The Metaphor!

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Is it though? Is anything ever really abandoned. If we peek into the dark corners and crevices of this dank smelling ghostly and shadowy dwelling, can we not find a spider, a scorpion, an unseen specter, or maybe the devil himself inhabiting where he knows no one enters unless on a dare".

The devil continuously walks this earthly plain, recruiting souls into the domain of evil by trickery.

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate"! "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here"!

On the exterior of the cabin was the sign hand scrawled in grisly blood red, the color eerily chilling in the cool of the evening.

It was the end of summer. Autumn had made it's appearance. No longer did you see the dull buildings and pavements, instead all one saw were the beautiful colorful trees adorning the landscape everywhere you looked.

Seven friends had decided to take advantage of the beauty of nature and go hiking in the forbidden forests of the Belvoir estates. They had long been abandoned since the massacre fifty years ago. The earl had gone mad and killed his entire family. Many versions of the story exist, it was hard to tell where truth started and where fiction ended.

They had started out early in the morning, the perfect time to see the sunlight come dancing over the hills, landing playfully on the kaleidoscope of multi-colored leaves on the trees. The leaves were scattered on the ground, forming a splendidly colorful leafy carpet underfoot. Everywhere you looked, oranges, crimsons, greens and yellows contrasted beautifully against the patchwork quilt of the landscape

Earthy brown, ruby red, tangerine and gold hues formed a dazzling array of colors as they playfully tumbled in the gentle breeze, ruffling the leaves as they were sent romping through the air. What a splendid time to be out and about, as soon, nature will begin battening down the hatches in preparation for the harsh months ahead. The animals scamper here and there as birds sing and twitter among the trees.

The seven friends walked in awe of autumn's loveliness. They were determined to have fun while nature made an enthralling exhibition of itself. They spent the day picnicking and visiting the Belvoir estate, and later made their way deeper into the colorful forest.

But deep within this forest something sinister lurked. Enjoy the beauty while you can young friends. Walk deeper into the maelstrom of colors that cast their magic and beckon you to go frolic on your way to the cabin deep within the recesses of the forbidden realm.

An ominous fog surrounded the cabin, which appeared eerily out of place in this autumnal valley.

The forest wound on for miles, and the friends noticed that the day was, strangely, getting a little foggy. Suddenly, as they rounded the corner by a particularly colorful copse of trees, they came upon the cabin. It was just your run of the mill ordinary shack, thickets of trees grew here and there, with a few straggly saplings dotting the path to the door.

A candle burned in the window.

Jay waited inside the cabin rubbing his hands in full anticipation of new souls to torment. None of the six noticed that Jay was no longer behind them.

"Who lives this far out here, and don't they know of the legends of bloody murder surrounding the place"? Mae asked.

"Not everyone is a scaredy cat like you Mae". Tara teased her.

"Well it's creepy, I never noticed a cabin here before, did you"?

"Can't say that I have". Tara shook her head.

"And what's with the scary sign, is that from the bible or Dante or something. I remember reading it, its eerily profound".

"Maybe it's all a metaphor for something", said Peter.

"Scared, are you Petey"? Tara teased hum.

"We gotta go in now, it's daring us to run away". Peter never backed down from a dare.

"Where is Jay anyway"? Wayne was looking around for his friend.

Bridgette pointed towards the window. "He in already inside the cabin. Look, in the window"!

"When did he go in there, I didn't see him move".

"Maybe he is the devil and he used an alternate dimension portal to transport himself through space and time".

Everyone turned to look at Jeff with a look of skepticism amidst furrowed brows, some were smiling, some were frowning.

"Really"! Wayne asked, his sense of humor was non existent, to say the least, he was a kind of stick in the mud person.

Jay was beckoning furiously, inviting them in to join him in the hell that was the cabin with the candle burning in the window.

One by one the six entered, into their own dark portal of damnation. Had they looked deep into their souls and heeded the words of the sign, they would have turned and hastily retreated from whence they came.~

Peter stepped through the door and glanced around, adjusting his eyes to the gloom. Immediately terror gripped his entire body. He tried to scream but no sound came out of his mouth, it was as if there were a vice locked around his throat. He was suddenly standing in a dark wooded pit of fire, the gnarled trees surrounding him, reaching like witches arms for him, were on fire and he could see no exit. The heat was unbearable, he stood in the middle of this maelstrom as the fire drew closer and closer. Three of the largest hounds he had ever seen were slowly approaching him with teeth bared and drool dripping from their jaws.

"Peter Vansing, confess your life"!

He spun around, trying to see who had spoken. A vague figure sat high above him seemingly suspended in time and space, new but not old, old but familiar, he felt jaded and confused.

"Confess your life"! The voice boomed in violent ear splitting tones of thunder.

Peter began to see his life passing before him in a riot of colors and sounds. It was too much, overwhelmed by the torment and anguish, he fell in a dead faint.~

Jeff walked into the room, his devil may care attitude always within a hair's breath of his ego. He heard tortured horrific screaming. Looking around in terror, he found that he was in a putrid smelling dungeon. Hands were grasping at his clothes from the floor, looking down he saw blood and pus oozing on the ground. There was a loud buzzing sound and he started to scratch at himself furiously, something had stung him.

"Jeff Davos. Confess your life"!

"Confess, what do you mean"? Wasps and hornets converged on him, stinging him everywhere. He started to run.

"Ok, ok", he screamed, "what do you want me to say"?~

Mae and Tara were a couple, they held hands as they stepped into the cabin. Both emerged into a bottomless pit. Along the sides couples clung together in terror and desperation to the gaps in the wall. Huge serpents pursued them baring terrible fangs, their bodies covered with large gleaming scales. They had horrendous tails made of spiked iron, which swished as they slithered after the couples. The two women grabbed on and held firm as they started to fall into the void.

A taunting voice sounded close to them. Recoiling in horror, both women turned to see the largest of the serpents close to their faces. It's foul breath clogged their nostrils, it's repugnant form embodying a woman's face and two short scaly arms ending with clawed fingers. Both women screamed in horror. The serpent lifted a scaly arm and pointed to the upper wall where a sign read 'Pit of Lovers'.

"Confesssssss your sins, Mae and Tara, together you enabled a monster's crime, together you shall pay. Confessssssss"! The serpent hissed as it's forked tongue swished back and forth, it's menacing fangs inching closer and closer.

Mae and Tara clung to each other and hid their faces, with tears streaming down their cheeks and grasping desperately at the wall, they saw the serpents inching closer and closer.~

Bridget was sweet and kind, always rescuing animals, bandaging a bird's leg, and typically annoying the group with her need for philanthropy. Still she kept a deadly secret.

She was led into a beautiful little garden, surrounded by the most delicate bloom of every imaginable flowers. Roses, chrysanthemums, clovers, daffodils, forget-me-nots, daisies, alstroemeria, the pure white of alyssum, amaranthus, the blood red colors of the Love lies bleeding plant, aster, white azalea and the lovely queen of the night black tulips, among so many more.

Gleefully Bridget ran to touch them.

The prick of the thorn of the pure looking pink rose sent shooting pains up her arm and down her spine, paralyzing the right side of her body. Flailing in pain she brushed against the other plants, each prick was more cruel than the first.

"Bridget Keeye"! There is goodness in you. But you enabled a secret. Confess your life. Know that you shall be rescued in time to come, but those who step across the cabin's threshold must atone. The voice spoke upon the wind, ethereal and mysterious, emanating from the depths of the lovely, cruel and innocent looking flowers.

Bridget sat upon the ground and sobbed in pain, for the flowers embraced her, both with love and searing agony.~

Wayne was of a narcissistic nature. He loved himself above all others. Caring little, if at all about the affairs of anyone, When he opened the door to the cabin and stepped inside he was engulfed in total and complete darkness. Somehow he could see himself whenever he looked down, but there was no light. He was seeing the love of self through his eyes where only he could see.

He felt the true terror of being alone creeping in upon his soul. "Where am I. Why am I here"? He shouted into the depths of the darkness.

"Wayne Banton, in darkness you walked the earth, and so in darkness shall you dwell"! The worship of self kept your light from shining except upon your own form. Henceforth, so are you doomed to see no other but your self"!

"Where are you, who are you. Answer me"!

No one answered, Wayne was left to exist in silence and total darkness for eternity.~

JAY

Jay was the embodiment of the Belvoir earl who had slaughtered his family many years ago. He was doomed to walk the earth in human form, gathering disciples for the yearly entry into the cabin. Every year he had to sacrifice a pure soul upon the alter in the depths of the old deserted mansion. It was kind of easy to accomplish. He was always tall, dark and debonair year after year in whichever form he assumed. He could charm anyone into his evil snare.

There were bodies buried all around the Belvoir estate.

Satisfied that he was free to start over again, Jay turned around to retrace his steps. Had he looked back he would have observed that the sign upon the cabin had changed.

"Your time is fast approaching Jay Belvoir", it read. "A pit of boiling blood awaits you"!

The light upon the candle in the cabin's window flamed low, sputtering it's last dying sigh, as a tiny whiff of smoke fluttered slowly upwards, as if whispering it's last breath.

He had seen a group of campers quite a way down at the beautiful forested clearing.

He would go and invite them up to the castle for a tour of the sacrificial alter. Of course he would not tell them that. Not at first anyway. He was in need of new disciples, and he was due a sacrifice. New and fresh blood awaited at camp!

N.A.