I've been here several times before. I just hope the trick works this time."

     "You keep talking about that," said Hawkins.

     "Just follow me and I'll show you what I mean," Mandus answered.

     Slowly, the old men emerged from the car and stood quietly.

     "It's still pretty windy," said Hawkins. "But it's not too cold."

     "The house aint far from here," said Mandus. "I guess I can start telling you about it now."

     They began their walk down the pathway, which could be seen without too much difficulty. Hawkins muttered to himself that he wanted to get it over with. But he didn't let Mandus hear him.

     "Years ago I heard from a friend about the mysterious Patterson house. Everybody knows that there's something strange about it. Well, I'll tell you guys what's happened to me there. Now you can take it or leave it. You know that. But I swear that this is the truth.

     You know, my father came out here to hunt now and then. He told me that this place had a lot of wide open meadow then, back when the Pattersons were still around. Now look at it."

     Just then, they all three stopped. They had just arrived at the small creek which marked the beginning of the old farmland. The tiny narrow stream could barely be heard gurgling along. It was an eerie but pleasant place. But there was something else that caught their attention.

     Off to their right perhaps about two hundred feet, they could see a light in the woods. It was moving along slowly as if it were a lantern being carried by a casual traveler. But it was no flashlight, because there was no beam.

     "Maybe a hunter off in the woods," Hawkins whispered.

     He was about to call out, when the others stopped him. They had turned off their flashlights and were watching the traveler in silence.

     "Not sure if we should do that," said Mandus very quietly. "Probbly a guy out hunting; but you can't be too sure."

     As they watched, the light moved on and seemed to be moving away from them. Then, it was suddenly out.

     "What do you make of that?" asked Gensel.

     But they weren't sure what it could be. Hawkins suggested that they follow it, but was voted down.

     "I want to get home before midnight," said Gensel. "I'll fall asleep on the ground here, if I'm out here much longer."

     They cautiously resumed their journey through the dense thicket, still following the trail as best they could.

     "It isn't far now," said Mandus. "We should be seeing the house by now."

     "What if we pass it," Gensel suggested.

     "Nope, we're still on the road," said Hawkins. "I find it hard to believe we're doing this."

     "We needed to do something," said Mandus. "The talk back at the Copper Ring was starting to get boring - no offense to you guys."

     "Whose woods are these now?" Gensel asked.

     "Don't even know," Mandus answered. "There's several hundred acres and just one house on it. We'd have to go to the records and look up the owner I suppose."

     "Anyway, you were telling us about what to expect," Hawkins reminded.

     "Yes," said Mandus. "There's this room in the house. It's really amazing let me tell you. I've been in it six different times. A friend told me about the place years ago. Hold on."

     They saw something beside the road. It was an old stone well.

     "Funny," said Mandus. "We should see the house by now."

     They threw the beams in every direction; but they could see no house.

     "It could have burned," said Hawkins. "But there should be something left, old stones or something."

     Gensel snorted. "All this way for nothing."

     "Wait, I see it. It's just hidden from all the trees."

     They quickened their pace and found the house standing lonely and dark before them.

     "Yep," Mandus remarked while feeling of the wooded sideboards. "This is the place. What I was telling you is, I can't guarantee what will happen in the strange room. Like I told you, this weird thing only happened once. And I've never been here in the dark.

     But for some reason, I'm thinking that at dark, the power might be more dependable."

     "You're out of your head," said Gensel. "Nothing here but a dark deserted house - at least I hope it's deserted."

     "Well, if anything happens, you'll see what I mean," said Mandus. "If it doesn't then, so what. I'll tell you exactly what happened to me then."

     They found the front door open and made their way into the first room. It was just what one would expect - an empty room with only fragments of old furniture. The ceiling in the corner was sagging badly from apparent water damage. All at once, there was a sudden feel of something heavy falling. It was only for one second, but it shook the floor.

     "What in the world?" said Gensel with fear in his voice.

     "Wait."

     Then all was once again quiet.

     "Don't know what it was," said Hawkins. "I could feel the floor shake though."

     Mandus motioned for them to enter through an open doorway. They found themselves in a small hallway. Mandus threw his beam onto a closed door at the end.

     "That's the room there," he said in a whisper.

     "Shouldn't we check the other rooms, just to make sure that we're alone?" Gensel suggested.

     "Just try out the mystery room," said Hawkins. "I want to see if anything happens."

     They took about four steps to the door.

     "I guess this is it," said Mandus. "Let's stay close together."

     He grabbed the knob and began to turn it. It seemed stuck; and he applied more force on the knob. It squeaked and the door snapped at the latch. He pushed it slowly.

     "Good grief," said Hawkins.

     There was dim light coming from inside, allowing the men to easily see into the room. They slowly stepped inside, each one amazed and speechless.

     "I see it," said Genzel, but I don't believe it.

     "It's the Copper Ring," said Hawkins. "I'll be hanged. How in the world ..."

     "Can't explain it," said Mandus with a chuckle. He took his usual seat at the booth. "But here it is - our very place."

     Hawkins closed the door back and took his accustomed seat.

     "But this is an illusion," said Gensel. "It's some sort of mind trick or something."

     "I can't explain it," Mandus told them. "But see, it's our old room. There's the copper ring up there right where it should be."

     "Now, you come here," said Gensel, "and it turns out to be the Copper Ring when you get here?"

     "No," Mandus answered. "I'm as surprised as you are. You see, the last time I was here, I wound up right back in my own house - I swear it. I wasn't sure where we would wind up this time, since we each live in three different places."

     "It's still hard to believe," said Hawkins rubbing his hands on the table. "But is this really the place?"

     "Seems to be," said Mandus. "That's all I can say."

     "Wait a minute," said Gensel. "What happens when we open that door? Will we be out here in this house, or will we be in the Inn back in town?"

     "Once I was in my house, that's right where I stayed. I went to bed and woke up - still in my own house. But I can't answer anything for sure, unless we try it out to make sure."

     "Well," said Gensel. "I'm not really one for hanging out here too long. Whatever this place is, it aint natural. So we should be gettin' on out of here."

     Hawkins nodded. "You could be right. If this here room changes like that, well, a lot of things could happen. It's like it has a mind of its own; and I'm not too sure we should be hanging around inside such a place. It's like it knows what we want."

     Mandus agreed. "I guess we'll find out."

     He got up and pushed open the door to their favorite room. They saw, with great relief, the corridor which led to the stairs in the tavern house. They went to the upper floor and saw the familiar room. Oddly, it was deserted. They were the only ones there.

     "But what about your car?" asked Gensel. "It's still parked over there in the woods."

     Mandus laughed. "Let's see."

     He looked out of the front door and saw his car in its usual parking spot on the road.

     "Everything's back to normal," he said. "Guess I can drop you guys off at your place. This is too crazy."

     They talked about it all the way home.

     "We'll have to try that again," said Hawkins. "Maybe in the daytime."

     Gensel was getting out of the car. "I think I'll pass on that. You start fooling around that kind of thing, no good can come of it. So just count me out."

     And that was the incident in the Copper Ring.