Buck Hill

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. A beacon for the lost, to help find their way home.

It all started in the year 1869, which was known as "The Year of the Deep Snow."

A young father named John Willams, his wife Mary, their five-year-old daughter, Elizabeth (Lizzie), and their dog Spot had just moved to the little village of Round Lake. They purchased a large plot of land to build a home where they could plant roots and live peacefully on Buck Hill Road.

John was a logger by trade, and worked many hours each day. In December of 1869, the winter was the coldest it had ever been. Because of this terrible cold, everyone needed more wood for their fires than the townspeople had in previous years. This meant that John would work longer, more frequent days to keep up with the demand.

One day, John was sent home early because a storm had rolled in, and it was no longer safe for him and the other loggers to be out. He came through his front door and was greeted by Mary and their dog.

John asked Mary where Lizzie was, and she told him she was out getting firewood. By this point, the storm had really picked up, and even he struggled to find his way home through the snow.

He immediately turned around and rushed out the door, knocking Lizzie to the ground as she was right behind him, about to come into the house. John fell to his knees, grabbed her by the shoulders and sternly told her that she wasn't to go out on her own in weather like this. Saying that she knew better than that.

All he got in return was a roll of her eyes, then a giggle. She proudly pointed to the "pile" of wood she got, asking if she did a good job. There were three small pieces of wood on the front porch, which would only last about an hour, if that. She again asked if she did good. With a half-smile, John told her that she did great, but again, made her promise not to go out on her own in weather like this again.

The two of them went into the house and put the logs on the fire. John and Lizzie cuddled up in front of the warm glow as Mary prepared their dinner.

Lizzie had fallen asleep, and the fire started dimming, thus prompting John to get more firewood, remembering that he never actually got more. He carefully got up and quietly put on his boots and jacket. Before opening the door, John looked back at Lizzie, gently snoring in front of the fire. She warmed his heart with more love and pride than he'd ever expected when he first became a father. He quietly stepped over Spot, and went out the door, keeping it slightly ajar to make it easier to get back into the house with his arms full of wood.

Spot worke up to the sound of John getting the firewood and ran out of the house towards him, barking loudly. Spots excited barks woke up Lizzie, who, without thinking, ran out the door after her dog, neglecting to put on her jacket or boots.

The storm had turned into a blizzard. The whirling snow was so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. The snow and storm clouds blocked out the moon, making the forest pitch black.

Lizzie knew she wasn't that far from the house, but she couldn't see the lights, she couldn't even see her footprints from where she had just stepped. She was lost, cold, and couldn't feel her feet. She thought that if she could find Spot, he could help her get back home. She called out for him and her Dad. Just barely able to hear her Dad's call through the wind, she yelled back between fearful sobs, begging for help. "Daddy, Daddy!! I'm here! Come find me!"

John was panicking, as any parent would. Fearful that she would freeze, he charged back to the cabin and grabbed a lantern, her jacket and her boots. He called out to Lizzie but heard nothing. During his search, Spot found him, and together they looked for Lizzie.

After roughly a half-hour passed, John brought Spot back to the house so he didn't get lost too. In desperation, he had a lit candle in the window to make it easier for her to find her way home. While there, he shoved about 10 candles and a handful of matches into his pocket to help him navigate the snowy abyss.

Once he was by himself, he searched for hours. He heard her screaming for help, "Daddy, help! Where are you Daddy?!" And when he got to the area where he thought she could have been, she wasn't there.

He came across a tattered piece of her nightgown that had gotten caught on a fallen tree, giving him the false hope of finding her.

John continued his search, burning candle after candle to help light the darkness that consumed the forest. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't find her. His darling Lizzie was nowhere to be found.

Refusing to accept this new reality, John never returned to work. He spent the rest of his life searching for Lizzie, day and night. Only going into town for more candles and food.

As for Lizzie's mom, Mary, she was never seen again. The townspeople say that the combination of guilt and grief drove him mad, causing him to murder his wife as an offering to bring his daughter back. Some also say that she had simply left him when he stopped going to work.

After decades of searching, John eventually disappeared too. More rumours spread that he had gotten injured and couldn't move and died in the woods. Others say that he was eaten by bears. But no one really knows.

People claim that to this day, his ghost haunts the forest of Buck Hill. Forever searching for his little girl.

The legend says that if you drive up to the top of Buck Hill Road at night, honk your horn three times, and have a female virgin call out, "Daddy, Daddy!! I'm here! Come find me," his lantern will appear at the bottom of the hill. That he will make its way up towards you. When he sees that you aren't his sweet Lizzie, he will mess with your car, causing it to break down or crash. Then steal energy from you so he can continue his search.

After hearing this story, I went to Buck Hill Road just after midnight. I walked into the woods. As I was walking, I called out Lizzie's cry for help.

That's when I saw it.

The cabin in the woods that's been abandoned for years. But this night, a candle was burning in the window...