A Fatal Projection

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Debra had never really taken notice of the cabin during her midnight astral projections. She always came to the woods after a difficult day to get lost in the dark and to witness the beauty of the wilderness come alive without a human’s presence. Tonight was different, the light had caught her attention and always a curious one, she floated closer for a peak.

Gliding through the air was effortless for her and was one of the first tricks she had learned when she first started to project. What was once a desperate need to escape reality, to release the burdens of stress and feel weightless in the night sky was now just who she was each night. Drifting through the peace of the world, unrestricted and free. “The true meaning of what it is to be alive,” she thought.

She had been hesitant to go through walls at first but now she glided into the cabin as if they did not exist in this realm. The dread of instant regret crashed over her as she struggled to comprehend the scene she had entered. A massacre beyond anything she had witnessed. Splatters of blood covered the walls, still wet and glistening in the candlelight. A pile of mutilated bodies lay to one side with severed limbs carelessly discarded around the room.

In the middle of the room, lying face-up on a table was a man, tied and gagged. Covered in shallow lacerations, his weak struggles and muffled cries tore into Debra’s heart and she knew that if she could weep in this form then the whole room would be flooded with her tears. Stood over the man was a hooded figure like a shroud of shadow, holding a blood-soaked dagger with its jagged edge hovering over the victim's eye.

He whispered at the victim and Debra found herself edging closer to hear. But she was too late as the hooded figure leant slowly on the knife, pushing it gently into the eyeball, slowly breaking through the pupil almost silently until it started to grind on the bones of the socket. A sharp grate echoed in the cabin as the last push sent the blade deep into his skull. The bound-up man spasmed as though it was a last defiant attempt to show the world his anger, and then the muffled cries stopped.

After a few struggled attempts to pull the knife free, the killer looked around the room to witness the carnage he had brought on the unlucky campers. Wrong place at the wrong time. Glancing around, his eyes locked with Debra’s.

She looked behind to see what he was staring at and then turned back to see his gaze still fixed upon her. She wished she hadn’t, the anger that burned deep within his soul shone brightly behind the placid mask of his emotionless face. She understood, all at once, the darkness that formed this killer's mind, the hatred that fuelled his actions and most importantly, she understood the danger she was now in.

Focusing herself, she willed her mind back into her body and bolted upright. Panicking and sheened in sweat, she sat there motionless for hours as thoughts tumbled erratically whilst she tried to somehow rationalise the situation. How had he seen her? Who was this man that could commit such an atrocity? What is she to do?

Meanwhile, back at the cabin stood a man seemingly frozen in time. Unmoving not because of fear of being caught or fear of what punishment now lay ahead, no, that type of fear he left for the weak and the cowards. This was a fear for the rage that now boiled his blood. A fear of how careless he could be if he lost control. So there he stood, like a statue, gathering up his rage, focusing it into a clarity beyond normal human comprehension and directing it to this careless intruder. Oh, how careless she was. He had always been able to see those who could travel the astral planes, like shimmering blue ghosts forever in the background poking their noses where they did not belong. Unlike the ghosts of the damned, travellers left a trail similar to that of the tail of a comet, bright in the dark of night and easily traceable.

Debra spent the day in turmoil. Mental exhaustion had crept in hours ago and how she sat at the table, picking at her food. The question of what to do haunted her every thought. She could not go to the police, they would not believe her when she mentioned astral projection, no one ever did so she kept it her little secret. Realisation dawned, she could not tell anyone, not now, not ever. This would be another secret; one she must learn to deal with.

After spending the evening searching online, trying to scrape together any information on people who can see into the astral plane, she eventually gave up and retired to bed to do what she always did and send her soul high into the heavens. The blissful feeling of freedom stripped her of the stress she had harboured during the day. Wandering the stars, she glided in ignorance to the world below. Until she found herself above the forest, looking down at a cabin with a candle lit in the window.

She needed answers and was certain the man could not touch her, well, partially certain so best to stay near the wall if she needed to escape. She entered the room once again and was surprised to see the bodies has gone. No discarded limbs or tortured victims and most of the walls had been wiped down. All aside from one. Moving closer she get a better view in the dimming candlelight she saw a note, pinned up and written in blood.

She did not know what the note meant, but she had been here long enough and she wanted no more of it. Focusing herself, she willed her mind to go back. She didn’t move. She tried again but something was wrong. Filled with panic she decided to fly back as quickly as possible. Darting through her window, she could see her body, lying on its side with her back against the window breeze just as she had left it. Then she saw him, standing in the corner. Watching.

She tried to force herself back into her body but it rejected her as if it did not want her there anymore. She looked cold and gaunt in the moonlight so Debra went to the other side of the bed and saw what he had done. A blade, wedged deep into her eye and blood covered the sheets.

She screamed, wailed and thrashed, but to no avail. No one will ever hear her, no one will see the ghostly tears finally fall from her eyes, no one but him, who smiled, an almost warm and friendly smile before walking away.

...

Thank you for taking the time to read through this and I hope you enjoyed. I am new to horror and finding that I am thoroughly enjoying it so hopefully there will be more to follow.