The Abandoned Trail

...

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. A small cabin, no bigger than one room, and a little stove that stood in the very back. Cobwebs stuck to every inch of the ceiling and the floor creaked at the softest movement. A girl sat in the middle of the room. She looked to be no more than thirteen. The girl held her head in her hands and shook violently. "No, no, no, no," she breathed quickly.
    
     Rocking back and forth. After a few minutes of this, she lifted her head slowly and her eyes wandered every inch of the cabin. She hadn't gotten a good look at it when she first ran in. Her eyes stopped on the single candle placed on the windowsill.    

     Its flame flickered softly and the girl stood up shakily. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying and dark circles hung under her eyes. She made her way over to the candle and once there gripped the windowsill for support. She stared at the flame. She wasn't sure how it had gotten there, she searched her mind for if it had been there when she ran in but couldn't recall. All she could get was flashes of what had happened. Her, running through the woods, screaming and pushing branches out of the way as she ran.

     She turned her head to look out the cabin window. It was pitch dark out now. All the stars could be seen in the sky and she smiled weakly. She'd always been on her own but never like this. It had never been this bad.

     A sharp pain went up her leg and she winced. Looking down she was reminded of the cut she had received when tripping. Blood smeared her leg and she sighed softly. She leaned over a bit and ran her finger up the blood to see just how much there was. Straightening back up she examined the blood. The cut didn't seem to be deep enough to need stitches but almost there. She wiped the excess blood on her shirt and turned her head back towards the window slowly.

     Her heart rate increased ever so slightly. Worried she might see something or rather someone. Thankfully there was nothing to be seen and she let out a breath that had been waiting to escape. She wasn't sure when or if the man would come back. If what had happened was a coincidence or she was targeted. She knew nothing, to be honest, and she frowned at that thought.

    The trail was supposed to be safe. Creaks trail, the town trail going through the woods. Not a lot of people used this trail and that's what made it nice to her. It was supposed to be quiet and peaceful. Well, it was quiet and peaceful. She remembered going deeper and deeper into the woods until the sun was hard to see and it grew chilly.

     Her brother had made her take their dog, Oliver. He was a sweet dark brown colored pitbull. He didn't live up to the stereotypes of a pitbull, he whimpered at the softest noises and barked at the sound of breaking branches. Always looking back at her, almost pleading with her to turn back. Maybe she should have listened, she didn't remember when or how the man got there. Just the running that ensued once he had. Oliver had gotten lost somewhere in the middle of all of this. She wished he was there with her.

     She sighed softly and dropped her head into her hands. Exhausted from everything that had happened but too scared to sleep. A soft creaking went through the cabin and she quickly lifted her head. Her heart raced and she quickly looked out the window. It was too dark to see anything and she stepped back from the window taking the candle with her. Almost tripping on her own feet. The creaking noise stopped and was replaced with the sound of nails dragging down wood. The door.

     She quickly looked over to the door. Backing up further until she was in the corner of the room. "Go away!" She screamed as her eyes filled with tears. Petrified and pushing her back into the wall behind her. Wishing it would expand and let her get farther away.

     The scratching continued. As if the person behind the door was just toying with her now. Enjoying her frightened screams and the way her chest rose and fell quickly and heavily. Her tears hit the floor now and she shook her head. "No no no no just leave! Just stop!" She cried, but they didn't stop.

     Her hands wrapped around her waist as if to comfort herself in a way. Waiting and praying for them to stop, and it did. All the noise in the world seemed to stop all in seconds. She watched the door, her eyes wandering down to its handle. She jumped and squeaked as it began to turn quickly. Back and forth. Trying so hard to open the door and when realizing they couldn't they stopped. They hit the door with a loud bang and her breath hitched. Then they were gone.

     Nothing else could be heard except the creaks of the wooden porch as they walked down it and away from the cabin. No noise came with her sobs now and she slid slowly down the wall until coming to the floor. Mouth open and gasping for breath. The candle shook softly in her hand. Setting the candle down, and glancing at the window she breathed heavily, and her chest tightened. Who is this person? And would they come back again?

---

The wind whistled through the cabin and she could hear the trees shaking. She, too, shook but not because of the wind. A few hours had passed now and nothing new had happened but still, her eyes stayed glued to the door. Waiting for even the softest twitch of the doorknob. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier as every moment passed but she refused to let herself rest. Her stomach growled and she jumped. The sun began to rise ever so slowly and her eyes finally left the door and moved to the window.

     Nothing stood out to her and all that could be seen from her spot on the floor was the porch railing and the trees that spread out for miles. Her mind wandered and thought about all sorts of things, some real and some fake but after a few minutes of this her eyes finally fell shut and she was asleep.

      The sky was painted shades of soft oranges and pinks now and the cool morning breeze blew through the whole cabin. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to look around but winced at the pain. Her eyes were no longer used to the light of the sun which shone through the cabin brightly. Close to fixing her vision and when a loud yelp echoed through the cabin causing her to jump. A dog yelp, she quickly unstuck her damp body from the wooden floor.

     Rushing towards the door, turning the doorknob quickly, and rushing out. Not bothering to check for the man who could have very well been waiting for her on the other side of that door. Stepping onto the porch and it squeaked loudly. She looked around frantically, was it Oliver? Or simply a figment of her sleep-deprived mind playing tricks on her. She ran off the porch and farther from the cabin.

     Another yelp was heard and her eyes began to water. Finally, her eyes landed on a dog. She ran up to it and her heart dropped. It was a chocolate-colored pit bull. Her chocolate-colored pit bull.

     The tears began to fall heavier now as her eyes scanned the blood-covered dog. Lying sprawled out on the ground. Dirt covered him along with the blood and his fur didn't look as soft as it once was. A twig snapped behind her and her body tensed. Not daring to move and only listening to more twigs snap and leaves crumple beneath someone's feet.

     Slowly getting closer and closer and closer. She silently cried and stared up at the sky. The noises stopped and she could feel them, right behind her. Their hot breath on her neck.

     "Sage..darling..." The voice was harsh and it was sweet. A cold soft, the kind of warmth you felt when bundling up in a warm room. Every hair on her neck stood up and her body trembled with fear. "I've been waiting for you." He paused for a moment. "I knew you would come to me." He moved the black hair that lay on the back of her neck.

     "I knew everything you were going to do." He whispered softly, inching ever so slightly closer to her. She shook her head softly and looked down at Oliver now.

     "No..no.."

     "Yes darling," He smiled softly. Her arms moved and wrapped around herself.

"No, no, you know nothing about me." She looked back up at the sky trying to hold back her tears.

     "I know this is all so hard to understand," He placed his hand on the back of her neck as if to hold her in place. "But honestly darling," His other arm reached around her and she felt a cold object pressed against her neck. Her body straightened more than before and her arms fell from her waist and lay limp at her sides. Then just before he slid the knife across her neck, he whispered in her ear. "Who did you think put the candle on the windowsill?"

the end...