Serial

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

“Aww, Laney this sounds like a shit story.”

“Ethan, be quiet and listen to it. For me…”

“Fine.”

“Okay, so the cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The mark of something sinister. A man named Luis Fischer came to this very cabin to murder his fifth victim and bury them nearby like all the other murders. However, he had a bit of a more malevolent plan in the works. He lights a candle in the window, a signal for the ritual to begin. Lighting this candle, he hopes to lower the veil to the other side of the dead and work with an evil deity who can make him immortal and continue his legacy as a serial killer, forever. The ritual begins with the murder of an innocent, followed by their blood being mixed into a chalice with the blood of the person wanting to complete the ritual. Luis murdered his victim right there in the living room, blood splattered all over the walls and it seeped into the carpet below him. Gathering the blood in a chalice, he begins by saying his prayer.”

“Evil deity, please hear my call to you. I Luis Fischer give my soul to thee, in exchange for immortality to continue my legacy. I present you with the blood of an innocent and a sacrifice of my soul to you. Please accept my sacrifice as a sign of loyalty and forever gratitude to thee.”

“Slicing his hand open he offers his blood to the chalice and begins to stir. He then takes a sip to solidify the bond. Quickly he says thank you and see you soon as he moves with one motion and slices his neck, cutting the artery. Blood sprays from the neck and covers the chalice and floor with blood. Blood pooling on the carpet he now lays on and a crack of lightning striking the tree outside, leaving a burned line from the branches to the stump.”

As Laney says this, she claps her hands in a loud sound. Charlene screams and her strawberry blonde hair goes flying in her face as she goes to bury her face in her hands.

Laney tears up in a burst of loud laughter as she sees Charlene freak out over her ghost story. The campfire crackles and starts to lose its flame.

“Well, the fire’s just about out, we might wanna head inside for the rest of the night,” says Ethan.

Charlene is terrified and says, “Well I’m not going to sleep tonight.”

“It’s alright babe, I’ll protect you,” Sawyer smiles a big grin and winks at Charlene.

“Thanks babe.”

They all start to get up with Sam pouring the water on the fire to flush it out for the night. Walking to the cabin they all turn their heads towards a cracked branch not too far from them. They all look at each other and run inside the cabin’s front door.

“Okay, I say it’s time for shots!” Ethan yells excitedly.

“I’ll get the glasses,” says Laney.

Suddenly, the power goes out. Laney grabs the candles from the kitchen and starts to light them. She walks out to the living room and puts one on the coffee table with the shot glasses and walks to light the candle in the window, and puts one on the fireplace mantel, and on the bookshelf to the right of the living room. The room grows brighter as Laney places the candle strategically around the room.

“I’m going to go check the generator and see what’s wrong with it. Babe, you want to come?” Sawyer says.

“I would come with you, but I am terrified to go outside now,” Charlene says in a low voice.

Ethan grabs the liquor off the mantel and starts pouring it into the shot glasses.

“Hey, I’m going to go outside and check for service,” Sam says as she walks out the front door.

“Laney! Let’s start a game of truth or dare!” exclaimed Ethan.

“Yeah, okay. Sounds good to me. What about you Charlene?”

“I guess so…” Charlene whispers.

“Aww come on, it’ll make you forget about the ghost story, and besides, don’t you want to know which of us Sawyer would sleep with if he had to pick someone in the room…” Laney laughs.

“Laney! You’re terrible! And he’d rather die than it be you!” Charlene states.

“Or maybe he’ll surprise us all and pick me!” says Ethan.

“Omg!” the girls say in unison.

The doorknob wiggles sporadically and slowly turn. The door opens quickly, and Sawyer comes in walking like a zombie with his eyes bulging from the sockets.

“What’s wrong man?” Ethan says.

Walking through the doorway Sawyer falls to his knees and then with a big thud falls flat on his chest. Blood seeps from his mouth. Charlene screams and runs to his body. Laney covers her mouth and Ethan stands there in shock. Running through the door Sam stumbles inside.

“What the hell happened!” Sam exclaims.

Charlene runs to the kitchen and grabs the butcher knife. She comes back out holding the knife outwards ready to stab Sam.

“Don’t come any closer!” Charlene yells.

“What the fuck Charlene?” Laney says.

“She killed Sawyer!”

“No, I didn’t!” Sam yells back.

“Think about it, she was the only one out there at the same time as Sawyer. Who else could it be.” Charlene tries to reason with Laney and Ethan.

“Let’s slow down. Sam wouldn’t kill anybody.” Laney says.

“Wait Laney, what do we really know about Sam, besides she dates your best friend, Annie. What if she is capable of murder?” Ethan starts questioning Sam’s motives.

“What the Hell Ethan? I thought we were cool. I didn’t kill anybody, and I never would! Something weird is happening!” Sam yells.

The door slams shut. Loud pounding starts rumbling the door’s wood. The windows shatter with a burst of wind into the cabin, cutting Charlene’s face.

“Shit!” Yells Ethan.

“I told you something weird is going on!” exclaims Sam.

Suddenly arrows start flying through the empty windows, scattering around the inside of the cabin. Ethan yells out in pain as one penetrates his thigh, and he falls to the ground. Charlene runs to the kitchen, while Laney runs over to Ethan and quickly tries to take off his belt. Struggling to get it off, she manages to hold the arrow in place with her other hand and fastens the belt around the upper thigh.

“Thanks, Laney,” Ethan whimpers.

“Always.”

Laney and Sam help Ethan to the couch.

In the kitchen, Charlene grips the knife close to her chest. The side door slams open from the corner of the room and Charlene squeaks. A shadow appears in the doorway and Charlene shakes from fear. The shadow moves through the doorway showing a wide grin and dark eyes. The shadow man moves quickly across the room to Charlene with his hands raised high, ready to grab. Charlene tries to fight by stabbing the shadow man, but it goes right through his abdomen. Fighting for her life, Charlene tries another stabbing motion, but the shadow man grabs the knife from her hand. He grabs her in a chokehold, threatening to cut her throat.

“Sam, watch him while I go get Charlene,” Laney says.

Walking through the swinging door, Laney finds herself in front of Charlene being threatened at knife point.

“Glad you could join the fun,” says the shadow.

A quick blink of Laney’s eyes and the knife slices from the left to the right side of Charlene’s neck. Blood sprays out onto the floor and onto Laney’s face. A puddle of blood fills the floor as the shadow drops Charlene’s lifeless body. Laney’s mouth drops open and she sprints through to the living room in a panic.

“What happened?” Sam says.

“Something killed Charlene!” Laney says out of breath. “We need to move, like now!” Laney yells.

The shadow walks through the threshold with a big smile and a look of death in his eyes.

“Run!” Sam yells.

Laney quickly moves Ethan’s limping body into the bedroom and locks the door.

“Hurry Sam!” Laney yells.

Sam stands there frozen, attempting to pivot and run towards Laney and Ethan. The shadow holds up a bottle and starts squirting the fluids onto Sam’s whole body. Sam chokes and spits out the rest of the nasty fluid that made its way into her mouth. The shadow man grabs the box of matches from the table and strikes the match, lighting the whole box. Throwing it at Sam, her body quickly lights, and flames engulf her whole body. Sam goes running through the living room and out the front door, falling to the ground. Her body lies stiff while still enflamed. The shadow man laughs as he gets joy from killing another.

“Who’s next?” the shadow man says loudly through the cabin.

“Laney, we need to get the hell out of here,” Ethan says.

“I know. I know. Think Laney.” Laney says to herself. “The window is the only way out.”

Ethan looks at her worried but hops over to the window and slowly opens it. Laney rushes over and tries to help Ethan out the window, starting with his injured leg.

Blood goes spewing as Ethan’s leg gets cut off in one swift motion of the machete.

“Nooo…..” Screams Laney.

Ethan falls through the window to the rugged ground outside. Crying he stares the killer straight in the eyes as he cuts off Ethan’s other leg. The shadow chops down hard on the bone in a few swings until it finally separates the leg into two open flesh wounds. Laughing, the shadow man continues by chopping off Ethan’s arms and head so that no limbs remain attached. Blood pours over the floor creating a body-sized puddle around Ethan’s dead body. Grabbing Ethan’s head, the shadow man throws it through the window at Laney. Hitting her in the torso, she remains still in shock.

Suddenly, Laney snaps out of it and begins running out the door, struggling to unlock the knob. Finally, she gets it and runs to the front door, hoping to escape this gruesome night. Smacking into something, she falls flat on her back with her legs in the air. She coughs, wondering what she just ran into. The shadow man stands straight into the doorframe of the front door, with a machete and an arm. Waving Ethan’s arm in the air, he talks to Laney.

“Nice night huh? I hope you had a great time in your last moments on this earth. I know I will be enjoying my immortality for the rest of time,” says the shadow man.

Walking up to Laney, he grabs her head by the hair and swings the machete in a quick motion. Laney shuts her eyes as quickly as she could, knowing death was coming.

Gasping for air, Laney sits up with sweat all over her cold body. Looking from side to side she realizes she is back in her dorm room, in her comfy bed, and sleep in her eyes.

“It was just a dream…” Laney whispers to herself.

Running through the door, in comes her roommate Charlene.

“Wakey, wakey Laney! I booked an awesome trip for our fall break!” Says Charlene excitedly.

“What?” Laney says softly as she tries to free herself from the fear of the dream. “Where are we going?”

“To a cabin in the woods! Isn’t this great! It’ll be like a fun camping trip in the middle of nowhere.” Charlene says.

Laney starts screaming in a panic as she realizes their fate if they go on this trip.