ONE NIGHT IN THE CABIN HOUSE (Completed...)

1

The radio was playing a modern beat as the five friends journeyed deeper into the woods in the late evening. Claire had suggested that they explore the new city they'd come into two days ago. The city read by the Journals was filled with mysteries and that was why they decided they would tour the area for maybe a week. The City of Reshforf was an underdeveloped state, lacking a lot of things that the current cities has. It still had houses built with woods and mould and the roads were rocky. The only inn in the city was built with bricks and that was were they'd lodged in.
Claire kept on speeding as they shared a bottle of whiskey. The friends roared in laughter by a joke passed by Lee and Justine was lighting a cigarette.
"What an old city." Gracia heaved while stretching.
"The whole place is looking interesting." Justine whiffed the smoke.
"It's fun to be here." Bateman borrowed the cigarette from her and was sucking in.
"I would say adventurous." Lee grins.
They'd gone a great deal of miles when the vehicle stopped abruptly. They sensed it struck on something.
"What's going on, Claire?" Gracia said.
"I don't know." Claire was getting off the car with her phone torch light. "oops, we've got a flat tyre here." She called to their attention and they were leaving the car.
"Flat tyre?" Gracia couldn't believe it.
"The two front tyres is punctured. Must've hit on a sharp object."  Bateman bent low and was observing. His eyes were searching the dirty ground to find the object.
"Why, how's that even possible?" Gracia was surprised.
"What're we going to do now." Justine steps on the cigarette. The strong breeze was lifting her hair. "We are at the middle of no where." Her gaze went about the high trees.
"Come on, we shouldn't panic. This is part of the adventure." Lee did a threw a fist at the air.
They heard the rumbling of thunder. "I think it's going to rain soon, we should find a place to stay for the night." Bateman kicked a stone.
"We're in between trees, Bate. How on earth are we going to find a house here?" Gracia said.
"We should look further, maybe we shall find a place." He said.
"Guys, there's no signal here." Claire who had gone to a certain distance in search of help walked up to them. She was dialing once again on the cell phone. "Failed to connect." She gave up. "Can I use of your phone, Gracia." She told the scarlet haired girl.
"I didn't bring my phone with me." Gracia said.
"What about--" Claire was looking at Lee who cut her short before she completed her statement. 'I left mine in my room.'
"I forgot mine." Justine said quickly before Gracia would ask. "I didn't leave it on purpose." She added quickly.
"Me too." Bate said.
"Why on earth would you guys leave your phones?" Claire was surprised as she queried.
"Who would've known that this was going to happen." Lee said.
"So," Claire heaved a loud sigh. "what next?" She says and glanced at each of them.
"I think we should go with Bateman's idea. Let's search for somewhere to spend the night." Lee took a quick look at all of them. "Then tomorrow we would seek for help."
"That's the only option." Justine was agreeing.
"We must move before it begins to rain on us." He looked at the sky which had started turning dark and was taking the lead. Claire drank the remaining bottle of whiskey and took the lighter on the seat before she locks the car. She went over to the trunk and collected the three torches. Claire was thankful that they were there. She remembered Bate had bought it on the day the car had stopped moving in the middle of the night. Claire, Bate and Gracia had trekked a long distance in search of a nearby repair shop. The flashlights had remained in the truck since the day she kept them there two years in the past.
"Let's be careful." Claire was handing a torch to Bate and Gracia.
"I didn't expect this would happen." Gracia held her body together.
"Hello, from the other side!" Lee snaps, breaking off a little wood.
"Don't raise your voice, Lee." Gracia scolded. "It's so late. What if something dangerous is nearby."
"Stop being scared will you." Lee said with a chuckle.
Bateman kept on walking, leading them, with Claire and Justine by his side and Gracia and Lee following behind.
"If Dora gets to know about this, she would fall even harder for me." Lee didn't stop talking.
Claire rolled her eyes and said. "Will you stop imagining, it's making me sick."
"I'll bet she would go on a date with me when I get back in town." He snubbed her.
"That must be a dream?" Gracia said.
Claire chortles and said. "Dora is counted among the top professional attorneys and I doubt she would ever want to go out with a clerk." She stressed the word clerk.
"And why not?"
"Boy, because you are incapable of meeting up with her standards. Besides that, she's older than you with five years?"
"Four years and three months."
"I see you've done your research." Gracia eyed him.
"She's popular." Lee rolled his eyes.
"I advice you to jump out of that dream because it's never going to happen." Claire said.
"And who says so. My aunt occupies a house that's close to hers. I've talked to her on more than four occasions and I'm pretty sure she finds me attractive."
"You've mentioned that to us for like five times?" Gracia says.
"Three."
"Lee, of all the men Dora had dated, you're no match. Plus, she prefers much older men. Dillford, 45. The owner of Killian's shares, a top joint business company. Xill, 60. A wealthy gold merchant. Zyrtec Milano, 72. A rich chef and founder of Zyno pastries. You're only 25, Lee. A hotel desk clerk. Come on." Claire waves a little.
"Little Lee, I suggest you should find your match. Your blond lass neighbor would do." Justine who'd been quiet and listening to the conversation grins a little.
"She's not my choice." He said immediately.
"And you're neither Dora's choice." Gracia sang.
The rain has started dropping lightly on them and as the nights drew more darker, they continued into the woods. They heard something strange like a loud cry at a distance and stopped moving.
"Did you hear that?" Justine said in low whisper.
"Yeah, heard the voice of a lady in pain." Gracia's heart was pounding.
"Thought I was the only one that did so." Claire was directing the torchlight at the pitch blackness ahead of them.
"Bate, we should've stayed back in the car. We've come a long way and I doubt we can find our way back." Gracia was complaining.
"I think she's right, Bate." Justine said.
"Look, quit the blames and let's find a way out of this." Claire said.
"Where's Lee?" Bateman spoke up. That was when they realized that Lee wasn't amongst them.
"Lee!" Claire let out. Their gazes were searching. They were turning back to the direction they'd come through.
"Lee!" Bateman snapped.
"Can we keep our voices low. What if we are attacked?" Gracia was getting tensed up.
"Stop overthinking, Gracia." Claire threw the words at her.
"This was supposed to be fun." Justine utters with a worried look.
There were sounds of trees moving, and woods hitting together, coming from a side of the forest and they felt uneasy.
"We're not safe." Gracia shook her bead. "We should go back to the car."
"What about Lee? We must find him." Claire was saying.
"I am not sure we would be able to locate the way to the car." Justine doubted.
"Lee!" Bateman called yet again. They heard the sigh of the wind in the woods and the sound of trees coming closer to them.
"Shh." Bateman told them to be quiet.
"Oh my goodness." Justine was afraid. Bateman was picking up a big stick and was set in defense.
"I don't want to die, lord. I don't want to die." Gracia has started crying.
"It's close." Claire whispered. Her eyes pointing at the direction of the sound.
"Might be a wolf." Gracia assumed lowly.
"Be quiet." Claire hushed.
After some seconds waiting, they heard the steps retracing, and then there was no sound.
"What could that have been?" Justine utters.
"I don't know but I think we should be alert. It must have known that we were aware of it's presence and that was why it backed off." Bateman didn't let go of the stick.
"Bate, we can't leave without Lee. We must find him." Claire's eyes were weak as she stared at Bateman's face. It was dark and she probably didn't see him properly.
"Claire, we would find him." He assured as he placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Oh god, this is becoming scary. I'm thinking of smoking a little."
"Are you for real? Our lives are in danger and what you're thinking of is to smoke?" Gracia looked at Justine's way.
"We can't find Lee if we keep on arguing." Claire glanced at both Gracia and Justine. "What I think is that we should continue moving." She said to Justine.
Gracia was pointing the torchlight at a stick and was going for it.
"What're doing?" Justine was looking at her hand.
"What I think I should do. If I would die, it's not without a fight."
Claire looked somewhat impressed and she said. "We should proceed."
Hours passed, and they were walking slowly and quietly together with watchful eyes. Bateman was taking the lead with his torchlight pointing to all directions. Justine was right. They wouldn't be able to find the way to the car. Bate thought. And Lee? Where on earth is he. Did something take him away. Is there ghosts existing in this trees. No, there is no such thing as ghosts. What of the loud feminine cry that was heard. Bateman was becoming afraid.
"Is it my hearing or is my imaginations playing tricks on me?" Gracia paused walking and the others joined also.
"What's wrong?" Claire said immediately.
"I heard something from the back. I have a feeling that we are being followed." Gracia said.
"If it's a joke could you please stop." Justine said, suddenly getting frightened.
"Have I ever said a joke during serious matters?" Gracia said to her.
"Look," Claire sighs deeply. In her voice there was a bit of fear mixed inside. "We've got to find Lee and the car and we can't do that if we aren't moving, so I..."
"I'm serious Claire, something or someone is behind us. I can sense things more than any of you can."
Claire was licking her lower lip.
"We could die of cold if this rainstorm should hit on us." Bateman said. The thunderclap was repeatedly occurring.
Gracia shrugs. "let's go then."
As they saw a small hill, their minds was clear to them that they were at the wrong way. Claire was directing the flashlight to the mound. The thunder had stopped and the forest was quiet, and the rain was drizzling much more than before.
"Which other way." Justine utters voicelessly.
"I don't know. We missed the right path. I'm thinking we should try that direction." Claire pointed to the left.
"It would still be wrong." Justine was giving up. "My legs are hurting already."
"No, no." Claire came to her and touched her face slightly. "We mustn't give up. Lee could be in danger. We shouldn't let anything happen to him." A tear fell from her eyes.
"Bate," Gracia calls to him in whispers. "something is behind us." She was saying again. This time they heard the footsteps. Claire's eyes were widened. Bateman clenched the stick ready to attack. Gracia also.
"Whatever it is, it's next to that oak tree. The shadow." Gracia pointed. They saw the black shadow on the tall trunk. It appeared like it was hiding away from them.
"Take your positions." Bateman spoke in a low tune. Justine went for the stick she'd glanced upon. "At the count of three, we would go over there and find out what that is." He took a brief look at each of them, and Gracia nods.
"One, two, three..." He indicated with his fingers. This time Gracia was taking the lead. The rough heavy wood was about to strike when Gracia snapped. "It's Lee!"
"Lee?" Bateman paused the stick in midair. They were surprised to see Lee grinning stupidly at them. Gracia had seen his blue jacket and had recognized it instantly. Lee wasn't pleased that they'd figured out he was hiding behind the tree.
"Lee, what the hell..." Claire was going over to him. She was a bit shocked.
"My bad, my bad." He threw his hands next to his ears and started laughing.
Justine took a long sigh of relief. "What the hell has come over you? We were worried sick." Claire said.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He was unable to control the laughter.
"Lee, it's not funny." Bateman let go of the stick.
"Look, I'm sorry." The laughter was subsiding. "I left you guys to urinate. I was coming up on you all when I was like, Lee, make them panic a little." He told them. "I wasn't going to allow you guys get me this way. I had a plan. You all are freaking childish. What's with the fear?" He asked. "Well, guess I scared y'all after all." He grins hard. "Yeah, I was following you guys. I would say gracia has a perfect sense for noticing something. I almost choked with laughter when overhearing your discussions. You should consider working at the military--" He was looking at Gracia who interrupted him. "Just shut up. I promise you I would play this back at you." Gracia wasn't having it.
"Don't do that again, ever." Claire threw him a playful punch. "I was scared something bad had happened to you. We were all scared."
"Nothing bad could happen to me."
"Thank goodness you're safe." Bateman hugs him.
"Oh come on, I'm sure nothing can possibly go wrong here. This is just a land covered with trees and not an evil forest of your imagination." He smiled and his gaze fell on Justine who said, "go fuck yourself." She was rolling her eyes.
"I've got good news." Lee grimaced a little.
"It should better be worth saying" Justine says.
"Oh yes it is." He nods. "I found a place we would stay until dawn." He broke the news, and became excited. "Yeah." He replied to the 'Are you for real' look they held on their faces.
"Don't play tricks on us again, Lee." Claire said.
"I am serious. You see, it was when I went to excrete that I saw the house on the hill. It's a wood house."
"Why Lee, you could've told us earlier." Claire was starting to smile.
"I wanted to frighten you guys for some while before--."
"And you did." Gracia puts in.
"I can show you." Lee offered, ignoring Gracia.
"We mustn't waste any more time. I'm in need of a good deal of rest." Claire yawned. Her eyes were heavy.
"Man, forgive me. I can tell you're still upset." Lee came at Bateman's shoulders.
"I forgive you but don't forget there's a payback time." Bateman reminded, and patted Lee's right shoulder.
They walked some miles before getting to a steep ground. Lee pointed the torchlight to the house. "There it is." He said. It was an old cabin house on a hill that looked abandoned.
"How is it possible that you mastered the route?" Gracia looked at Lee and the cabin house.
"I don't forget things so easily. I got an A from highschool until college. I'm sure I've told this to you before." He reminded.
"We should go in, I'm cold." Claire was rubbing her hands together. The icy breeze was hitting on her cheeks down to her feet.
"Told you there would be a house." Bateman sounded happy. "We should go in." He turned to Lee.
The friends were heading to the cabin and noticed Justine wasn't following them.
"What's going on, Justine?" Lee said when he looks back and saw Justine standing at a spot.
"Come on." Bateman calls out.
"I don't think we should go in." She spoke in fear.
"Why?" Gracia says on their behalf. They were curious to know why she had uttered that.
Justine was pointing the torchlight at a direction in the trees. "I saw a lady. She looked like she was pregnant." Justine was still trying to understand what she'd seen. "She walked into the trees and disappeared. Her feet wasn't touching the ground."
"What?" They snapped as they turned their heads.