Lake of Flames

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night a candle burned in the window…

Driving up the road in a green van, Kevin, Michael, Rita, Liz, Jade and Devon are all on a trip to Greenwood Lake for their yearly get together. They had all been taking this trip together since high school, but now that everyone is getting ready to graduate college it carries a much bigger significance. "I still don't understand why I have to be the one driving this old dump truck of ours on this long trek to light a freakin' candle" said Kevin in a sarcastic tone. "Because you drew the short stick" replied Devon, while lightly tapping him on the back of the head from behind his seat. "For nearly 8 years we've been taking this trip and now this looks like the last one we'll get to do for a while" said Rita sitting to the right of Devon. Everyone briefly sat quiet as Rita's words started to set in. "Guess this really is it" said Jade in a tearful tone. "Ms. Hardly ever talks just threw her two cents in, that's how you know this is serious" said Kevin playfully.

Sitting in the very back of the van was Liz and Michael. Michael laid asleep with a hat covering his face while Liz, who was reading a book sat next to him, annoyed by his snoring. "I don't like how y'all put me back here with this snoring machine" Liz said irately. "Well he is your annoying boyfriend" replied Devon with a chuckle. Setting her book down on her lap, Liz addressed the rest of the group with a slight smile. "All grumpiness aside, this may be the most important candle lighting we've ever done. I mean look at us, we're goin to the next stage of life. We're gonna be the big dogs". Everyone responded to her with smiles, nods and hi-fives. "Now if only we could get Michael to celebrate too" said Kevin while everyone laughed as they continued down the road to the lake.

The gang arrived at the cabin at Greenwood Lake at dusk. As they pulled up to the cabin they all looked out the window staring at the scenery in silence as if they were seeing it for the very first time ever. As Kevin parked the van in front of the cabin the six sat quietly for a moment, staring at the building in front of them and then gazing at each other with bitter faint smiles as if their expressions were about to be broken by tears. "Come on cry babies, lets get out and face the music" said Michael, who they hadn't realized had woken up from his long sleep from the back of the van. As everyone got out of the van they quickly unpacked their bags and belongings and made their way inside the cabin. "It really does feel good being back here" said Jade in a gleeful voice. "Yeah, but it still feels kinda weird with Will not being here" said Kevin as Liz cut him off. "Look, I thought we said we weren't gonna talk about that anymore". "Well we're gonna have to talk about it at some point Liz" Rita responded. "Will was a part of all this and even though what he did was wrong, he was still our friend too". "LOOK, let's just drop it for now" said Devon in an angry tone. "We'll talk about it later, right now let's just make the best of tonight".

As everyone stood behind him in an uncomfortable silence, Devon opened the door of the two story cabin and everyone entered. It was a large space that was very clean with two pull out couches in the living, a sliding door that led straight to the back with a view of the lake and a kitchen that was to the left hand side of the entrance. The group stood in amazement in the doorway noticing how clean the cabin was. “Um…why is this place so clean?” Kevin asked in amazement. Jade slowly walked around and examined every surface as if this were the first time she had ever seen them. “They must have had a cleaning crew come in and spiff the place up because they knew we were coming, you think?” She asked everyone collectively. Without returning an answer they all continued to examine the cabin in amazement.

Turning his attention to the fireplace in front of the couch, Devon spotted the famous candle that everyone spoke about earlier. “There it is” he said to everyone. “Let’s get all of our junk unpacked and go light that joint up one last time”. Everyone in the group looked at each other and nodded in agreement. As everyone started to spread out around the house and get settled in, Jade and Rita went upstairs to the first door on the right where they started to unpack. “We’ve had some of the best memories of our lame lives here” said Jade. “Yeah it’s a wonder the cops never kicked in the door and found all the stuff we ripped off from all the cool kids” Rita responded as her and Jade laughed together.

Downstairs Liz and Michael were putting away groceries in the kitchen while Kevin and Devon were setting up supplies out back. “I’m really gonna miss this” Michael said to Liz with a slight smile. “Well when we get married after graduation we can buy ourselves a cabin and do this every Friday if you promise not to snore the paint off the walls” said Liz in a sarcastic tone. For a moment Michael paused in serious manner ready to address the elephant in the room. “Listen, I know you and Devon don’t wanna talk about this, but since I’m giving the speech this time at the candlelighting tonight, I’m gonna talk about everything that happened with Will. We can’t keep ignoring it, Liz. We have to confront it and put it to rest”. “But what if I don’t want to?” She asked in a worried tone. “We have to, trust me L, I’m your man” Said Michael with assurance.

While everyone else finished unpacking and setting up, Devon and Kevin were down at the lake setting up wood for the bonfire they planned on having later. “Heh, I just thought about something” Devon said. “Remember when Will stole his dad’s gun lighter that we were planning on using on the firewood the second year we ever came out here?”. “Yeah and then we almost got arrested by the cops because they thought it was a real gun when they pulled us over for speeding” replied Kevin with a laugh. “All hard feelings aside I really miss that nutcase” said Devon”. “Me too” replied Kevin. “I wish he was here with us, he was main reason we all came together to start with. Come on big Kev, let’s get back to the house and light that candle”. After stacking what they felt was enough wood, Devon and Kevin made their way back to the cabin to join the others.

As Devon and Kevin made it back to the cabin they found everyone else sitting in living room talking with Jade in the kitchen digging through the cabinets as the others were waiting on them so they could get ready to light the candle. “You guys won’t believe what I found” said Jade in amazement. “It’s that lemon flavored tonic water that Will used to make for us”. “Where’d that come from?” Michael asked. “Well you know he used to make a lot of these in batches and leave em' around the cabin just in case we had a craving for it. I’m just wondering how long it’s been in here?” “Well you know he said that stuff lasts for years after it’s been made” exclaimed Jade. “Maybe we should drink it for the candle lighting” she continues. “You know, I actually think that’s a good idea. Bring it over” said Devon in agreement.

As everyone sat down on the couches surrounding the fireplace in the living room, Michael started to address everyone as he got ready to light the candle. "Well here we are guys. It's our eighth year comin' out here for our candle lighting. Of course this is the time when we come here and reflect back on where we came from and where it is we're going with appreciation for our goals we've accomplished in life. At the same time I can't acknowledge where we are today without acknowledging who unfortunately is not with us".

"Before we became the coolest kids on the block we were known as the losers. That was until a crazy young dude named Will came into our lives and brought us out of our shells with his bold charisma and daring ways, not to mention his ability to mix a good drink with these weird buzz expanding ingredients his family taught him how to put into the drinks". He really became the heart of the group and then one day he wanted to teach the "real" cool kids a lesson about picking with us losers". He spiked their drinks with some of his fancy ingredients one day and ended up putting them all in the hospital". As Michael revisited the events of the past, everyone sat in an eerie silence and the smiles that previously filled their circle around the candle was now transformed into a partial straight face and a partial frown.

"After Will's little stunt nearly killed a group of douche bag jocks and cheerleaders, he ended up doin' some jail time. After we condemned his actions he declared us traitors and swore revenge against us after his sentencing at his trial. We were juniors in high school when that happened and now we're seniors in college gettin' ready to graduate. Though we condemn will for what he did and we hate that he went to jail and we lost contact with him. We still love him and we...we really wish things could've worked out different and we wish he could've been here". With nods of agreement and scattered sniffles among the group, everyone raised their glasses and simultaneously said "To Will".

Pulling out a silver gun shaped lighter, Michael prepared to light the candle as he gave a closing statement. "This lighter belonged to Will and if he was here this is what he would've lit the candle to as we took a great look at where we are today. "Jade is getting her degree law and is gonna be an amazing lawyer, Devon is gonna be one of the greatest music producers of all time, Kevin is on gonna be a doctor, dr. doom that is, Rita is opening up her own restaurant after a killer degree in culinary, my wonderful future wife Liz is gonna be a defense attorney, and as for me, I'll be one of the greatest teacher that ever lived. Now let's blow out this candle and have a toast to life. Michael blew out the candle as everyone clapped and cheered him on, excited for the future that awaited them.

"Heck yeah, now lets get out to the lake and get drunk off this tonic water" said Rita with excitement as everyone got up and made their way out the backdoor to the lake. When everyone made it down to the shore on the lake it was nearly dark. They all sat in a circle around the pile of wood that was set up earlier as Kevin and Devon began to light up the pile. "We're almost out of tonic water, probably got enough left for everyone to get one last sip" said Michael as he shook the nearly half empty bottle. "Well sweets, go ahead and pour us all one last shot so we can have a toast to the future" said Liz with a smile. Michael went from one cup to the next filling them up with tonic water before finally filling up his own until there was none left. "Aight crew, lets stand and make a toast" said Kevin as he rose to his feet with the rest of the group following suit. "Cheers to the future and cheers to my best friends" said Michael with enthusiasm. "CHEERS" said the rest of the group as everyone took one last sip of the tonic water.

"Whew that was fire" said Jade while shaking her head in an animated fashion. "Now, let's go have some f--", before jade could finish her statement she looked towards the lake and saw what appeared to be an army of bats flying above the water and headed quickly in her direction. As the bats drew closer she let out a blood curdling scream which turned everyone's attention toward her. She screamed hysterically as the bats appeared to be flying on her body and biting at her flesh. "OH MY GOD!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE GET THEM OFF OF ME!!!". The rest of the group quickly came to her aid as she fell to the ground kicking and screaming. "JADE WHAT IS IT?" Devon yelled while trying to get ahold of her. "THE BATS, THE BATS, THEY'RE EVERYWHERE PLEASE GET THEM OFF ME!!!" she shouted as she continued to kick and scream hysterically on the ground. "JADE, THERE ARE NO BATS", "JADE THERE'S NO ONE HERE BUT US" yelled Kevin and Rita respectively while trying to get ahold of her and calm her down.

"What's wrong with her ?" asked Rita in a frightened tone. "I don't know." said Kevin who also seemed frightened. "It's like she's having a psychotic episode or something". Just as Kevin was finishing his statement he looked toward the roof of the cabin and saw what looked like a clown in a blue and silver suit covered in white face paint with a bald head sitting on top of the roof and looking at him with a menacing smile. He quickly rose up and screamed out "RUN!!! IT'S GONNA KILL US ALL". The clown then jumped off the roof and started hopping in his direction. As the clown started getting closer Kevin began to run away from the group, who then noticed him fleeing as they were still trying to calm down Jade. As Kevin neared the woods the clown caught up to him, tackled him to the ground and laughed in Kevin's face as he screamed in terror.”AHHH, GET HIM OFF ME!!!” Kevin screamed. "Hello Kev, I've missed haunting your nightmares!" said the clown menacingly as he held down a resistant Kevin.

"Now what's his problem" said Michael who was now being made aware of Kevin's situation. "I don't know" replied a fearful Liz. "Something is really wrong, Michael what's happening--". As Liz looked down at Michael with a look of confusion, Michael's appearance transformed into that of a giant black spider. "OH MY GOD!!!" she screamed while running away from Michael in fright. "LIZ WHAT IS IT?" Michael screamed as he chased after her. "GUYS WHAT’S HAPPENING?" screamed a frightened and confused Rita as a sudden flash of light hit her eyes and brought her to her knees. When she came to and opened her eyes she found herself sitting at what looked like a table in a restaurant with three plates of food on the table. One of the plates of food turned into a pile of rats, the other a pile of worms, and the last plate was a pile of spiders. She quickly rose from the table horrified at what she was seeing. She looked around for a door and found one behind her. As she ran to it as quickly as she could the door disappeared and was nothing more than a dry wall. When Rita looked back she saw the piles of creatures on the plates growing bigger and bigger as she screamed in terror.

Noticing that Rita was on her knees and screaming while staring off into space, Devon tried to help her break out of the state she was in by calling her name while still attending to a hysterical Jade who was still kicking and screaming on the ground. "RITA WAS IT? RITA WHAT'S THE MATTER?". As Devon continued to call out to Rita he looked toward the lake and saw what looked like a giant shark jump out of lake toward him and swallowed him whole. When he came to all he saw was darkness in a tightly closed wet space in which he could barely move. “HELP!!! SOMEBODY HELP ME PLEASE!!!” He screamed trapped in what looked like a small compacted space of silence.

As Michael caught up to Liz who was nearly cornered at the cabin, she picked up a large piece of broken log to arm herself with. “STAY BACK” she screamed at what looked like a giant spider. “Liz what are you doing? It’s me!” Michael asked in confusion. “Now put the log down and let’s try to—“. As he started toward Liz she hit him in the head with the log, knocking him out cold and unconscious. She then dropped the log and ran into the house where she was startled to find a hooded figure with a bandana tied around his face standing in front of her. “Who are you?” She asked while slowly starting to walk backwards. As she turned around to run back out of the cabin door, the man in the hood grabbed her and stuck a needle in her neck, injecting her with something that instantly knocked her unconscious.

The hooded figure then went outside and found everyone else drowning in their own hysterics around the lake. He first approached a kicking and screaming Jade and injected her neck in the same manner he did Liz’s as she settled to unconsciousness. He then turned his attention to a kneeling Rita and injected her. When he turned to his left he found a frightened Devon curled up in a fetal position and injected him into unconsciousness before walking toward the woods to find a kicking and screaming Kevin and injecting him unconscious. As the four bodies lay unconscious on the lake the hooded figure looked toward the cabin in the direction of an unconscious Michael. “I guess Mikey boy is gonna have to wait til he wakes up to join the party” he said mischievously.

Michael finally gains consciousness and open his eyes. He touches the side of his head in pain as he rises to his feet and finds none of the others in sight. When he turned around and looked on the ground in front of him he saw the lifeless body of Liz with a knife in her chest, laying in front of his feet. "LIZ? Oh God no!" he cried out. He fell to his knees and cradled her lifeless body in his arms, with his eyes closed tight while tears flowed out of them. When he opened his eyes he found his arms were empty and that Liz's body was no longer there. He stood up with a look of confusion and asked himself "What is all this? What in God's name is going on?". He looked out towards the shore of the lake and all he saw was an image of the night sky and the pile of wood by the lake still burning. His focus on the shore in front of him was suddenly broken by a familiar voice behind him. When Michael turned around he saw the hooded figure who drugged everyone while he was unconscious. "Who are you?" Michael asked the man. "What?!" the man responded. "You don't remember your old broski?". The man removed his hood and untied the bandanna from around his face, which revealed that of a man with short hair and brown eyes. As the man's face became clear to him, Michael stood with a blank facial expression of shock. "Will!" he uttered. "Yeah" Will replied. "It's me, I thought after all these years y'all had forgot about me".

"Will what is this?" Michael asked him after staring at each other in a brief silence. "Payback" Will replied. "Payback against the friends who left me hanging. "Come inside Mikey, I have a site for sore eyes you'll enjoy". As Will walked back into the house Michael followed him and what he saw looked like a scenario from a horror movie. Devon, Kevin, Jade, Rita and Liz were in chairs in the living room of the cabin with their hands and feet tied to the chairs and the mouths gagged with tape. Their chairs were put together in a circle and they all had exhausted looks of horror on their faces. "Will why are you doing this?" Michael asked in horror. Will paused at Michael with a hard stare. "Because you all abandoned me. I gave the "cool" kids what they deserved all that time ago for what they did and you all turned your backs on me when I was in trouble". "YOU ALMOST KILLED THEM WILL" Michael screamed in anger. "There is no excuse for that. Yeah they weren't the best eggs in the basket, but those drugs you gave them nearly killed them, it's a miracle they didn't die".

"A miracle they didn't die?!" Will asked irately. After all the trouble they gave us? I told you it was an accident. I wasn't trying to kill them. I just wanted to make them suffer for how they treated us". "But you took it too far" said Michael softly. "No Michael, this is me taking it to far. I spent all that time locked up thinking about how I was gonna get revenge on the people who claimed to love me. The people who should've spoken on my behalf to help get me out of trouble decided to condemn me and let me burn and now I'm gonna make sure you all burn, but I wanted to have some fun with you first".

"You" said Michael in a tone of shock. "You set all of us up, you caused all the chaotic episodes we had. "Bingo" said Will with a smile. "I spiked a bottle of tonic water with a hypnotic little drug called ''the scream queen" and hid it here in the cabin knowing you all would find it and not be able to resist drinking it". A funny side effect of this drug is if you drink enough of it you'll start to hallucinate about the things you fear the most. I imagine those hallucinations went a little something like this: our dear Jade was attacked by bats, Kevin had a run in with a clown, Rita had a vision of her precious restaurant being ruined by pest, Devon found himself trapped in a closed space due to his claustrophobia, your darling Liz thought she was being chased by a giant spider, hence why she knocked your block off and I'm willing to bet you saw an image of the love of your life laying dead in front of you. The things people will tell you in confidence when they trust you, beautiful isn’t it?”

Michael stood speechless with a brazen look of anger on his face and rage burning in his heart. "Well I guess you got what you wanted, right Will?" With a menacing smile on his face, Will nodded in agreement. "But my work isn't finished yet Mikey. That was just the warm up act, this is the real dance number." "What do you mean, Will?" Michael asked. "What I mean is, look to my right". Michael looked behind Will and saw a large propane tank sitting on the floor by the fireplace. "No" said Michael in a soft terrified voice. "This isn't the way to go, do you really have it in you to kill the people you love?". For a moment the menacing demeanor that Will previously upheld was now by a slight feeling of guilt. "I loved all of you Mike, but you all didn't love me enough to stick up for me and then you went on living your lives like I didn't exist. You didn't even write me or take my calls while I was locked up. So with the famous candle we used to light up every time we came out here I'm gonna blow all of you to the hell you deserve to go to for your betrayal."

As Will explained his plans, everyone who was tied up looked and listened in terror. "I can't let you do this, Will" said Michael assertively. Will walked over to the fireplace and grabbed the lit candle that sat on its top. "Sorry Michael, but you don't have a choice." As Will turned around and walked toward the propane tank behind the group, a tied up Liz threw herself on the floor in front of his path, causing him to trip and fall over her. Will dropped the candle and it's tiny flame fell on the carpet. At the site of Will's fall Michael quickly ran towards the direction of the propane tank and jumped on top of Will. As a struggle ensues, Michael pulls Will away from the tank, at which point Will pulls a small pocket knife from his back pocket and swings it towards Michael's head. With his full force, Michael stops Will's arm with his had and falls to his back. As Will and Michael struggle back and forth, a fallen Liz realizes there is room to remove the rope tied around her from the crack caused to the back of her chair from when she fell over.

Liz quickly started rubbing her arms together to undo the knots in the rope around her. While undoing the ropes Liz realizes that the effects of the "scream queen" drugs are still in her system as well as the others. As Michael and Will continue to struggle, Michael knees Will in the stomach from above him and Will drops the knife. As Will falls over in pain Michael quickly grabs the knife and starts cutting everyone loose. He starts the rest of Liz's ropes, then Devon, Kevin, Jade, and finally Rita, Michael also notices that the effects of the scream queen drugs are still in everyone else's systems when he realizes that none of them can hardly stand. "What's the matter with them?" Michael asked Liz while looking at everyone laying on the ground in a weakened state. "It's the drugs" said Liz with exhaust. "The drugs make you crash when they wear off, I know because it happened to the cool kids Will drugged with it last time." "Can you stand?" Michael asked Liz hastily. "Yes" she replied. "We have to get them all out of here".

Michael helped pick up Devon and moved him out the back door of the cabin with Liz behind him helping lift Rita out the back door. When they set both of them down they ran back inside to help Kevin and Rita. When they make it back inside they find Kevin and Rita coming to and helping each other up, but do not see Will anywhere in site. "Wait, where's Will--". Before Liz can finish her question, Will pops up from behind and tries to stab her, before being knocked over by Michael and another struggle ensues. As Will pins Michael on his back, he pulls out another knife and attempts to stab him before Michael catches his hand, holding him off. "It's over Mikey, I'm gonna gut you all, right here, right now" uttered an angry Will as he tried his hardest to force the knife into Michael's neck.

Outside of the cabin Liz was helping the others make it down to the shore of the lake as they were all slowly getting their strength back. Liz turns her attention back towards the cabin and starts to run after Michael. "Liz where are you going?" Jade called out to her. "To help Michael" she called back. As Liz was neared the cabin she noticed that the fire from the candle had lit the carpet and was slowly approaching Will's propane tank beside the fireplace. When she made it to the back door she found Michael on top of Will, having nearly overpowered him. "MICHAEL THE FIRE" she yelled at him. Michael's concentration was broken as he turned around to look at Liz at the sound of her voice. With Michael's focus briefly broken Will quickly snatches the knife from Michael's grip and stabs him in the stomach. "NO!" Liz screamed as Michael fell over in agony holding his bleeding stomach. Will then got up and stood over Michael with a look of satisfaction. "I told you I was gonna get my revenge Mikey". As Will raised the knife in the air getting ready stab Michael once more Liz came up from behind and hit will in the back with a chair. The chair broke to pieces as it hit Will in the back and he fell to the floor in agony with his eyes tightly shut in pain.

Liz looked toward the fireplace and saw the fire was only an inch away from the propane tank. With all her strength she grabbed Michael and got him on his feet as fast as she could. "Come on, honey, we have to go" she said as she struggled to get a limping Michael out of the cabin back door with his arm across her shoulder. As Michael and Liz finally made it out of the back door, Will who was still laying on the floor of the cabin looked at the propane tank just a few feet away from him and realized that the fire had now reached the tank entirely. "Oh boy!" he uttered as the tank ignited. the tank exploded with the force of a sonic boom as flames shot up in the air and debris from the cabin blew across the shore of the lake. The force of the blast knocked Liz and Michael into the dirt as Devon, Rita, Kevin and Jade fell to the ground in front of the lake water.

With the flames of the cabin debris spread across the shore of the lake, Devon, Rita, Kevin, and Jade all ran towards what was left of the cabin to find Liz and Michael. "LIZ" Rita yelled. "MICHAEL" Devon screamed out. "WHERE ARE YOU?" Jade and Kevin called out together. "WE'RE OVER HERE!" yelled Liz just 20 feet away from them. Liz and Michael were laid out on the ground covered in tiny pieces of debris, but were still alive. "Are you guys ok", asked Jade as the group rushed to their side. "Yeah" an injured Michael answered. "We're ok". "What happened to Will?" asked Kevin as he surveyed the destruction behind him. "I...I don't think he made it" said a tearful Jade. Helping Michael to his feet, Devon dug in his pants pockets and found the keys to the van. "Come on guys" he said. "We have to get Michael to a hospital and get help". With Liz holding his hand tightly, the group helped Michael to his feet and quickly walked him to the front of what was left of the cabin and loaded him into the van. "We're lucky to be alive" said Liz in a grateful tone as Jade, Rita, Devon and Kevin all embraced her and Michael. Devon cranked up the van and they all drove off into the night with the flames on the shore and the night sky in their rearview.

Back on the lake, a figure emerged from beneath the debris of what was left of the still burning cabin. The figure was Will. "They think it's over. Oh no, this is far from over..."