The Cabin

There was a cabin all alone, deep in a dark forest. Families would come to enjoy their summers here every now and then. It was a nice property with a beautiful blue lake in front and plenty of forest to wander about. There wasn't a soul around for hundreds of miles to disturb the families here. Every morning was bright and peaceful on this property, and it was occupied almost every year. This summer the Fredrickson family was here to enjoy it. They looked like your average, every day working-class family. Mr. Fredrickson was a classic working Joe, always dressed formal, and keeps a pipe hung from the mouth. The missus a luscious blonde with a pretty face. They had a preteen son that was pretty outdoorsy and spent more time exploring than anything.

Mr. Fredrickson sat with his wife in a large rocking chair, similar to hers aside him. The sun started to dip down and they started to worry about their son and when he's getting back. "Johnathan!" Mr. Fredrickson cried out. "It's getting dark, time for you to head back now." Dead quiet. The cicadas chirping echoes through the trees. "Johnathan!" He cries once more. He hears no response. He quickly feels his face heat with fear as he starts to worry. His heart starts beating faster and faster. Just before he lets out another cry, he pauses. He hears footsteps from the side of the house. He looks over to see Johnathan walking towards him nonchalantly. "I'm right here, Dad." He said as he approaches. Mr. Fredrickson lets out a deep diminished sigh. "You really scared me, son. When you see that sun going down, you better be on your way back you hear me?" "Yes, Dad." He responds.

They soon went inside and ate dinner as a family then went to bed for the night. Johnathan wakes up bright and early to leave and explore the surrounding forest. He goes the opposite direction that he went last and marks trees as he passes by to make sure he knows his way back. He travels long and far to find himself amidst a small burrow that looks like could fit a small person or an animal. He inspects it and doesn't find anything of importance, just sticks and dirt to form a small opening, he assumes it some animals home and leaves it be. He continues into the deep forest as it starts to get a little dark. Suddenly he hears loud footsteps around him. He examines every direction and inspects every tree and bush. He hears more, crisp leaves crunching in the distance, as if someone with heavy feet is walking near him. He stands stunned for a moment before taking off in the other direction. He stops to find his marks on the trees, he finds his marks again, but something is off. He puts a diagonal slash on almost every tree but now there's been another slash added to form an X on every one. His eyes widen, his face turns a pale white. He hurries back home to find the burrow that he had passed and sees that it's been smashed to pieces. He continues home with pep in his step to tell his family what he'd heard.

"Dad! Dad! I think someone is out there!" Johnathan screams frightfully. "Ah Johnny, there isn't a person out here for miles." Mr. Fredrickson remarked with a doubtful smirk.

"No, no dad you don't understand, there were footsteps and- and my marks-"

"Ah Johnny my boy, you probably just came about a deer or some other wild animal."

"No dad listen please; someone was marking my marks." Johnathan cries. Mr. Fredrickson shrugs him off and continues reading the newspaper. The wife is making dinner behind him in the small kitchenette. Johnny sits with an indignant stare, eyes pinned on the wood kitchen table. His face turns a bright red and he clinches his fists under the table.

"Mom, you have to believe me there's someone else out there!" Johnathan vehemently screams.

"I'm sorry sweetie but your father is right. There isn't a person out here for miles." The steak in the pan sizzles as Johnathan's mother continues cooking dinner. Johnathan rushes to the bedroom in a fit of rage. He sits on the bed and contemplates about what he's seen.

"There is someone out there I know there is." Johnathan says to himself. He tries to ignore it as he opens a book. His father calls him to dinner, but he ignores him and continues reading. The clatter and conversation of the outside room fades to silence.  A slow knocking echoes throughout the room. He jerks his head to each corner of his room. More knocking breaks the room. One... two... three. Johnathan jumps from his seat and sprints to his door, peeks his head out and sees a dark empty cabin. "Daddy!" He screams out. No response... not a peep. His heart starts pounding from his chest. His legs get weak, and he starts feeling lightheaded. His face turns a ghost white as he turns to his window, he leers into the darkness. He steps slowly towards the window. He puts his nose up against the glass. He attentively studies the dark forest outside. He witnesses the leaves swaying in the distance, he faces his pale reflection in the window. There's nothing, nothing near the window, nothing in the distance, nothing at all. He stands stunned; he can't bring himself to move. The silence rings in his ears. His legs turn to dust, his body slams to the ground, he lies tremulous. He decides to sleep on the couch in the living room for the night. His torso turns to stone as he struggles to get up, he tip-toes shakily to the sofa. He wraps himself in a blanket, hoping to forget what's happened and fall asleep.

He awakes to shaking, eyes bulging from his face. His eyes catch his father's adoring gaze. His chest becomes warm, he's elated seeing a familiar face. "You good, son?" The father asks with a bright smile. "Yea, just had trouble sleeping last night." For now, Johnathan decides to ignore what's happened. He plans to spend the whole day inside with his family rather than explore. He sits on the sofa with a good book and kicks his feet up ready to relax, when his dad meets him with a full alfresco uniform. "C'mon son, I'm ready to explore these woods with you, I'll show you that there's nothing to be afraid of." Mr. Fredrickson states with a healthful grin. "Uh, I uh... I don't know dad." "C'mon son there's nothing to fear!" Mr. Fredrickson expresses an indisputable security with his words. Johnathan's face lights up. "Yea, okay dad sure. Let's go." Him and his father walk out the back and go straight into the undiscovered forest. Mr. Fredrickson watches as Johnathan puts a deep cut into a tree with his pocket knife.

"Oh, are these the marks you were talking about?" He asks Johnathan.

"Yea, dad. I came back to see another marking to make mine in the form of an X." Johnathan states.

"Ah, I see. I'm sure it was nothing. You see, I picked this spot because I know how much you love to explore. There's no home or business within 100 miles of this place." Mr. Fredrickson explains.

"Yes, but dad-" "Hush up son. You here that." He puts his hand aside his ear. "You hear those slight footsteps?" Johnathan listens in on the leaves crunching in the distance. "Yea, I hear em'." "Shh, Johnathan. Come with me." His father grabs his hand and leads him between the trees. "Look at that." He whispers and points to a deer walking in the distance. The two stopped to observe the beautiful animal. It pranced around magnificently, looking around with innocent wonder. All of a sudden, a blood-curdling scream rang from the other direction. The deer hops away as fast as possible. The two spin their heads with no hesitation. No words were spoken as they take off back to the cabin side by side. The father runs in the back with the door wide open. He runs in to see blood smeared all over the living room floor. He instantly placed Johnathan's face into his hands as he starts crying. "Dad, wha- what happened? Where's mom?" "Look Johnny." Johnathan stares deep into his father's heavy eyes. "Go to your room and don't come out until I say so ok?" Johnathan doesn't make a peep as he deeply inspects his father's fearful eyes. "You hear me? Go to your room." He throws his arm with a decisive finger. "O-Okay dad." Johnathan runs to his room. He does everything he could to block the door with anything and everything in his room. He sat on the bed vehemently trembling. He hears his father outside screaming his mother's name. He waits, and waits, and waits. He waits for a long time, until silence absorbs the room. He looks out his window to see nothing but darkness. Empty forest he stares into waiting, for something to move, something to happen. He soon gets fed up with waiting and decides to leave the house and search for his father. He leaves in the direction of the path that he marked. He goes deep into the forest screaming his dad's name. Cicadas echoed in his ears all around him. He lets out a scream. "Dad!" Then he hears footsteps closing in on him. "Dad?" He cries cautiously. The footsteps soon sound closer, and closer. Soon heavy breathing fills his ears. He starts convulsing with nervousness. His legs become flimsy, like paper flapping in the wind. The leaves shiver near him as he lets out one last horrifying cry. "Daddy!" A hand grips his left ankle. He gets thrown to the floor. He immediately starts screaming for help. He gets towed away, chest dragging on the leaves. He tries everything he can to lose the tight grip on his ankle. He kicks and kicks as hard as he can, but it doesn't make a difference. He throws his arms to-and-fro trying to grab anything he can, dragging his hands in the ground. Fingers fully engulfed in the dirt. He soon stops, immediately he tries wiggling away. Pulling himself with the ground, he tries desperately to get away. He turns around to a giant mean face with a bat coming down on him.

Silent is the night as the killer roams free. The forest is dark, empty. The woods surrounding stay a deep, thick gray. The cabin sits, baren, alone. It waits for the next family. The morning comes and the birds chirp and the deer prance. The water still, as turtles come up for air. Birds flock over the forest. They fly circles around the sky above the tall trees. Wild is the forest as the family lie cold. The summer comes to an end as the forest stays silent. The trees may live on, for the next family to come. And the next family to come, lie victim to the woods, just as the last, and the ones before.