The Ritual

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but on one night, a candle burned in the window. The black hooded cult members stood in a circle, hushed chanting filling the silence of the room. The smell of rot consumed the air surrounding the cabin. The buzzing of fly wings played in harmony over the chanting until all noise came to a hush and an unsettling silence fell upon the cabin and forest. As the members took a knee and bowed their head, a tall, shadowy figure rose from the center of the circle. His eyes surveyed the room and a wicked smile spread across his lips as he rose to a stand. His hand clapped firmly on one specific member's shoulder as his voice, quiet and demanding, boomed out.

“It is time.”

And with that the leader and his cult disappeared into the night. They left nothing disrupted, as if they were never there in the first place. The cabin fell into the typical noise of the forest. The soft rustling of the leaves, the callings of forest animals, and the song of the wind. The moon shone down, illuminating the cabin in all its decrypt glory. The cabin sat and waited, as it had so often done in its different forms, for the next chosen one to enter through its door.

***

I found myself stumbling through the forest after one too many drinks at the bar in town. The ground below me felt a little unsteady as I placed my feet on it and I could’ve sworn that the trees didn’t sway this much with the wind. The whole world seemed to be swimming in my vision.

God Theo, you’ve got to get a grip on this. I cursed myself for having that last drink as if that is the reason for this downward spiral I’m on. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when the sound of my ringtone echoed out into the night. The light from the phone practically blinded me as I brought it to my ear.

“Hello?” I answered, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.

“Theodora, it’s John. Your publisher. You’ve missed the deadline and the company is taking their advance back. I just called to give you a heads up - in case you needed to get your things in order,” John sounded tired as he spoke. And the more he spoke, the more my heart started to race. The anxiety kicked up a notch at the thought of losing my advance.

“Can’t you buy me more time, John? You know this has been a hard couple of months. I just haven’t gotten back into the rhythm of things yet,” I was getting ready to plead with him at this point, “I can have the first chapter submitted to you by the end of the week.”

“I’m sorry, Theo. I’ve been holding them off as long as I can. They just can’t wait any longer. I know this hasn’t been easy with the loss of-”

“Don’t say her name,” I cut him off, feeling the vomit in the back of my throat. I hadn’t even realized I had sat myself down on a fallen log until I moved my hand from my forehead.

“I’m sorry. Maybe the best thing for you to do right now is to take some time off. Really and truly take the time to grieve. There will always be a place for you here.”

“What I need right now is to focus on work. I just need to keep writing and not think about-” my voice cut off as a sob crawled its way up my throat, “Can you just hold off? 5 days. I’ll have the first draft in 5 days.”

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. John sighed and I could practically see him rubbing his temples and reaching for his whiskey. “5 days. You have 5 days and if I don’t have it by then, we’ll revisit this conversation in a couple months.”

“Thank you. Honestly, thank you so much. 5 days, I promise.”

“You take care, Theo. Call if you need anything at all. We’re all worried about you, you know?” John’s voice had softened and I knew that he really meant that. He was a kind man and an excellent publisher. Without him, I never would have made it in the writing world. When my own family disowned me, he was there as my biggest supporter. I even crashed at his place with him and his wife for a few months until I found my own place. That was all before her and the accident. I’ve been a ghost since then, avoiding all his calls until tonight.

“Bye John. Talk soon.” The call ended and I was alone again. I couldn’t even find comfort in the white noise of the forest. Until I realized that the forest was completely silent. The leaves and branches shook in the wind but not a sound came from the rustling. The mosquitoes were mute as they buzzed around me. I glanced around my surroundings nervously. I stood from the log and brushed myself off, making it my mission to walk through this forest as fast as possible. As the hair on the back of my neck stood up, I knew there was something seriously wrong with this place.

Sure. Take a shortcut through the forest in the middle of the night. What a great idea. What could possibly go wrong? I was interrupted out of my thoughts when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out, expecting it to be John again, but the name that popped up on the screen made my heart drop. My hands shook as I read the message.

“Maddie: Hey babe! It’s late. Are you almost home?”

I stood in stunned silence. That’s not even possible. You’re dead. I watched you take your last breath. This has got to be some sick, twisted joke. There are a million different possibilities. Maybe somebody got a hold of her phone or her number changed and they accidentally typed my number in. I felt the vomit rising in my throat and before I knew it, I was kneeling in the dirt throwing up the multiple drinks I had tonight. I swiped the back of my hand against my mouth and when I lifted my head, I saw a light in the distance. It was a small flickering light, barely even visible from where I was.

I knew in my heart that I should’ve walked, no, ran, in the opposite direction and back towards the well lit sidewalks of my town. But instead, I found my feet taking me in the direction of the light. As I got closer, I could very faintly make out the outline of a small building weaved in amongst the trees. And the light I was seeing was a single candle sitting in the window.

I have walked through this forest a thousand times and have never seen a cabin. I’ve got to just be seeing things. But against my better judgment, I walked even closer to the cabin. I could tell that it hadn’t been used in years. The roof was falling inwards and the porch was missing wooden planks. The windows were mostly broken and the typical graffiti littered the outside walls. “666” and pentagons sprawled in bright red spray paint were a stark contrast to the faded and chipping white paint. I felt like I was in a trance, floating towards the front door. The door squeaked as it opened slightly, seemingly by itself. But what I heard next made me stop frozen in my tracks.

“Theo! I'm here! Please, come quick. I need you.” Her voice was so familiar and comforting but it made my blood run cold. Tears were beginning to well in my eyes.

“Maddie?” My voice sounded small and scared. The trembling in my hands was a dead give away that I was beyond terrified.

“Baby! Please!” It sounded so much like Maddie. But it couldn’t be her. I watched her die, choking on her own blood. I was sitting right next to her, not even able to do anything.

“Look, whoever the fuck that is, this isn’t funny. What? Do you find pleasure in twisting knives in people’s pain? Get a life.” The fear was beginning to turn into pure rage. The shaking in my hands was turning into anger. And I was fuming by the time I stepped inside the door. Feeling the wind rustle my hair as the door slammed shut behind me.

I whipped around to see who was responsible for this sick prank. The texts and now somehow mimicking her voice. But when I turned around, there was absolutely nobody behind me. As I slowly turned around to face the inside of the cabin, I couldn’t make out the shadow of anybody inside. Not that the light from the candle was helpful. The uneasy feeling began creeping along my skin again. And it only got worse when I turned around and grabbed the door handle. To my horror, only to find that it wouldn’t turn.

“I knew you would come, babe.” There was something off about Maddie’s voice. There was an edge to it that was never there before. The Maddie I knew, couldn’t even hurt a fly. Let alone sound malicious. Before I got the chance to reply, suddenly there was a pair of car headlights blinding my vision. I threw my arm up to block the light and braced my body for impact. But instead the deafening sound of a car horn made me trip backwards over my feet and landed me firmly on my back.

“Watch out!” Maddie’s voice was shrill as it cautioned me. The sound of metal crunching against metal and brakes squealing filled the cabin until my ears felt like they might bleed from the intense sound.

“Maddie? Oh, god. Maddie? Baby, look at me.” That was my voice but I didn’t even open my mouth. What the hell was going on? I was terrified to open my eyes so instead I squeezed them shut as hard as possible. An awful gurgling and choking sound filled the cabin. With a gut wrenching feeling, I knew exactly what that sound was.

“Please,” I pleaded, tears streaming down my cheeks, “please. Make it stop. I can’t. Please.”

And just like that, the lights, the sounds, they all disappeared and it was quiet in the cabin again. I opened my eyes, just slightly, trying to gauge what my surroundings were. It was pitch black in the cabin. The candle wasn’t even lit anymore. It was like the moon had completely disappeared because there weren't even any lights streaming in through the windows. It was like the cabin was an incubator. No outside noise or light could get in. And I couldn’t get out.

There has got to be another way out of this hell hole. Even though there was a nagging feeling in my chest, telling me to leave, I made a decisive step forward. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and flicked the flashlight on. I didn’t find any solace in the dim light it provided but it was enough to at least walk through the room I was in. I kept the light trained on the floor in front of me out of fear for what I might see. As I made my way closer to the hallway leading further into the cabin, I heard voices.

Loud and multiple voices suddenly filled the space inside the cabin. They were so loud, it was almost like I was standing next to the commotion. But even with the volume, I couldn’t make out a single word that was being said. I could feel the chills crawling along my skin again. The more I strained my ears, the more I could pick up the quiet sound of a piano ballad playing underneath the talking.

No. No way. My head was shaking back and forth on its own accord as I placed the notes of the song together. Amazing Grace was the piano playing softly underneath the talking. That’s impossible. I backed myself up until I hit the wall behind me. A rattling sound bounced off my back that didn’t sound right for bumping into a wall. I turned around to find a mirror swaying slightly against the wall. But it wasn’t my reflection in the mirror.

Instead, I came face to face with the mangled, car accident version of Maddie. Blood was falling from her mouth and a wicked smile was full of chipped and missing teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot and her skin looked torn and bruised. A nasty, gashing head wound was peeking out below her hair.

“Follow the voices, Theo. They’re waiting.” Her hand punched through the mirror and hit me in the shoulder. A stinging sensation shot into my chest and was followed by an overwhelming burning. I all but ran out of the room and into the hallway. Once in the hallway, the voices were louder but still not recognizable. I stumbled along until a light flickered on in the room to my right. The door, as it has a habit of doing, swung open to reveal the voices I was hearing.

Maddie’s funeral. I was standing in the doorway to the funeral I had for my wife nearly 4 months ago. It was like I time traveled. I could see Vanessa and George, Maddie’s mother and father, standing by the closed casket. I could see myself at the bar, ordering another round of scotch on the rocks. Maddie’s younger brother, Thomas, was inconsolable in the corner. It is a perfect picture from 4 months earlier. I knew everything that was going to happen and I was not prepared for what came next. This was the moment Vanessa had had enough with me and I was watching it all unfold once again.

I felt the stinging of the slap on my cheek before Vanessa even raised her hand. The loud shattering of glass and the cool feeling of alcohol hitting my legs. The anger boiling just beneath my skin as Vanessa made a scene.

“You killed my daughter!” Vanessa was crying now and George was standing silently behind her. “Your drinking took my daughter away. And you have the audacity to stand here and get drunk at her funeral? Get the hell out.” Her finger pointed towards the door. Everybody was watching now. I watched as John slowly walked next to me, putting his arm around my shoulder, muttering a ‘let’s go, Theo’ and walked me out of the room. I felt a chill run through my body as they passed through me.

I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. I didn’t understand what was happening. But it was suddenly too much to deal with. I fell to my knees and the lights cut out at the exact moment my knees hit the floor. It was silent in the cabin again, not even the wind outside was battering against the cabin.

“I don’t understand! Who…what is happening to me?” I curled myself into a rocking position on the floor as I cried. I was angry, scared and confused. I just wanted to go home but I didn’t even know where I was, let alone how to get out. It felt like hours had passed but it had to have only been a few minutes when the sound of my ringtone snapped me into reality. There was a pang of fear as I pulled my phone out to look at the caller ID. But a wave of relief washed over me as I saw John’s name on the screen.

“John! Thank god! I need help. I don’t…this is going to sound crazy but I’m locked in a cabin. And all these weird things keep happening. I need you to call someone, the police, anyone.” I rushed everything out in one breath and the words came out all jumbled together. I was frantic and needed him to know that this was serious. That something strange was going on.

“Theodora. I’m so glad you answered.” John’s voice sounded way too calm. There was a static sound on his end of the line.

“John, did you even hear anything I said? I need help.” My eyebrows knit together in confusion. This was not like him. If I said I needed help, he’s the type of person that would already be in the car trying to find me.

“You don’t need help, Theo. You’re exactly where you need to be.” His voice sounded deeper the more he spoke. And I knew for certain that this wasn’t John. He would never talk to me that way.

“John-”

“Theo! Watch out!” Maddie’s voice screamed through the phone. She sounded frantic and afraid. Just like she did on the day of the accident. She said those exact words to me right before we crashed. The call dropped after that and in my frustration, I threw my phone. Watching it splinter into pieces as it hit the wall. But the sound it made as it hit the wall, was not the sound of a phone smashing apart. It was the sound of a car horn.

I looked over my shoulder trying to locate where the sound had come from this time. There was a soft glow of a light coming from the hallway. Even though my brain was telling me not to go near the light, my body twisted and stood. Pushing me out into the hallway and following the light into the next room.

When I entered the next room, I saw two cars in pieces across the road. One of them was pushed sideways into the guardrail and the second car was lying nearly split down the middle into a tree. The smell of burnt rubber and exhaust filled my nostrils until it felt like I was choking on it. The tree was creaking against the weight of the car and multiple branches had been snapped off. The distant sound of sirens could be heard over the ringing in my ears.

My head was pounding from the impact of the airbags but my body was otherwise intact. But when I looked over at the passenger seat, I was not prepared for what I was going to see. Maddie had a massive head wound above her forehead. And a tree branch impaled her chest. She was pinned to the seat and her airbag never deployed. She was making this wheezing sound every time she tried to breathe in.

“Maddie? Oh god, Maddie. Baby. It’s gonna be okay.” My voice was hoarse and came out choked. I tried pulling my seat belt off but it was stuck. I couldn’t get to her.

“Just hold on, okay? The paramedics are almost here. They’re almost-” The sound of her choking on her blood stopped my rambling dead in its tracks. I started screaming for help but nobody came. I sat and watched as Maddie took her last breath. There wasn’t anything I could do to help her except scream until my throat was so raw I could taste blood.

The paramedics finally arrived. I could see the lights flashing and reflecting against the broken glass that was spread all throughout the car. They asked me a thousand questions as they pulled me out of the car but I wasn’t able to answer a single one of them. I was in shock, they told me, I need to sit in the ambulance and get checked out. I was quiet until the cop asked me how many drinks I had that night. I lunged at him, the rage pumping through my body was more powerful than the shock.

The first responders circled around me in an attempt to calm me down. Just as I reached to push one of them out of the way, the lights turned off. The sound disappeared. The pain from the car accident was gone. I was alone in the dark cabin again. Rocking back and forth on my knees with my hands in my hair and my eyes squeezed shut.

“Why are you doing this?” I screamed out, knowing that nobody would hear me. “What do you want?”

I saw the soft glow of lighting through my eyelids and when I opened them, I saw the feet of the first responders still in a circle around me. My eyes traveled up the legs of the person standing in front of me as the tears began to fall down my cheeks. But when my eyes met the face of the paramedic, he was completely disfigured. His lips were spread into a wickedly large smile. It was pulling at the skin and causing it to tear. The blood slowly trickled down to his chin before dropping and slowly falling to the floor. As I surveyed the circle, they all wore that same smile.

“You.” Their voices were loud and synchronous. I watched in horror as the familiar faces turned into black hooded, faceless humans. They joined hands and completely encircled me. The only feature I was able to make out was that awful, too large smile spread across their faces. They began chanting, soft and quiet at first before getting louder and louder until I felt blood run out of my ears.

A tall and shadowy figure rose up behind the circle. He walked to the edge of the room and watched the scene before him as he leaned his shoulder against the wall. He had shoved his hands in his pants pockets and I could’ve sworn I saw horns poking out above his hair. A pocket watch hung from his breast pocket and ticked perfectly in time to the chanting. I was so distracted by the unnamed man in the room that I hadn’t noticed one of the members had pulled a short, black handled blade out. The chanting hushed as he broke the circle and stepped closer to me.

“We choose you, Theodora.” I screamed even though I knew the only thing that would hear me was the cabin.

***

I felt the warm and tight grip of the tall, shadowy man as he stepped out of the middle of our circle to place his hand on my shoulder. I no longer had eyes but that didn’t stop me from seeing his pocket watch ticking perfectly from his breast pocket. I gave him a perfectly wicked smile as he addressed the group.

“It is time.”

And with that, we stood and fell in line behind him. I stood directly behind him and waited for the others to fall into place. I could feel the slight prickle of the short blade in my pocket and became eager for the ritual to begin. Once we were ready, we dispersed into the dark of the night. And waited, as we had so often done in our different forms, for the next chosen one to enter.