One Night in a Cabin

Cindy and her best friend of twenty years had previously made plans to go camping. Cindy had recently experienced a bad breakup preceded by a bad relationship. Amanda thought it would be good to help her get over it. Sometime during last weekend they had made the decision to call into work on Friday. After years of dedicated service they felt it was worth it.

They left Thursday night after work. Cindy and Amanda were so ready to begin their vacation they didn’t even bother changing. They had been packed since Sunday. Cindy stopped by and picked up Amanda and they headed out.

Driving all night so they could be at their destination Friday morning they had to change drivers a couple of times. After stopping for coffee, Amanda took over the driver seat so Cindy could have her turn resting.

“How did you hear about this cabin?”

“Through an agency. It hasn’t been rented in over a decade so I got a hell of a discount.”

“Great. We’re staying the weekend where someone got murdered,” said Cindy.

“No one got murdered.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure.”

“Then why did you get a discount?”

“Because it’s so secluded most people get lost looking for it. That’s what the agency said.”

“Why are you always so dramatic?”

“I’m not dramatic.”

“Really?”

“I don’t know why I took so long to do this,” Cindy stated.

“You should have been ready a long time ago.”

“You take vacations.”

“Twice a year,” Amanda said.

“I was in denial about my relationship with Steven. I kept telling myself he was going to change, but I knew he wouldn’t.”

“You were madly in love.”

“But I’m not now. Does that mean I fell out of love or I came to my senses? “

“Could be either. Could be both.”

“I started seeing what everyone else saw.”

“It’s over now. You got through it so let’s have some fun.”

“Cheers.”

Cindy and Amanda pulled up to the cabin just in time to enjoy the sunrise.

“Come on. Let’s check it out,” Cindy called as she practically jumped out of the suburban.

Cindy ran around to the back of the cabin to be greeted with the sunrise on a lake. The breathtaking view made her gasp for air as she approached.

“Amanda! Hurry, you're missing it!”

“Gorgeous.”

Taking in the view for several long minutes Amanda broke the silence.

“I didn’t know there was a lake attached. Bonus.”

“Come on. Let’s go down. See if there is a boat. We can go out.”

Cindy and Amanda found the wooden plank pathway leading to the boat dock where they enjoyed the rest of the sunrise before exploring. Just off the side of the dock halfway hidden underneath the dock and covered by debris they located the paddle boat. Jumping down to investigate, Cindy was first. Pulling the debris from it she inspected it the best she could from the angle she was standing. Amanda joined her to help free the boat from the dock, they found it was wedged underneath the beams and took both of them to free it. After much struggle the boat was released and the women were left breathless. Deciding it would be a better adventure for another day, Amanda headed back to the car.

“Where are you going?”

“To unpack. I want to get it done.”

“Okay. I’m going to look around for paddles.”

“Be careful. And don’t go on the water alone.”

“Yes, mommy,” Cindy responded with a teasing smile.

Amanda turned and smiled back at Cindy before proceeding to her mission.

As Amanda was dragging her over packed suitcase up the steps of the cabin, she heard Cindy scream. Running around to the back of the cabin, she froze halfway to Cindy. Cindy was trying to have a stand off with a rattlesnake. Knowing it already sensed Cindy's presence Amanda hesitated to proceed from fear of startling the snake. Quickly looking around for something to distract the snake, she grabbed the nearest limb. Very quietly and slowly Amanda approached the snake from behind to minimize the snake’s reaction. With her heart racing and her body perspiring in the springtime heat, she managed to thrust the limb in front of the snake and fling it into the water.

Watching to make sure the snake wasn’t close enough to strike, Cindy began to breathe again. Not realizing that she was even holding her breath she gasped for air. Amanda rushed to embrace her and they headed back to the cabin.

Cindy decided she had had enough adventure for the first day and grabbed her luggage out of the car. As she was finishing her task, she glimpsed a man staring at her from the middle of the woods. She called for Amanda, but as Amanda stepped out on the porch the man disappeared.

“What’s wrong?”

“I thought I saw something in the woods.”

“You’re probably still freaked out from earlier.”

“Maybe you’re right. Are you sure this cabin is vacant?”

“The agency assured me we would be the only people here this weekend.”

“What if they double booked it?”

“Then I’ll call and get a refund.”

“I wonder if something bad happened here.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Why would it be vacant for a decade? It’s rented out through an agency and even they can’t get customers to come out here. Doesn’t that make you wonder why?”

“A little, but I never questioned it. I just assumed people don’t like sleeping in cabins anymore and that the agency was just happy to rent it.”

As the two entered into the cabin, the smell of must filled their noses. Amanda searched in the dark for a light switch. When she can't find one she opened the flashlight on her phone. With Cindy behind her she did a quick scan of the room and a wind blew passed her. Startling her, she turned around to see Cindy waiting by the door for her.

“Cynthia?”

“I’m right here.”

“Did you feel that?”

“Feel what?”

“That breeze.”

“I didn’t feel anything.”

Officially spooked, she searched the wall for the light when the light turned on. Cindy and Amanda look around the room in astonishment.

“Did we experience a power outage?” asked Cindy.

“I’m not sure. But where is the light switch.”

Cindy located it immediately and flipped the switch on and off multiple times to insure that it still worked.

“Maybe there is short somewhere in the walls,” Cindy suggests.

“Possibility. Mice and rats like to chew through that stuff.”

“You should’ve upgraded.”

“I wanted a nice quiet place in the woods. Serenity.”

“Destitute.”

Amanda and Cindy took a tour of the cabin. Inside the first bedroom, they found an open suitcase full of clothes on the bed. Instantly freaked out, they looked at each other.

“Someone left their entire wardrobe?”

“But the agency said no one has been here in years. The clothes and suitcase would be dusty.”

“So the agency did double book us.”

“I’m going to call.”

Cindy, going to the bed to close the luggage and place it in the closet, noticed the clothes were men’s clothes. She looked for a name. She found an address, but no name. Returning to the room, Amanda concluded her phone call.

“The agency said it was probably the nephew of the owner. They forgot that he recently stayed here. They’re going to contact him and let him know.

“Cool. There is no name on the luggage. Just an address.”

“Also, they said that even though it is privately owned they rent it out through the agency for others to enjoy since they can’t make it out as frequently as they used to. They want it to be enjoyed and not left to rot.”

Cindy opened the closet door to stash the suitcase inside and noticed a closet full of clothes. Feeling alarmed, she browsed through the closet anyway. They were women’s clothes. A woman who had similar taste. A red floral blouse grabbed her attention. She took it off the hanger and modeled it in front of the mirror. Liking the way it looked she proceeded to try it on. She then returned to the closet to find a skirt to pair it with. Returning with a calf-length black chiffon skirt, she modeled in front of the mirror once again admiring her new look.

Leaving the bedroom to finish the tour of the rest of the house, she turned right as she exited to continue down the short hallway to the next room where she assumed Amanda was exploring. Upon entering the room, she had a sense of familiarity. Not finding Amanda, she cautiously stepped across the threshold. Leery, she checked the room before completely entering. Being drawn to the closet, she opened it first. In the back, against a wall is a trunk. Curiosity led her to open it. Clearly, not from this decade, possibly not even from this century. It appeared to be the kind of traveling trunk her grandparents had once used. An antique. The age of the trunk itself had attracted her more than what could be inside. In awe of the vintage artifact, she felt compelled to view the contents. The trunk held many photographs, but a noise startled her and she slammed it shut.

Exiting the closet nervously, to find her friend, she started to shake thinking it was an intruder making the sound. She looked for the nearest weapon and held it with both hands ready to swing as she exited the bedroom. Pausing at the door, she heard a muffled banging and a woman’s voice coming from the hallway.

“Amanda! Is that you?”

The banging continued and she tried to follow the sounds. It sounded like noise coming from the wall adjacent to the second bedroom. Covering the wall was a ten feet tall Indian woven rug. Appearing to be merely decor, Cindy noticed it shaking ever so slightly. Getting closer, she could hear muffled banging sounds coming from the other side. Lifting the rug, she found a door. Opening the door, she heard Amanda gasp with relief as her panic stricken face regained color. Curiously, observing the location, she is confused how Amanda even found the secret door. At a glance, no one could have seen the hidden entrance behind the rug. It was a secret that only people who knew about it would have known it was there. She must have been looking for something in order to have found it. Stepping back to observe the wall, Cindy was still confused about what her friend would even think about looking for here. The wall was completely covered with a rug, so the door wasn’t in plain sight. After she regained her composure Amanda noticed Cindy’s new clothes.

“You look pretty. Where’d you get those?”

“The bedroom closet.”

“Nice. They look good on you.”

“This is nicer than anything I’ve ever owned,”said Amanda.

“Keep them. If anyone misses them, they probably won’t ever remember where they were left.”

“I’m starved. I’m going to see what’s in the kitchen and make us some dinner.”

“Sounds good.”

After Cindy left for the kitchen, Amanda turned back to the door that trapped her. She knew she wasn’t crazy. There had to be a logical explanation as to how that door slammed on her. When she found the door, the rug wasn’t against the wall like it was at that moment. The rug had been swung open like a door and was against the adjacent wall when she thought something was out of place. There was an oddity about the way this cabin was built. She didn’t see it before. Opening the door again, to see inside, it appeared to be a bookcase. A hidden bookcase. She wondered how there was room for her to fit inside. The closet had to be plush with the rest of the cabin because from the outside there did not appear to be any addition or protrusion of any kind.

After closing the door, she returned to the living room where Cindy was building a fire. Amanda took a seat on the floor next to her and watched the fire build.

“I think I’m over tired.”

“Why?”

“I’m hallucinating.”

“Why do you think so?”

“The closet you pulled me out of, I reopened it after you left.”

“And?”

“It’s a bookcase. There is no way there was enough room in there for me to fit.”

“When I let you out, it looked like a small closet to me. There was no shelf.”

Amanda and Cindy look at each other suspiciously.

“What’s going on here?” asked Amanda.

Amanda and Cindy keep the fire going, afraid to leave.

“Well, since we can’t sleep let’s go through the trunk that’s stashed at the back of the closet.”

“We can’t do that. What if it belongs to someone?”

“It’s ancient. Who would leave that behind?”

“It could be someone’s heirloom.”

“You said this place hasn’t been visited in a decade.”

“Yea.”

“The agency also told you those clothes belonged to the owner’s nephew.”

“Why would the closet be full of women’s clothes?”

“Maybe he brought his girlfriend...or his wife on a romantic weekend getaway.”

“They both forgot their clothes? And nothing else?”

Amanda realizes what Cindy is insinuating and gets gets an eerie sensation.

“Let’s take a look at the trunk.”

“It may not even hold any answers, but something about it has me beyond curious.”

Entering into the bedroom, Cindy led the way. Carrying the flashlight, Amanda stood next to Cindy.

“It looks heavy,” Amanda said.

The women went into the closet, Amanda helped move the trunk out of the closet. Cindy opened it slowly leery of any creepy critters that may have been lurking inside. Once inside they saw hundreds of pictures. Sifting through the pictures, Amanda chose one that looked familiar. Although black and white, she held it next to Cindy. The woman in the picture had an uncanny resemblance.

“What compelled you to choose that outfit?”

“It was pretty. I found the shirt first. I liked it so I looked for a skirt to match.”

“Cindy...look at this.”

Handing the portrait over Cindy gasped, at the likeness. Mesmerized, she couldn’t help but stare.

“Who is this?”

“Didn’t say.”

“I want to know more. I wonder what else is in here.”

Continuing to look through the pictures, they stumbled upon a picture of Cindy’s look alike standing with a man.

“I wonder if that’s her husband.”

A knock on the front door caused both women to startle. Looking at each other hesitant to answer, they slowly rose together. The cabin was so far out of town, the likelihood of having a visitor was uncommon. Cautiously approaching the cabin’s front door, the women gripped each other in fear.

“Hello?” Amanda called from the hallway trying to repress her fear.

As if in response, there was another knock on the door. Momentarily halting in their place, they regained the courage to proceed.

“Who’s there?”

The door slammed shut.

“Darling? Is that you?” a disembodied voice calls.

“Who are you?” asked Amanda.

“It’s me. Victoria.”

Panic stricken, Cindy and Amanda struggled to keep each other calm. Believing an intruder had just invaded their vacation they started making plans to leave.

“Do you live here? If you do, we're really sorry. We can leave,” said Amanda.

In the next instant Cindy felt a strong wind blow by her. As the feeling of another presence grew stronger she turned around to be faced with the intruder, preparing herself to be brutally attacked. Heavy breathing almost turned into hyperventilating. Closing her eyes as she braced herself for the attack, she was surprised by a light touch on her face.

“Victoria. You look beautiful. You didn’t age a day. I always thought that blouse looked good on you. It brings out your eyes.”

As her heavy breathing gradually calmed, she slowly opened her eyes to see who was standing in front of her. Completely immersed in the moment, the world faded away. She was looking at a young man with brunette hair dressed to the nines. The most handsome man she had ever seen staring back at her with a smile on his face. She reached for him and caressed his cheek.

“Harold. I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Amanda noticed that Cindy was not responding and turned to face her. With a glazed look in her eyes, she reached for mid-air. Scared, Amanda grabbed Cindy and began shaking her shoulders.

“Cindy! Cindy! Answer me.”

Still not responsive, Amanda got more aggressive trying to shake her friend out of her trance.

“Are you alright? Cindy, you're scaring me.”

Watching Cindy embrace the air as if she was dancing with a lover, she grew more concerned. Confused by what was happening, she stepped in front of her trying to make sense of everything. Amanda’s attempts to get Cindy to come out of her trance like state were useless. Struggling to maintain her composure, she began to cry out of fear for the worst.

Cindy, with a happiness she had never felt, danced with the gentleman. Feeling like this was where she belonged, she couldn’t contain herself.

“Victoria, it’s time to go. I’ve waited so long to have one more dance with you.”

“I’ve waited so long, Harold. Let’s go home.”

Cindy grabbed Harold’s hand and walked toward the wall. They turned and looked at each other. After a silent moment together they shared a kiss and Cindy was left standing alone. Confused as she came to, she looked around the room as if she didn’t remember how she got there.

“What happened?” Cindy asked.

“I want to ask you the same thing.”

“It was so weird. I’ll tell you on the way home. I want to get out of here.”

As Amanda and Cindy pack, in a rush to leave, they glimpsed a blinding light on the other side of the room. They watched a man and woman embrace for a kiss then disappeared.

“What was that?”

“That was Victoria and Harold. They are at peace. They found each other again.”

Entering into the bedroom where Cindy planned on sleeping, she found the suitcase open on her bed once again.

“Amanda.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Did you put this back where we found it?”

“I haven’t touched it.”

They looked at each other with anxiety. Rushing to finish their packing, they tried to ignore the events until they were miles away from the cabin. Loading their luggage into the suburban they leave in the dead of night. Backing out of the driveway, silence filled the void from lack of conversation. The women drove to the nearest gas station to fill up before leaving into the night in comfort and silence. As Amanda put the vehicle in park she turned and looked at Cindy.

“What happened to you back there?” Amanda asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“You passed out and I didn’t think you were going to wake up.”

“Do you remember when we first arrived? I called you to come outside?”

“Yes. You said you thought you saw something.”

“I did. He was a man named Harold. Looking for his wife. They got separated after death and they have been searching for each other for so long. “

“That doesn’t explain why I thought you died.”

“I look like Victoria. He thought I was his wife.”

Cindy paused. Trying to figure out how to proceed.

“I didn’t feel like I passed out. I felt like I was there. We danced.”

“You were on the floor motionless.”

“He was in his twenties. We had just met. It felt like I belonged with him.”

“I was scared. I even started thinking about an aneurysm.”

“They were so in love. They couldn’t move on until they knew they would see each other again.”

“I almost called 911 when you finally came to.”

“They waited for each other even in death. They wouldn’t move on until they knew the other one was safe.”

Another pause from Cindy before continuing with her experience.

“I wish I could find love like that. Love at first sight and that is eternal.”

“A love that is rare.”

“It’s not rare. Just no one seeks it any more.”

They were ready for a good night’s sleep. Making plans to leave first thing in the morning they headed straight to bed.

As the sun rose the following morning they headed back home. Anxious to forget about last night. Maybe in the future they will still vacation at a less secluded location.