Alone in Afognak

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Afognak Island was known for its abandoned Cabins. Trappers, gold miners, loggers, and simple old salts would come here to brave Alaska and her extreme lifestyle. They would survive one winter... maybe two before something pushed them out, whether it was the biting cold of the unforgiving winters, the darkness that would creep into the furthest points of the strongest of men's souls... or the animals that called the island home.

The abandoned cabins would become a playground for the small town of Afognak's bored teenagers, rummaging and pillaging through the artifacts that sat dusted and untouched by time. Old bear traps and gold pans lined the walls telling stories and becoming the breeding ground of pranks and bad jokes. Legends were built up from cabin to cabin. One cabin though, this cabin, was different. No one was brave enough to go inside, not after what had happened there in the 40's and the spirit of the man who was said to still walk his property lines, waiting for the bear who stole him from his land and attacking anyone who trespassed.

Staring at the lit and burning candle in the window of the dilapidated and decomposing cabin, Shawn began to tell the story of the man who resided there. "Listen," Shawn said to Kelsi and Gabriel. "The legend says if you sit quiet, you can hear the howl of Yukon as the bear dug his claws deep into has back."

"Shawn you're so dumb dude," Gabriel piped off. "The man got ate, no one liked him, no one asked for his remains, no one cares. He's dead and gone. Let's just go in and see if he left anything cool like gold or something."

"Wait... who's cabin is this? What happened? I know I am new but like.. I don't know how I feel about just stealing someone's things... especially if he got EATEN." Kelsi was knew to the island, her father was a State Trooper who was sent to Afognak, making her a little more law-abiding than her peers.

"Oh, Kelsi relax, like I said. He's dead, no one cared about him then, let alone now, all these years later..."

"That's not true Gabe," Shawn pouted, "Some people care, obviously there's a candle burning, someone remembers him. I heard he had a kid, who had a kid, and his grandkid found the cabin and says prayers for him and stuff."

"Well then there's probably nothing of value in their anyway!" Kelsi blurted sarcastically, "you guys are idiots..."

"Ok Kelsi at least hear the story, its Alaskan history! You can't graduate high school here unless you pop up a tent and spend the whole night outside his cabin..."

"The whole night HERE? I don't know man, I agreed to go camping but this area is full of bears … like didn't he die that way? I am not scared of any stupid made up ghost, however I don't want to fight a brownie tonight either, not about to end up like the Grizzly Man." Gabe grunted as he tied down his camping gear on the back of the ATV extra tight.

"Wait Gabe, are you scared??" Kelsi taunted, "hand me my tent, I'll stay. My dad has had me on Kodiak camping on the biggest bear trails you can imagine. Go ahead and go home. I'll stay with Shawn."

"I am NOT afraid, just cautious... and I am not going home. Fine, I'll stay just to show you that your story is Bull and there's nothing out here but bears... Shawn, tell Kelsi the story and I will get the fire going."

"Ok so his name was Yukon, Yukon McCall. An angry man, who stood tall and broad just over 6 foot 6. He had fled to Alaska in the 40's, running from the law in northern Idaho, looking to disappear. His long white hair laid across his shoulders and his mustache fell into his fair and full beard. Nail by nail and log by log he built the small, 10 by 12 cabin by hand. No running water, no electricity. There was nothing Yukon couldn't or didn't do, he made his living by trapping and selling furs. The town knew him all to well, once a month he came into town looking for a flight to Anchorage to sell his prizes and return with staples to survive the cold. His angry disposition had made him a name in the small quaint community.

That was until the fall of 47, when Yukon didn't come into town. In fact no one had heard from him at all for months. A few men from the community set out on the 23-mile hike to Yukon's cabin, trying to stay on the trail and not get thrown off by the freshly laid snow. The men never made it to the cabin, about 6 miles from their destination, they picked up a blood trail. Realizing it was a few days old they followed it slowly and cautiously, armed but aware of the power held in the chest of Kodiak's 1200-pound brown bears. Turning north onto a well beaten game trail, they found him. What was left of him that is. Protruding beneath a mound of dug up dirt and dingy blood-stained snow. Large boar prints encircled the area, the men knew this position was no good, so quickly and quietly, they backed out and headed for town. Leaving Yukon to rest, they notified the town of how they'd found him and as though he had never been alive at all, the people continued on with their lives. After all, this was Alaska.

The legend says, Yukon never left his cabin. Instead, he lights a candle for himself and waits for the bear who ate him, and for those who trespass, he chases them into a line of traps that he laid in the moss behind his cabin. Once he has you trapped and you have nowhere to go, he reveals his face to you. His eyes are bulging and flesh hangs from his ribs. Teeth marks are ground into his skull, you faint from the sight of him. When you finally wake up, you are being eaten the same way he was, nowhere to go, no way to run. You die."

Kelsi laughed loudly as the campfire crackled and popped, the light bouncing on her dirty blonde hair, not illuminating the night quite yet. "You actually believe that... you can't possibly be serious. Who exactly lived to tell this story? If everyone gets eaten and no one survives? Hysterical though, I will give you that."

They put up the three tents and continued the night as the Alaskan Midnight sun finally began to set, mosquitoes began swarming the kids as they attempted to roast hot dogs over the open fire. The candle burning in the window of the trappers' cabin, danced just feet from them.

"Man, I am over getting bit up," Kelsi said as she pulled her hoodie up and over her head. "I am calling it a night; I will see you girls in the morning. Someone should go blow that candle out before it tips over and burns the whole place down, whoever lit it and then left is dumb." She grumbled as she zipped up her outer tent.

"Yeah Shawn, go blow the candle out. This was your idea anyway, Gabe said as he quickly burrowed into his tent and zipped out the bugs."

"Well, Hell," Shawn whispered to himself, "I guess I will go in there alone and blow out some creepy candle.

Tiptoeing towards the torn-up cabin, Shawn braced himself for what he would see inside. Would Yukon be standing there? He didn't know, whispering thoughts of encouragement to himself, he slowly slid open the front door. It was dark. So dark, nothing but the spark of the candle hit the walls. Time had taken a toll on the cabin, old boots sat up against a military cot facing the wood stove. Atop the stove, sat an old coffee pot. Stained from its final perk. The day Yukon never came home. No one has been in here at all? Shawn thought to himself, puzzled by the candle that stood lit. That doesn't make any sense. The cabin creaked and groaned in agony of his weight as he pulled his feet made of molasses one by one toward the candle.

Nearing the candle, Shawn stopped. Only to hear a footstep directly behind him.

"Stop it you guys it's not funny!" He yelled twirling around 180 degrees... there in the darkness … stood nothing.

Silence was deafening, the only sound Shawn could hear was the pounding of his heart as it beat to escape from his chest. The silence. No birds were chirping, no mosquitoes were buzzing, he couldn't even hear the waves crashing against the tall rigid cliffs of the island. Turning back to blow out the candle. There was no flame. The candle looked as though it had never been lit. Cobwebs gathered at its tip, the wax was stained yellow from the years of the saltwater air coming in through the cracks of the cabin. Shawn could feel the panic welling in his throat as he turned to bolt for the door.

He wanted to scream, with everything in him he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but when he opened his mouth... nothing escaped. Grabbing the door and pushing it open, he felt the cabin shake beneath him. One thud after another, pulling the door open and headed toward his tent at the base of the trail he saw him. A bear, his small black beady eyes reflecting back from the campfire, his mammoth front shoulders paused in his steps, he sniffed the air, woofing with each breath. Then, as his weight began to shift from shoulder to shoulder, he made his way toward Shawn.

I can't believe this is happening... I can't die like this. The thought raced through Shawn's mind as he rounded the corner in the opposite direction of the bear, headed toward the back of the cabin. Resting briefly, Shawn relaxed his back to gulp in air as though he was a salmon circulating oxygen through his gills. He felt the splinters of the cabin behind him, rubbing against his spine. The air was cold for August, he tried to calm himself so he could listen for the bear. As silence settled in the salty air, Shawn turned to look at the moon. Tears swelling in the corners of his eyes, he tried to take himself out of where he was... to go someplace peaceful... when his mind was interrupted.

"OWWWOOOO," the sound screeched and sent shivers to the base of Shawn's spine. Leaping forward and spinning to find nothing behind him, he turned to run. That is gonna wake everyone up, Shawn thought, they will be able to find me now. Tripping over something, Shawn fell to the ground. Feeling around in the cool dirt to get his bearings, he realized that in his fall, his glasses had flown from his face. Frantically, his hand raked the cold earth beneath him. He had to find them. Climbing to his knees he crawled slowly … when his hand hit something colder than the dirt itself. Blinking rapidly and pulling himself toward the object he came to... a boot. His hand was clasping the cold metal of a steel toed boot.

Thank God, he thought, someone found me. Pushing himself up to a stance, he found himself face to face with a bloated, grey and mutilated corpse. One eye was missing, the other sagged down along his exposed cheek bone. His lips pursed open and peeled back into a scowl. His teeth were brown and yellow stained by grave dirt. His matted hair laid in pieces against his exposed scapula's, skin hung like ribbons from his chest and ribs...

Gasping for air, Shawn began to stumble backward … for each step he took, the corpse took one step forward. Hitting a tree and nowhere to go Shawn faced him, staring into the deep into the hatred of death itself... the corpse spoke.

"BOO."

Turning to his right, searching for any means of escape Shawn took one step. Snap. The sound of metal and bone echoed through the high alders, Shawn could feel the heat of the blood running down in between his toes, the metal teeth dug in one side of his ankle and out the other side. The white of his bone shone in the moonlight like a seashell prepared by the ocean. A wail built up inside of him and staring up into the night sky, looking up at Orion and the big bear, he let out a howl. A howl that echoed through the mountain peaks and down to the seashore. Then. Darkness.

Opening his eyes, he realized he had not been asleep long, there was no peak of sunlight. He felt warmth as the heat of breath billowed down on him, it was the bear. He could tell by the stench of fish and rotten whale. The bear laid just feet away, his heavy labored breathing was loud, and the heat of his breath steamed in the night. Awake only moments, Shawn realized the bear was gnawing on the exposed bone in his ankle, and just that quickly, he was back asleep.

Chickadees, that was what Kelsi awoke to, their happy early morning songs in the cool summer dew. Unzipping her tent and stretching her arms toward the sky, she inhaled.

"Gabe," She hollered, "have you seen Shawn? He is usually up before us."

"You're right, that is weird. Yo Shawn, wake up." Gabe called out as he shook the empty tent.

"He is probably in the cabin, he always peace's out when it comes to tents," Gabe said giggling.

The two walked toward the cabin and pushed open the door.

"There you are," said Kelsi finding Shawn curled up on the cabin floor. "Poor little thing," she said cackling, "he came in to sleep next to the candle. Would you blow that out Gabe? It's gonna burn this place down."

Gabe blew out the candle and shook Shawn awake, standing up with a jolt he felt down his stomach and legs, he lifted his pant leg in disbelief... where was the blood? He thought. Where was the bone?

"Its time to go home." Shawn said, his voice shaken up and cold.

"I agree," Said Kelsi, "by far the most boring camping trip we have had all summer."

As the three teenagers walked off into the sunrise, a gray and rotten face peered at them from behind a broken windowpane...