ONE NIGHT IN THE CABIN HOUSE (Completed and NOW Edited!!...)

1

The radio played a modern beat as the five friends journeyed deeper into the darkening woods. The late evening air grew cooler as they ventured farther from the city, the trees thickening around them. Claire had suggested they explore the new town they'd arrived in just two days ago. According to the old journals she'd read, the area was shrouded in mystery, which intrigued the group enough to plan a week-long exploration.

The City of Reshforf was underdeveloped, lacking many modern amenities found in bigger towns. The houses were still built of wood and mold, and the roads were rocky and uneven. The only inn in town, where they'd been staying, was made of brick—the most modern building in sight.

As Claire sped along the winding road, the friends shared a bottle of whiskey, laughter filling the car as they passed it around. Lee had just cracked a joke, and Justine was lighting a cigarette, adding a cloud of smoke to the laughter that swirled inside the car.

"What an old place," Gracia sighed, stretching her arms.

"The whole town looks like it's from another era," Justine agreed, puffing out a thin line of smoke.

"It's kinda fun, though," Bateman said, borrowing the cigarette for a long drag. "Definitely feels adventurous."

"I'd say mysterious," Lee grinned, as they all settled into the thrill of being in such a remote and eerie place.

They had driven for several miles when, suddenly, the car jolted and came to a rough stop.

"What's happening?" Gracia asked, her voice edged with alarm.

"No idea," Claire replied, already climbing out of the car, her phone flashlight in hand. "Oh, crap. We've got a flat."

"Flat tire?" Gracia repeated in disbelief, joining Claire by the side of the car. "Both front tires are punctured! What did we hit?"

"Must've been something sharp in the road," Bateman said, crouching down to inspect the damage. His fingers searched the dirt road, but there was no sign of what could have caused it.

"This is unbelievable. What do we do now?" Justine asked, stomping out her cigarette as a breeze lifted her hair. "We're literally in the middle of nowhere."

"Calm down, guys," Lee said, raising his fist in mock excitement. "This is all part of the adventure!"

Thunder rumbled in the distance, causing them all to glance upward. "Looks like it's going to rain soon," Bateman said, kicking a stone in frustration. "We should find shelter for the night."

"But we're surrounded by trees," Gracia protested, her voice rising with uncertainty. "Where are we supposed to find a house out here?"

"We might find something if we keep walking," Bateman insisted, glancing down the path ahead.

"There's no signal here!" Claire shouted from a short distance away. She had been trying to make a call, but her phone screen flashed "No Service." She dialed again in frustration but received the same message. "Can I try yours, Gracia?" she asked, walking back to the group.

"I didn't bring mine," Gracia said with a shrug.

"Neither did I," Lee said quickly, before Claire could ask.

"We're really stranded, huh?" Claire sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. "So what's the plan? Do we just stand here?"

"I think we should go with Bateman's idea," Lee suggested. "We search for shelter, then tomorrow we can figure out how to get help."

"Agreed," Justine said, glancing up at the darkening sky. "We should move before the storm hits us."

Claire chugged the last bit of whiskey and grabbed a few flashlights from the trunk, handing them to Bateman and Gracia. She was thankful they had packed them—she remembered when the car had broken down two years ago in the middle of the night, and they had used the same flashlights to walk miles to find help.