Abandoned

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

At the strike of the match, Noah held her breath, desperate for the small flame dancing in her hand to reach the candle in front of her. On her third attempt, she let out a small sigh of relief as she watched the blackened wick come to life, casting its blanket of light over a small area of the cabin. It wasn’t much, she thought, but enough to provide some reprieve from the dark, stormy night.

The trees loomed over the cabin, casting long, skeletal-like shadows across the room with every flash of lightning. Even in the dim light of the candle, which had long ago melted to the window sill, Noah could see the disarray of her shelter. Dust coated the floors and furniture; a piece of torn, blue fabric hung from the front window. The bare bed sitting broken in the corner with its bedding balled up next to it. It looks like someone else hid here, Noah thought to herself; a wave of unease washing over her at the comparison to her current situation.

It was at this moment Noah realized just how drenched she was, and proceeded to take off her sweatshirt, slumping it across the chair next to her. She began to pace the length of the small room in an attempt to calm her fear. The rhythmic creaking of the floor under her feet began to soften as she fell into a memory of the time she first noticed the cabin in the woods.

“Noah, we have to keep moving, it's starting to get dark and we don't want your mother to worry”. The deep voice cut through the silent woods causing Noah to realize how far she had fallen behind.

“Didn't you hear that? I thought I heard someone screaming” A young Noah exclaimed as she stared at the cabin in the distance.

“I think you’ve been listening to too many of your brothers stories”

“Dad! I'm 9, I'm not a little kid anymore. Derek’s stories don’t scare me-” A flicker of light in the cabin window caught Noah’s eye “See! There's someone in there!”

“Okay Firefly, it’s time to go” the older man chuckled “you wouldn’t want someone sticking their nose into your business”

Noah stood, facing the cabin for a moment longer. Rolling her eyes she reluctantly began to follow her dad down the path. As she turned to leave, the small flame flickered out. So creepy she thought to herself, I can’t wait to tell Derek!

A sudden screeching snapped Noah out of her reverie, her heart beginning to race again as she made her way to the window. Upon pulling back the covering, she realized it was just one of the tree branches scraping the glass. “I'm being pathetic; there is nothing out there; I just got turned around and the storm is causing my mind to play tricks on me” she said aloud in an unsuccessful attempt to reassure herself that she was safe.

***

Noah had decided to revisit the hiking trails for her 23rd birthday. She had not been there since that night when she first saw the cabin. It was a place that always reminded her of her dad and on the eve of the 3-year anniversary of his passing, there was no place more fitting she could think to honor him. She walked around aimlessly, taking in the crisp air and thinking of how much he would be enjoying this weather.

About an hour or so had passed when a roll of thunder bellowed from above. Looking up to see the storm clouds moving in, Noah had begun her hike back to the car when movement off to the side caught her eye. This was accompanied by a low growl that she could almost convince herself she hadn’t heard. There shouldn’t be any wildlife other than some deer and small critters, but this sounded larger. Panicked, she picked up her pace.

I should be to the car by now.

The rain escalated to a heavy pour, making the terrain difficult to traverse. Noah took a moment to catch her breath when she saw something in the distance. A dark figure stood among the trees. It’s just my eyes playing tricks. A flash of lightning betrayed her, showing that her eyes were in fact not playing any tricks. The figure stood at what Noah approximated to be over 7 feet, was blacker than night, and had piercing red eyes. It appeared to have something hanging off of it, but Noah didn’t stay long enough to examine it any further.

As she turned to run, Noah tripped over the root of the closest tree and fell into a puddle. Mud splattering up into her face, blinding her for what felt like ages. She did her best to wipe her eyes clean with her mud-soaked hands as she knelt on the wet ground. A guttural growl rumbled from behind and the sound of scraping bark surrounded her. Noah lifted her head to learn that the scraping sound was caused by an uncountable amount of long, dark, claw-like fingers digging themselves into the tree trunks.

She didn't dare wait any longer; She lifted herself up and ran faster than she ever thought possible, with no direction in mind. Having only the lightning to briefly light her way. She let her legs take her as far as possible, ignoring the small cuts she received as she pushed through the branches. In the distance, through the thicket, she noticed a large mass and made her way towards it. The mass took shape the closer she got and Noah had a brief moment of recognition; it was the cabin she had seen with her dad. She knew that this is where she had to go, whoever lived there would be able to help. Noah reached the cabin after a few paces and began banging on the door.

“HELP!” she shouted over the rain. Silence.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

“Please! Let me in!” Silence.

Grrrrrrrr. The growl radiated from all directions

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP

The door flew open with the final thump, Noah ran inside, quickly shutting and locking the door. To her surprise the room was empty; she must have knocked the latch loose while banging on it. She stood with her back pressed firmly against the wood of the door, listening for any sign of whatever it was that chased her. I am going crazy.

After taking a few deep breaths, Noah mustered the courage to take a step into the room. To the left she noticed what looked like a desk setup under one of the two windows that the cabin was affixed with. As she rummaged through the drawer of the desk she found a small book of matches and quickly pulled them out. She looked up to see a half melted white candle staring at her from atop the window sill.

***

Noah stood in the center of the small cabin facing the door, the broken bed behind her, A kitchenette to her left with a door that she assumed led to a bathroom. To the left of the front door was a small kitchen table under the shrouded window, and to her right, the desk that sat below the dimly lit window.

She began to slowly back up, jumping slightly when her legs hit the bed. The snarls coming from outside began to multiply in a haunting crescendo and without hesitation, Noah slumped next to the bed pulling the discarded blankets around her. For a fleeting moment, she felt protected. The bed provided coverage from the unobstructed window and the bedding from the gaps in the fabric covering the other. The door began to rattle as a boom of thunder filled the silent void, but it did not stop as the thunder passed.

Noah pulled the covers tighter around her as the rattling of the door turned into a persistent pounding. As she pulled the covers closer to her body, she heard a muffled clanging, as something fell next to her. Looking down, Noah noticed a small silver bracelet that had long since dulled. She felt a momentary twinge of sadness as the thought of someone else crouching in the corner for protection crossed her mind.

I wonder what happened to them?

Before Noah could let herself dive further into such a thought, a loud crash caused her to scream. Raising her hand to muffle the sound, Noah peaked from her fabric protector to see the large, dark figure ducking into the tight space. Being this close to what Noah could only assume was a demon, she was able to see the details more clearly. The towering monster in front of her was pitch black and skeletal; there was long black fabric dripping from its limbs. Though it did not look like skin, Noah knew that it wasn't fabric hanging off of it. The demon's face was sunken with a black, tar like substance, oozing from its mouth, and the eyes…the eyes were glowing spheres of red energy.

Noah found herself unable to move as fear froze her in place. Fighting to catch her breath, she caught sight of the window to her right; it was covered with several, black, misty hands and she can only assume the same was true for the one straight ahead. She was trapped, with no ideas of how to escape her quilted prison, or what she was even trying to escape from. Noah was not one for believing in ghosts, or the paranormal; she loved her brother's old stories, but that was all they were. Stories. She was now faced with a being she could not bring herself to believe existed.

As she worked to wrap her head around what was happening, and why, the creature in front of her turned towards the pile of blankets and began to stagger over, closing the distance between them. Noah began to notice a foul stench. Scared as she was, she remembered smelling something similar once before, when her da-

AHHHHHHH

A deafening scream escaped Noah’s lips as the dripping hands of the demon wrapped themselves around her legs, pulling her from her false safety. Noah did her best to try and grab the leg of the bed but she was met with nothing but an empty space where a leg should be. Kicking furiously she was able to break free and as she turned to run, a glob of tar fell from the demon's mouth, burning the area where it met her skin, but Noah was too panicked to care.

Remembering that there was a door next to the kitchen, she made her way to what she hoped was a bathroom. To her relief it was, and there was a small window just big enough for her to fit through. Stepping on the toilet she pushed the window open, allowing herself to fall out as she did. Bracing her fall with her hands, Noah felt the snapping of her bones and did her best to conceal her pained scream. Knowing that if she laid there for a moment longer she would once again be at the mercy of that thing inside; she forced herself to move.

Once again running through the woods, in what she prayed was the right direction, she heard the crunch of the ground behind her. The demon had not taken long to discover her escape and was in pursuit. Looking back to see how much longer she had- because she knew that death awaited her once it caught up- she neglected to see a second figure up ahead. Noah Crashed into the new mysterious shadow, letting out a blood curdling scream, before realizing it was another hiker.

“Woah, woah. I know I look a little rough right now, but no need to scream” the stranger joked with an air of concern in his voice

“Please help me, something attacked me and it's still out there”. Noah turned to point with her non-broken hand, only to be met with an empty forest that was slowly coming back to life after the storm.

“I don't see anything out there. Whatever animal that was chasing you seems to be gone.” The concerned gentleman turned his attention back to Noah, noticing the condition she was in. “You're hurt. We aren’t that far from the parking lot, I can call for help from there”.

Noah allowed herself to be led the rest of the way back to the open field that was used as the unofficial parking lot. After directing the young man to her car, she leaned herself on the hood and finally took a good look at her rescuer. Pacing slightly in front of her as he called for help, Noah noticed that he appeared to be around her age, and was kind on the eyes. She was still watching him when he turned to tell her that the cops were on their way and that he would stay with her until they arrived.

***

“And then what happened?” A dark-haired middle-aged woman asked over a glass of wine.

“They didn’t believe me, that's what happened. When a young girl is brought in claiming they were attacked by a large dripping skeleton, they automatically assume drugs. I tried to push it at first, but then everyone around me started getting that look on their faces; you know the ones where you feel for the person, but are starting to wonder if you should be calling the psych ward; so I dropped it. The only people who believed me were Derek and James. Now I have you to add that list, I hope” Noah teased the women sitting across from her. From the kitchen Noah heard “Well how could I not believe the beautiful screaming girl running out of the woods”

James walked out carrying his best attempt at a charcuterie board and placed it on the table before taking a seat next to Noah. “I can't believe it's been 10 years already, boy how time flies when your wife is the survivor of a demon attack” he said, poking fun at Noah. “I’m surprised you never heard this story before Sara” he stated as he turned back to the dark-haired woman.

Sara sat in the chair across from them, with a shocked face, taking it all in. “I always knew that Noah lived an exciting life, it's why we made for such good friends, but damn girl, I had no idea”. Sara finished off her glass, which set Noah into host mode. As she stood to grab the now empty glass, she continued the playful banter. She still could not believe that one of the worst days of her life led to such a wonderful marriage and an amazing friendship.

At the conclusion of the evening, Noah thanked Sara for coming over before returning to the living room where James now stood with a small box. “What is that?! I said no presents!” She exclaimed, trying to sound annoyed. Noah had spent the last several years working on letting herself enjoy her birthdays again, but this year felt different. She felt more aware of the anniversary that followed the next day then she had been since it happened. Her dreams had begun to take a dark tone, often reminding her of that day in the woods. So much so that her memory of the accident started to blend with the night in the woods; Noah couldn't stop thinking about the man in the road with the glowing red eyes.

Noah took the small box from James and opened it to find a small silver bracelet adorned with a firefly charm. “I love it” Noah whispered as her eyes began to water. It was one of the most thoughtful gifts she had ever received. To this day, when she closed her eyes and thought of her dad, she could hear his voice call for his little firefly.

You will never be able to escape your past said a gurgled voice coming from where James was sitting

“What did you say?” Noah asked a little frightened

“I asked if you needed help with the clasp?” James repeated, holding the bracelet open. Noah hadn’t even realized he had taken it from her. She stretched out her arm, allowing him to gently wrap it around her wrist. “You never told me what happened to him”.

Noah always dreaded telling this story because she would have to admit that it was her fault. Her father had crashed their car because she wouldnt - couldnt - shut up. Drunk off of cheap vodka, going on about how she was an adult and could make her own decisions. Had she not felt the need to prove to herself she was grown, had she not decided to get drunk the day after her 20th birthday, he wouldn't have had to come pick her up. He wouldn't have been in the car and he wouldn't have looked away from the road to yell at her. A tear ran down her face as she let herself truly remember that night.

“He died in a car accident after picking me up from a friend's house. My friends had thrown me a surprise party the day after my actual birthday and we did what any group of 20 years olds would do; we got drunk. I hadn’t let my family know that I was going out after work, so my dad came looking for me. When he realized where I was and what I was doing, he got so mad; I've never seen him that mad before.

He barged into the house and started grabbing my things before telling me to get up. I didn't argue with him, I just stood up and followed. I tried to apologize but he wouldn't listen. He didn't say anything for the first few minutes of the drive back. When he finally said something, he told me how disappointed he was in me and that I should have known better. Of course, being a drunk 20-something year old, I thought I had all the answers; so I started a fight. I don't remember exactly what was said but it was something along the lines of I'm not a kid anymore and I don't need his permission.”

Noah took a breath and steadied herself.

“I had never seen him look at me the way he did at that moment. I think in that split second, he hated me. It was the last time I actually looked at his face. I had started to feel nauseous because the car was producing this awful stench, which he didn't believe I was actually smelling. I remember him telling me that if I got sick in his car he wouldn't be helping to clean it up; If I was old enough to drink then I was old enough to deal with the consequences. At that moment I looked up and saw someone in the road, I screamed ‘Dad!’ causing him to look up. He tried to swerve out of the way, but it was too late and we were too close”

It took Noah a few moments before she was able to continue

“The next thing I knew we had stopped moving and it took me a minute to realize it was because we had hit a light post. I tried to wake him but he would not move; his face covered by the airbag. From the side mirror I could see the man we had hit, laying in the road, his eyes glowing red from the tail lights reflecting on his glasses.

Two people were dead because of me; Because I couldn’t just keep my mouth shut and let him be angry with me. I just had to fight back”

James placed his hand on top of Noah’s and began to tell her that it wasn’t her fault, but she cut him off. “It was a long time ago and I can't change what happened. So no use getting upset about it now”. James could see that she didn't truly mean that but let her change the subject.

“I am going to swing by the new vacation home tomorrow to finish setting some things up if you want to come? I mean it is OURS, it would be nice if we both work to get it together”. James knew she was right; he hadn’t done much since they bought the place.

“Ok, I can come help”.

***

Noah pulled into the parking lot of the campgrounds and started to grab the boxes she had in her trunk while James grabbed some of the heavier items they placed in the back seat.

“I'm glad you picked the Cabin right next to the parking lot!” James yelled from behind. Noah had left him to sort out the heavy items alone as payback. She knew he was genuinely happy not to have to lug everything further than a few feet. It had taken Noah many years of therapy to be able to even consider the idea of visiting a cabin, let alone actually owning one. Having quick access to her car was the compromise she made with herself.

Noah dropped the boxes on the table and began to go through them. “Seriously?” she asked in annoyance as James walked through the door. “Do these look purple to you? They are supposed to be purple! They sent us the wrong ones''. James chuckled and kissed her forehead, “babe, the place will look just as good with the blue sheets”

“What do you know?” Noah joked, sticking her tongue out at him.

The pair worked for a large portion of the morning and were beginning to run out of steam. James decided to give the new stove a try as Noah finished up the final box. It was a box filled with small random junk that she tucked away in the desk drawer; The only thing that didn’t fit was a candle she had picked up to have in the event they ever lost power. Upon hearing that the food was ready, Noah placed the candle on the ledge of the window and sat at the table with her husband.

After enjoying a nice lunch, James ran to the store leaving Noah alone in the cabin. Feeling uneasy being alone, she opted to step outside and enjoy the fresh air. From a distance she could hear someone calling for help and was able to spot the source of the voice. A young girl was carrying boxes that seemed bigger than she was, so Noah ran over to help.

The young girl, who had to be around 15, continued thanking Noah, the kind stranger who came to her rescue. Noah assured her it was no big deal and that she was happy to help. She carried the few boxes that had fallen from the young girl's arms to a cabin a little ways down the path. Noah could feel her nerves starting flutter, when she looked back to see she wasn't too far from her own place. I'm okay, I'm not that far away and the parking lot is full of people.

As Noah placed down the last box, the young girl apologized for the smell that seemed to be coming from around her property. “We just bought this off an older couple, I guess they didn't take care of the place”. Noah nodded her head not fully hearing what the young girl was saying. She knew this smell. This was not the result of a dirty home. Peering around for dark figures, Noah was faced with her deepest fear. There, just behind the girl were a set of long, dark fingers curling around from behind the cabin,

Terrified, Noah turned to run back towards her cabin. She could hear the sound of the gravel as the creature barreled after her. Reaching her door, Noah slammed it shut, A loud cracking sound took her by surprise causing her to scream. Backing away from the door, Noah noticed how dark it had gotten. Wasn’t it still early, the sun isn’t meant to set for another few hours she thought, as she lit the candle on the window.

From where she stood she could see a man with his young daughter on the trail. They appeared to be looking towards the cabin. Excited by the thought that someone may have heard her screaming, Noah began knocking on the window trying to get their attention but it was no use; the duo turned and kept walking in the opposite direction. Moving her hands from the window in defeat, Noah accidentally put the candle out.

After relighting the candle, Noah sat on the bed trying to calm herself down. She kept thinking that she would be fine and that James would be home soon. Movement at the side window caused her to sit as still as possible. She couldn’t quite make out what it was but could tell that whatever it was, it didn't see her. When the figure moved out of the window range, Noah quickly pulled the sheet off the bed, tearing it in half to cover the other window; This gave her a subtle moment of joy as she hated the blue sheets.

Grabbing and wrapping the rest of the bedding around her, she sat next to the bed. She had covered all the vantage points and felt safe knowing she couldn't be seen now. Idly, Noah grabbed her wrist and was surprised when she didn't feel the cold of her bracelet. It must have fallen off in my panic. After about 30 minutes of hiding in the corner, Noah got up to take a look outside.

Something wasn't right

Standing in her doorway she looked out into a dark forest. Where had the parking lot gone? There was no way she wouldn't be able to see it, so where did it go? In disbelief, Noah walked through the trees in front of the cabin, hoping that she would reach the lot, but it never came. Dropping to the ground, Noah began to sob so loudly that she didn’t hear the footsteps coming up to her.

Grrrrrrrrr

The low familiar growl caused Noah to jump and immediately run back to the cover of the cabin. She knew that if that thing got a hold of her this time, it would be the last. She knew she would not survive another attack. Using this as her motivation she burst into her home, trying to reach the bed, but to no avail. Noah made it halfway through the room when her legs were taken out from underneath her. She grabbed the front leg of the bed trying to hold on as a searing pain radiated across her back. The dark, dripping figure had gotten a hold of her and as its seeping tar fell onto her back she heard it say

“Youuu cannt esssscape your passsst”.

The demon then pulled Noah out of the room, the bed slamming the ground as she still held the leg in her hand. Trying to stop her movement, Noah dug her nails into the floor causing 8 long scratches to form. Looking up to see the burning candle she knew that she had been here before. She had hid here before; run from the same evil before.

As the dark figure that had haunted Noah's life dragged her over the threshold, its eyes glowed a bright red which encompassed them both. Leaving nothing but an empty cabin in the woods, that would sit abandoned for years, until one night when a candle would burn in its window.