Haunted Cabin

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Now it’s been said, by the oldest rangers in this camp, that no one really knows who built the cabin, or why. That one day someone noticed this shabby, decrepit and very much deserted thing sitting in the woods. Every camp leader avoids the trail that wanders past it, the woods itself a warning that something is off with its deathly silence. It feels like the cabin itself is the predator, waiting for its prey.

As a leader, for over six summers I always avoided that trail. Every group I lead took the lake walk and no one complained. Until this summer, this summer was different. This group of children was immune to nature’s charms. Complainers of exercise and genuinely the worst group I have ever had. Not once in the six summers before this summer have I ever wanted to quit the way these spoiled brats made me want to. I told myself I didn’t have them for long, by the week’s end they would return to their parents and I would get a better group. All I had to do was wait it out.

As I began to lead them out for another day of beautiful nature observation and swimming, round two to transform their mutant cyborg minds to the thrill of nature, the complaining starts. I cheerfully point out all the wonders the camp has to offer and smile to myself when they slowly stop complaining. I continue to talk and lead down the lake trail until I realize I have no kids following me.

I turn around and there is no one behind me. Frustration takes over and I instantly get angry at them. This camp isn’t cheap for a reason. Parents sign their kids up to get babysat for a week while they play hooky to their responsibilities. How hard is it to find the right camp for your kid? So they are interested? Plenty of parents do, but some have no clue and send their kids out here thinking just because it’s expensive it’s the best.

My anger is quickly washed out by guilt; it’s expensive because of the insurance. Kids get hurt even if they do love nature, and do their best to listen. I just lost twenty campers, who probably weren’t even paying attention to the camp safety speech about the bears, wolves and mountain lions that roam the forest. I pulled out my radio and notice it’s almost dead. How far could they be? They are probably waiting back at camp. As I turn around and start marching back I make the radio transmission to headquarters, and mid-sentence before I even get to the part of missing kids, the radio dies.

I continue walking and listening for the kids. I expected a snicker, a squeal of delight, the acidic laughter from their leader to come floating out of the woods. That’s when I noticed there were no sounds. No birds, no winds, no chirps, no sounds from nature at all. Like the whole woods was holding its breath. That’s when the hair on my arms and neck stood straight up. The cabin, it feels like the cabin. These campers have only been here one night, but this cabin is like the boogie man of camp. Of course there were campfire stories last night about the abandoned cabin in the woods. They heard that creepy story and decided to go looking for it.

I started running back to camp, hoping I was wrong. Hoping they were just waiting back there like the spoiled brats they are, safe with their cell phones and tablets. Electronic idiots fighting over the few outlets they had available, or anything back at the camp, anywhere but the cabin. While I ran, jumping over the logs and splashing through the river crossing, my mind wandered the trails. To get to the cabin from where we were on the lake trail they would have to go back to camp. There was no other way they would know of to get to it. There was only one trail. No one would cut through the woods blindly. At least, no one with any sense and I wouldn’t say they had any sense. Even if they did cut through the woods, I need help and the only help is at headquarters.

My foot found a hole and I started flying forward, arm spread out to stop my fall, and I felt pain shoot up my right arm right before my face hit a rock.

I opened my eyes and was scared, everything was dark. At first I thought I lost my vision when I hit my face, but after a moment of having my eyes open I realize it's night. My head hurts too much to move, and my arm hurts so bad I can’t even lift it. The fear takes over and turns into panic, I don’t want to be out here in the dark. Not out here, not alone. Not when, the hair on my arms and neck rise as I realize the silence again. This forest is watching me. I listen intently for any sounds, any people, any animals, and there’s nothing. The woods is many things but quiet is never good. I wait, the throbbing pain in my head and arm make it impossible for me to get up. Listening for the sounds of the woods to reveal why it is watching me, who is watching me, is nerve wracking. I feel so vulnerable, I start crying silently to myself. Thinking of my family telling me what a great camp leader I am, how after this summer I’ll be able to get promoted to headquarters, or as leader of the best camp we offer which is the horse program. I picture my mom and dad receiving the news that their daughter is dead. Found in the woods, broken and partially eaten by something that toyed with her for who knows how long before she died. I tried to lift my head and the pain makes me nauseous and dizzy.

I can feel something watching me, something menacing, a gaze that singes my feet, to my legs, to my butt, to my lower back, the space between my shoulders, my neck, my hair making my whole body tingle and quiver. I wait, and it waits. At no point does the pain in my head or arm go away enough for me to get up. When I ran out of tears, I told myself I was going to die. Right here on my favorite trail. This is it. As I slowly accepted my fate my mind, ever the optimist, started to relax. I’m sure it will be over soon. The peacefulness when it is over, I get to be in this place. This beautiful place, my favorite place, this is where I would want to be a ghost for eternity. The tears start pouring again, triggered by my sadness instead of the pain.

Why is it waiting? Where is the nature? This doesn’t feel right. This isn’t fair! Those brats should have never left! They were supposed to follow me and we would all have made it back to camp after a nice long hike to the lake, swam for a bit, and then went back to their electronic pacifiers. As the anger rose inside of me I felt myself rise. The pain was incredible and my vision blurred but I was up and stumbling. Damn it all. Damn those kids that left me, the fall that hurt me, the lazy leaders at headquarters that never even came out to find me. My anger drove me forward one painful step at a time. I hadn’t noticed my foot pain through the head and arm pain. My whole body hurt yet I kept stumbling and dragging myself forward. That eerie silence followed me making me more afraid and angry. Through my noises I couldn’t hear anything else; if something was stalking me it had every advantage. Except that, I didn’t feel like there was anything else following me anymore. It’s just me, shambling my way through the woods. Hot tears falling down my rock abused face. Pure hate flowing from me. I look up and am so relieved to see a cabin, back at camp. There’s a little candle in the window, inviting me in. I open the door and don’t even realize the dust that covers everything. The door shuts smoothly behind me. I hobble over to the bed and curl up, safe at last.