The Legend

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. Empty for so long because everyone that moves in has some sort of supernatural encounter. No one has ever lived there more than a few months at a time my whole life. I never believed the stories. Who would think that all those tales that Grandpa used to tell could be true? I mean ghosts are not real, right? I have always assumed it was something he made up to keep us kids from going too far into the woods, but he said he saw it for himself. Legend has it that as long as the candle is lit in the window, evil beings roam the woods.

See one-night Grandpa was walking through the woods taking a shortcut home when he looked back and saw what he thought was a man off in the distance running toward him. It moved like nothing he had ever seen before. He could not figure out why he could see it but heard no footsteps. He turned and ran as fast as he could but every time he glanced back; it was closer. He finally reached the clearing, and it stopped coming as if it could not go past that boundary. That is when he noticed it was floating and just like that it was gone.

Grandpa said it resembled his grandfather who had already passed away. He told his family the next day and they told him to never enter the woods when the candle glows in the cabin window. He also claimed that other people from the town who walked through the woods at night disappeared after having a similar experience. The only difference between the stories was that they all said the being caught them, and they were found unharmed, but unconscious lying in the clearing the next day. They had no memory of what happened after being caught and all stated that the being resembled a relative who was dead. Days later they walked away from their homes and were never heard from again.

One thing that has always stuck out to me about the woods, when looking at the cabin from our house it’s like the cabin is in its own world. The clearing is in the shape of a circle around the cabin making it the only thing around for half a mile in any direction. The trees that surround it are tall and thick with lots of brush. There is a front yard and one small visible path from one side of the clearing to the other. I often wondered how a path could be there if nobody walks through it.

My curiosity is piqued now that I see the small glow emitting. I do not know what the truth is, but I am going to find out tonight. I anxiously await the nightfall and leave home around nine. No one in my family is willing to come along so Ghost, my beautiful Samoyed, and I head out alone. All kinds of thoughts are running through my mind. What if it is true? Maybe I should not be going at all.

When we reach the cabin, the candle still burns. I walk up the steps and begin to open the door when I hear a sound behind me. I completely forgot Ghost was with me. “Ghost, come here boy,” I say. “Stay here while I look around.” He sits in front of the door and awaits my return. I try the light switch, but the power is off. Shining the flashlight, I find the cabin in surprisingly excellent condition. I search all the rooms but find nothing to help me with the mystery. I breathe a sigh of relief, walk over to the candle, and blow it out. It quickly reignites. That is when I see a figure standing in the corner. Suddenly the cabinets begin to open and close, the table is floating in the air, and the lights turn on and off rapidly. I run to the door to leave but it will not open.

Grasping at the handle and pulling desperately, I refuse to look back at the corner to see what is there. When I finally get it open, I yell “Let’s go Ghost,” and realize he is not there. I see him in front of me, but I cannot quite make out who is with him. It almost looks like Grandpa but that is impossible because he has been dead a long time. I rub my eyes and look again but whatever it was is gone.

I run as fast as I can whistling for Ghost to follow. I almost fall several times trying to look back to make sure nothing is behind me. Ghost runs past me and leaves me behind as if he is afraid of something. I glance back again and see something running toward me. I cannot make out what it is, but it is moving unusually swiftly. Almost flying.

Ghost is running toward home, and I am about twenty feet from the clearing when I feel a chill over my body. I glance over my shoulder and when I turn back around Grandpa is standing between me and the clearing with his arms outstretched. I stop in my tracks. Unsure of what to do I decide to try and run around it just as it moves toward me. I feel myself falling as I take a step. Afraid to open my eyes I lay there. After a few seconds I peek out and I see Grandpa right above me. “Please go away,” I shout.

I can feel something touching me as I hear a deep menacing voice shout, “Open your eyes.” I hear Ghost barking uncontrollably in the distance. I look up again and see hundreds of beings surrounding me. Each one is more hideous than the last. One by one they go through my body and vanish. I can feel it when they enter and exit. I try to get up and run but it is like I am paralyzed.

The next day I wake up in the laying clearing while Ghost is licking my face. I am confused and do not understand why I am here. My children Jim and Kate are standing over me. I cannot quite make out what they are saying. “What happened,” I ask? “We were just about to ask you the same thing,” Jim says. Kate told me you were coming out here last night to “disprove” the legend. Dad, what were you thinking? “I guess I wasn’t,” I said. They help me up and we head home.

My recollection is extremely limited at first. I remember going to the cabin, but the rest of the night is a blur. Days go by and the memories come back in bits and pieces. I have not put it all together, but I do recall seeing Grandpa’s ghost.

My family thinks I am crazy, but I feel his presence everywhere. When someone is talking to me, I hear his voice instead of theirs. I dream of him telling me I belong to the woods now. The dreams become more intense each night. I cannot take it anymore. I decide to go back to the woods to end this torture.

When I reach the woods, all the memories come flooding back to my mind. Fear grips me as I slowly walk along the path. Everywhere I look, I see ghosts. They are all pointing toward the cabin. I want to turn and run but I am afraid they will catch me again.

As I walk up, I see Grandpa on the porch swing. “I’ve been waiting for you John,” he says. I sit down beside him; he drapes his arm around me and tells me I can never go home again. I look at him and his appearance slowly begins to change. Red eyes with yellow pupils, horns coming out of his head, a forked tongue, and pearly white pointy teeth. I now know it is not grandpa, but the devil.

I take my last breath. The candle blows out. The legend continues.