Spirit’s Fortune

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Jack Jenkins and his brother, Elisha lit several more candles forming a circle around the table in the center of the room. They prepared everything exactly as instructed. If all went according to plan, this night would change their lives forever.

A wealthy eccentric named Isaac Whitmore died here in this cabin, his million-dollar fortune supposedly buried somewhere in these woods. He lived as a hermit, his whereabouts unknown, until local game hunters stumbled upon his corpse. When news of Whitmore’s death made the papers, hundreds of fortune seekers scoured the area hoping to find the buried treasure, but none would be successful.

Then two enterprising young brothers decided to hold a seance. They would conjure the old man’s spirit with hopes of learning the location of the cash. The brothers enlisted the help of the most famous medium they could afford, an old Cajun woman who went by the name of Madame Dubois. Satisfied with the conditions of the room, she reached into her bag and placed a crystal ball on a small velvet pillow in the center of the table. The men tried to mask their nervousness with excited smirks aimed at one another. They were going to be rich.

The medium extended her hands to the brothers, one for each of them to hold, then told them to close their eyes.

“We call upon you, Isaac Whitmore. Reveal your presence.” The candles flickered. “Spirit if you are here, knock once on the table.”

There was a pause. The brothers glanced at one another, then at the medium, her eyes still closed, her face puckered in concentration. The nearest candle was extinguished by a gust of air and the silence shattered by a series of loud knocks upon the table. Any trace of skepticism vanished as the table began shaking violently beneath them.

“The spirit knows why you have come, but you must be willing to do what he asks in return.”

The brothers leaned forward. “What is it? We’ll do anything!”

The medium's eyes rolled back in her head as solid white orbs. “The spirit will have but one successor. Ours is the legacy of Cain and Abel. When brother kills brother, the treasure shall be revealed...”

The men rose from their chairs, releasing the medium's hands. “We would never!” Jack spoke quickly. Elisha agreed, but Jack wondered…Did he hesitate? Was that a gleam in his eye?

A storm rolled in with the darkness. Heavy rains battered the old roof of the cabin. Thunder raged and the horses, spooked by a stroke of lightning, took off into the woods, dragging the carriage behind them. With no other choice, the three settled down for the night.

Jack lay awake in bed, his mind wandering. The money would be his if not for Elisha, but murder? He could never do such a thing. And although Jack told himself he could never kill his brother, he wondered if Elisha felt the same way. Every unresolved argument, every bit of sibling rivalry, every last bit of bitterness not spoken aloud gnawed at Jack’s mind.

I could never kill my own brother, Jack told himself. But could Elisha do it? Jack’s mind continued to race. If Elisha was planning the dark deed, it was only a matter of time before he acted on it. Striking first would not be considered murder, but an act of self-defense! No one would blame him.

Jack grabbed a hatchet from its place on the wall and stalked the cabin only to find Elisha sleeping soundly in his room. No doubt dreaming of taking the money for himself. Jack lifted the hatchet then buried the blade deep into the side of Elisha’s face. The wet sound of the metal piercing through his head was like nothing he’d heard before. Elisha’s eyes went wide, his throat releasing a pathetic wheeze. His lips gurgled blood. The hatchet came down again and again. Soon the lump of flesh beneath the blade was barely recognizable as a face at all.

It was a shame he had to do it, to protect himself, but then it would be a waste to not claim his prize. Storming into the medium’s bedroom, he held the bloody hatchet aloft. “The deed is done! Now summon him!” He pulled her from the room by her silver hair and threw her down at the table.

Scared and disoriented, Madame Dubois shook her head, blinking away sleep. As she spoke, the Cajun accent was suspiciously absent from her voice. “Wait, what? What did you do?”

“Killed my worthless brother!” Jack shouted, “Before he could finish me off. I know he was plotting it. Now, where’s the money? Bring the ghost!”

Madame Dubois, if that even was her name, stammered in reply, tears in her eyes. “I…there is no ghost! I made it all up. I just tried to think of something you would never do…”

“But the knocks on the table, the whites of your eyes possessed!” Jack grabbed her by the collar, spitting with rage.

“Parlor tricks!” she cried.

The anger on Jack’s face was soon replaced by a chilling calm. He bent down and lifted the crystal ball from its pillow, feeling its weight in his hand before slamming it into the medium’s forehead. She hit the ground hard, a fountain of red gushing in rhythmic spurts. Jack listened to her whimpers, waiting patiently for her breathing to slow and stop before leaving the room.

He had to get out of there, get some fresh air, and plan his next move. Jack went to the front door, turning the doorknob. As he tried pushing the door open, it wouldn’t give. He felt resistance, like something or someone was holding the door closed. An all too familiar voice spoke from the other side. “Jack…how could you, Jack?”

“Elisha? How?” Jack panicked, pounding frantically on the door. A cold unnerving sensation passed through his body before the candle tipped from the windowsill. The flame spread fast. Jack screamed as the cabin burned around him. He pushed against the door with all his might, but his brother’s ghost made sure he would not escape.

Some say their spirits still linger in these woods. Those walking at night have reported hearing footsteps along the path or the sounds of men shouting, as if hearing one side of an argument. Holes appear freshly dug in the dirt. Maybe you’ve gotten it in your head to find the treasure yourself…Just be careful. You’re not the only one.