The Living Dead Situation

It was inspired by the post from Elizabeth Strange below and cajoling from Dharrsheena Raja Segarran

This is for the Vocal Campfire Ghost Story Challenge to be judged by Chelsea Catherine and Meg Anderson both prize-winning Vocal members.

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window."

They were sat around the campfire and the group leader started with that line. This was an overnight stay with a mix of scouts and guides and they had been looking forward to it for weeks, they knew Mr and Mrs Smith were great storytellers and now it was dark, and the fire was burning this was another treat after a fun day as they ate their sausages, beans and wedges from their billy cans.

Mr and Mrs Smith told the chilling story together

A man was walking home one night from the pub. He had been drinking, and you know you should never drink alcohol, it blunts your senses and makes you do things you shouldn’t.

Walking through the woods he saw there was a candle burning in the abandoned cabin, it was after the pubs had closed it was after midnight. What was going on? He'd always been a fan of the Oscar Wilde quote "I can resist anything but temptation" and the candle tempted him and combined with the drink he was at the door of the supposedly abandoned cabin.

He pushed the door and walked in, then he was hit by something, then pain in his head as teeth sank into him and pulled him into unconsciousness.

He looked down and could see his body, his brain exposed, half eaten, and blood was finally emptying out of his jugular. The creature that had attacked him was rotting and decaying at an alarming rate until it was just a puddle of black slime on the cabin floor. The candle flickered and went out. Then his body rose and started clawing at the walls, seemingly starving, it went down and scooped and swallowed the slime that was all that was left of his killer.

He watched himself but his body had no thought or intelligence, but here he was, his soul was a ghost unable to understand what was happening to himself. He was a ghost watching his zombie self trapped in an abandoned cabin as the dawn rose.

Then he heard a voice, he didn't know whether it was inside or outside his head, but he had no head he was a ghost and his physical head had been half-eaten by a zombie. This is what the voice said.

"Do you know why you are here and where you are?"

"Where Am I? What's happening? Is that me or is this me? Am I a ghost? Who are you?"

"Seriously? Yes, you are a ghost but this is the earthy incarnation of your tarnished soul. Me? I am the guardian of this place, there are millions of cabins like this on earth, all waiting for people like you to stumble in, tarnished by the demon drink. Do you know where this is? It is your PURGATORY!! and you are here until you lure another unsuspecting soul in here and dispose of him the same way your predecessor disposed of you"

"How long will that be and he just rotted away, where did he go or was that the end for him?"

"That I cannot answer, depending on your life there are many places you may go, Heaven, Hell or somewhere else. You must get your body to light the candle if you want to leave this place, if you don't you will be here forever"

"But how can I get my zombie self to light the candle?"

"You must hope your body retains enough intelligence to light it. No, I am messing with you, the candle will light when a suitable victim comes past. That could be tonight or in a year or longer. In the meantime, I will enjoy tormenting you and pushing you towards insanity if you are here for too long. The thing is where you go next might be even worse"

So boys and girls never give in to the demon drink or temptation you never know where it will lead.

And with that, the Scout and Guide troupes went to the beds in their tents and did not sleep too well.