Grandmother

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The darkness of the night was thick, the flame only illuminating the dirt covered square in the center of the frame. The forest had become completely silent. Crickets froze in limbo and the creatures of the shadows had stilled themselves. The only sound present was that of a young girl shuffling about the inside of the small structure that time had preserved in its decay. She placed her backpack on the dusty floor. Gently, she removed the old book she had found in her grandmother’s attic, an old leather strap between the marked pages. Her grandmother had passed away a week ago and the family had trekked into the backwoods of Tennessee to sift through her belongings. She had never really known her grandmother. It had always been a sore subject in her family. Occasionally, her father would mention growing up here, but his childhood had always been somewhat of a mystery, one he kept behind locked doors.

Never even meeting her grandmother, she was especially curious when they arrived at her father’s childhood farm. The house was an old one, the white paint chipping off the wood on the outside and the roof showing damage from the passing seasons. The wood on the front porch faded, splintered, and warped. Opening the front door had been like breaking through to another dimension. The family was immediately hit with the stale stench of time. The house hadn’t been looked after in decades. Water spots lay along the ceiling and walls. The floorboards creaked in pain with the slightest weight. The décor was… odd. Bookshelves lined the walls of every room. Volumes of books that appeared to be hundreds of years old filled them, the titles faded and lost to overuse. Candles were placed on every surface they would fit, the floors beneath them covered in thick layers of wax. “Let’s just load everything up and get out of here.” Her father said, looking back at the moving truck.

She walked around slowly, in awe of everything, mesmerized like walking through a museum of oddities. Chests, large and small, held unknown treasures. Above them, old, dirty jars of herbs, liquids, metals, dirt, and preserved animals (or animal parts) were displayed and organized for easy access. A jar of floating eyeballs caught her attention, the orbs gazing back at her through faded lenses. She stared at them, getting closer and closer, almost convinced that she would be able to catch a glimpse of some hidden memory burnt inside them. “Hey!” Her father yelled behind her as he grasped her arm. She turned, startled and wide-eyed and looked up at him. “Don’t touch anything! We don’t need any of this madness. We’re here to pack everything of any value up and get out. Remember that. Your grandmother was into… dark things. It’s stupid and insane.“ He let out a sigh and lowered his head as if trying to lock one of his memories back inside. “Now, why don’t you go up to the attic and start bringing down the boxes. I didn’t see anything up there that wasn’t already packed up. It should be quick getting that cleaned out, at least.”

The steps creaked in defiance as she slowly approached the attic. The smell of mold and rot grew stronger the closer she got. The inside was dark and lit only by the small beam of sunlight pushing its way through the muck on the glass of the single round window. She began shuffling through the boxes and moving them closer to the staircase to be taken down, taking care not to disturb any creepy crawlies that might be hiding in their contents or the spaces in between. A scratching noise from behind her immediately drew her attention away from the task at hand. Her head spun trying to glimpse the source of the strange sound. A rat maybe? Or a large spider? She froze and stared into the darkness of the corner she had heard the mysterious noise. Again! There it was again! Her heart began to pound in her chest. She thought about yelling for her father, but yelling would just alert the thing to her presence! Another round of scratches came from the shadows. What if it was a bird or something that needed help? The thought made her feel somewhat better and instilled in her enough courage to begin moving toward the sound. One step at a time she inched closer to the scratching that was now becoming more frequent. It was coming from behind one of the larger boxes in the corner. Gulping, she gently placed her hands on the box. With a jerk, she slung the box out of the way and prepared to run back down the steps to escape whatever horror she had disturbed! But… there was nothing there. No animal. No bugs. Nothing. All that was there was a small box that had the word “Granddaughter” scribbled in black lettering. Confusion, caution, and excitement flowed through her veins and her eyes widened at the discovery. She looked over her shoulder and scanned the room to make sure she was the only person present. Kneeling, she lifted the box and placed it on a larger one. Again, her heart pounded, but this time, out of a growing sense of adventure instead of fear. Inside was an old book, a candle, a pocket knife, and a yellowed piece of paper. She carefully lifted the piece of paper and began to read.

Dear Granddaughter,

if you are reading this, I have surely passed to the other side. I wish we could have met in life, but as you probably know, your father cut ties with me long ago because of the practices I held dear. What he doesn’t know, is that there is a way for us to speak regardless of the plain of existence I now reside. Inside this box you will find a book with a spell marked by a leather strap and a candle. On the back of this page is a map to a small cabin that will be a safe place for you to conduct this spell without your father’s interference. Follow all the instructions and say all the words carefully and completely. Failure to do so may result in dire consequences. I look forward to meeting you for the first time.

Love,

Your Grandmother.

Adrenaline rushed to her heart and head at reading the words on the paper. She could really meet her grandmother? Even now? She clutched the book in her hands and turned to the marked pages. Inside was a spell to summon a spirit. All she needed was a candle, the spell, a quiet place, and a little blood. The spell also specified that this ritual was to be done at night during a new moon. She took her phone out of her pocket and searched for the lunar calendar. Sure enough, the new moon was tonight! This was obviously some sort of omen or destiny!

“Sharon!” her father’s voice boomed from the bottom of the steps. She threw all of the items back in the box and went to the edge of the stairs.

“Yeah, Dad?!”

“Are you going to start bringing stuff down? Are the boxes heavy? Do you need some help?”

“N-No, Dad!” she stammered. “I’m about to start bringing the first batch down!”

“Alright, good. The sun is starting to go down and I don’t want to be here after dark.”

“Okay! Gotcha! I’ll be right down!” she said shakily, her adrenaline still coursing through her body… and vocal cords.

“Are you sure everything is okay?” her father asked.

“Yeah! Everything is great!” she giggled.

“Okay…” her father said unconvincingly. “Well, if you need any help, just let me know.”

She heard the footsteps fade away as her father began another task. She hadn’t noticed, but he was right. The sunlight was beginning to wane as the night took over. How was she going to do this, she wondered? Somehow, she was going to have to sneak past her father and find this cabin. And what if he found out she was gone? What would be her explanation? It didn’t matter! She was going to do this. She had always heard it was easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. She wrapped the box in her arms and descended the steps. Oddly, they didn’t creak at all. Her grandmother must be protecting her, helping her achieve this meeting! At the bottom, she peeked around the corner and focused her ears to try and pinpoint where her father was. She heard him shuffling about in what sounded like the room adjacent to the doorway. She was going to have to be quick. “It’s now or never.” She whispered to herself. She moved as fast as she could, her only focus on exiting. Her steps, once again, made no sound and she almost ran out the open door. She kept going until she reached the wooded area behind the house, never looking back.

When she felt like she was in a safe place, she set the box down and pulled out the map. It was a rudimentary map with child-like drawings of landmarks and crooked lines, but it was easy enough to follow. She walked through the thick forest for what seemed like forever, the light fading out around her. She was feeling afraid, hoping that she had not gotten lost, wondering if her father was already panicking because of her absence. She was contemplating turning back when a high-pitched scream spun her around! Just ahead of her in the distance was the silhouette of a small, dilapidated structure. The cabin! All the feelings of reluctance she had been experiencing dissipated in a bolt of speed for the entryway.

After following the instructions in the grimoire and setting up the candle, she was ready to begin. She held her hand over the candle flame and used the pocketknife to cut her palm. She winced at the pain of the dull blade, and blood began to seep out of the wound. She closed her eyes and began to recite the spell repeatedly, having memorized it while she was setting up. She could hear the hiss of the blood hitting the candle flame. She repeated the spell again and again, louder, and louder. When she opened her eyes after the final recitation, she was surrounded by pitch-darkness. She was no longer in the cabin. The flame from the candle was no longer visible. Her heart sank as terror began to wash over her.

“Sharon…” came a whisper from the void. She gasped as she turned in a circle, trying to find the direction it had come in. “Sharon…” the voice was now a little louder… a little closer. “Sharon…” Closer yet. She spun around in circles, making herself dizzy and nauseous. “SHARON!” the voice roared into her ear! She clasped her head with both hands and dropped to her knees, her eyes clamped shut. “Stop!” she yelled. “Please, stop!” When she gradually moved her hands away from her ears, she could make out a faint laughter coming from all directions. She lifted her head and opened her eyes. “Sharon!” the decrepit lady crouching before her screeched out through rotten teeth! Sharon screamed! The woman cackled as loud as she could as if trying to create a cacophony of hellish music with the cries from her granddaughter! The hag reached out and grabbed Sharon by the head and then there was silence.

“Sharon!” her father yelled again into the night. He hadn’t noticed her missing until the sun had already hidden itself behind the hills. He had checked everywhere around the house. He didn’t understand where she had gone. There was absolutely no way she could have gotten out of the house without him hearing it! The place was practically made of landmines! “Sharon!” he yelled once more, his voice becoming hoarse and dry. He stumbled through the woods with only a small flashlight to show him the way. He had already fallen several times, his pants ripped in places, blood dribbling from his knees and hands.

“Dad!” he heard from the emptiness.

“Sharon?!” he screamed. “Sharon, baby, if you can hear me, keep yelling! I’ll find you!” The pain from his cuts disappeared as he followed her voice. He rushed as fast as he could through the foliage in the direction of his daughter’s yells. Once again, he tripped over something on the forest floor, the property seemingly determined to prevent him from leaving. When he stood up, his flashlight lit up a lone figure among the trees. “Sharon!” He leapt up and followed the dim, bouncing light until his little girls was safely in his arms. “What are you doing out here? Why did you come out here in the first place? Do you have any idea how scared I was?!” he held her out at arm’s length and looked into her face, her expression that of confusion and bewilderment.

“I… I don’t know.” She said, looking at him. “I don’t know… I don’t know! I DON’T KNOW” she said hysterically as she began to cry. He took her shivering body into his arms and kissed her on the top of the head. “It’s okay. It’s okay, now. I’m here.” He didn’t know what else to do but get her back to the hotel they were staying at while all this was done. He took his time with her and traveled in silence back to the car. He helped her into the seat and gently snapped her seatbelt into place. Before he got in, he looked back at the house and the woods, anger running through him. Somehow, he knew this was his mother’s fault. It had to be. If she hadn’t already been dead, he would have killed her. Inside the vehicle, Sharon looked out the window in the direction of the cabin, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Thank you, Granddaughter. It was nice to meet you.” She whispered, stifling a giggle.