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

3

The noise on the door stopped and left the five friends filled with terror. They were all on their feet. Lee was with a steel he'd found nearby. "What was that? What's going on." Claire asked. She was panicking.
"It's the shadow." Gracia's eyes were in tears.
"How can a shadow hit on a door?" Lee wouldn't believe. "Should be a person." He said, a tinge of worry was heard in his voice.
"Someone harmful?" Justine looks at Lee who didn't return the gaze.
"It's not a person." Gracia mutters. "I know it's not."
"We must do something." Bate was saying. "it's unwise to remain here when our lives are in danger."
"What are you implying?" Claire brought her eyes to Bateman's.
"We leave." Bate was thankful that the rain had subsided. He wouldn't have to worry about that.
"What? Come on man, it is risky. Didn't you hear the sound on the door? Whoever did that must be laying wait outside." Lee couldn't believe Bateman had uttered that.
"Bate, we can't go out of that door. We would all die." Justine was disagreeing.
"Do you intend we remain here until when it comes in? If it breaks through that door we are all going to see death. I'm suggesting we escape it."
"How do you plan on doing that?" Claire said.
"Count me out." Lee shook his head.
"Why?" Claire said, and was going to Lee.
"I don't understand." Lee was confused as to why she asked him that.
"Why are you backing out now." She poked her fingers at his chest. Claire was tired of what was happening. "You're the one that found this place after all, so why not dance to the tunes."
Lee threw her a long wordless look before saying. "it's now my fault?" He snickered with disbelief. "We needed somewhere to stay for the night and luckily I found this place, are you implying that i should've kept quiet about it? And how am I supposed to know that it would turn out this way? You tell me, how?"
"I thought you'd said this whole shit was adventure, so why're you so scared now. You tell me, why?" It was as though she was in need of casting her anger on someone.
"Why're you tryna' blame me?" He nearly shouted.
"Claire, stop it." Justine scolded. "Instead of trying to cause a fight we should join our heads together and look for a way to get out of this situation." She said to her.
"I don't want to come for you." Claire rebuked Justine.
"I don't get."
"I know you never liked me for a second that times I questioned myself why you didn't. Tell me, is it because I'm more successful than you are? Is it? Because I own a property on Kenton TN estate?"
Justine couldn't believe what she learned from Claire. She hesitated for awhile and said. "Wait- wait - all this while you thought I hated you-? Oh my goodness, I don't believe this." She was surprised and in disbelief.
Bate heaved a sigh. He had become fed up with the whole drama. "Can you two please stop tal-"
"No, let me, allow me talk." She stops Bateman halfway. "Claire, I loved you more like a sister and I always will do. I could never hate you, no matter what. So I advice you to take that mindset of me disliking you off from your head. Besides, I don't remember you being successful. You're only the secretary to an incapacitated wealthy man that gives you everything because you're his lover." The news really struck Claire hard. Claire's face reaction proved so. "Hmn? You thought I would never know. As they say, nothing is hidden under the sun for too long." She'd stressed the word 'too.'
"I- I can't believe this." Claire was wondering how she knew.
"What's there not to believe." Justine eyed her. For some reason she regretted saying it.
"Can you two please stop!" Gracia was sick of them arguing. One second, she was scared that she'd shouted. "Our lives might be in danger and you are arguing?" She said to the two of them.  "How's that going to solve the problem we're into? Incase you forgot, we're in a tight situation." She reminded them. "This might be a situation between life and death. We are inside this godforsaken house that is long over 300 and something years old. We have got to figure our way out of the forest." Gracia stated. "We are haunted by a ghost. By Marylou Bellamy. The pregnant lady Justine had seen." She indicated.
"How, how do you know that?" Lee couldn't believe that. He stared at her with fear written boldly on his brows.
"My thoughts can never be wrong. It's the truth Lee." She gazed at him. "No matter how hard you try not to believe, it still remains the truth. That shadow could do anything to harm us. We trespassed. And as it stands now, it's listening to us." Gracia's eyes were at the dark shadow on the window.
"But why does she want to harm us. It wasn't our intention to trespass. We were in need of shelter. The rain was going to fall on us." Juliette was troubled.
"Ghosts do not think like humans." Gracia said.
Claire was pacing and the tears she was trying to avoid came running down, cleaning away the mascara on her eye lashes. They didn't know if it was because of what Justine had said or the threat ahead. She walks over to the bed and sat on the edge. "I wish this is only a dream. I don't want to die."
Bateman crouched down and looked like he was in deep thought. He planned on how they were going to escape what was outside.
"I've come up with something." Their gazes fell on him. He carried on, "Somebody would open the door and run to the spot we saw Lee. Of course everyone knows the direction to the place." He wasn't lying. "One after  another until there is no one left."
"Who's volunteering to be the scapegoat." Claire says almost immediately.
"I'll go first." Lee said. "I guess I should dance to my tunes." He avoided Claire's glance.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, Lee." Gracia walked up to him and was holding him. He smelt of rose water. "Can't we change plans." She looks at Bateman. "Maybe go over there together. Two heads are better than one."
"No, we're going to draw attention if we leave together and it is risky." Bate tells her.
"When do you intend I start." Lee braced up. He was sullen faced. It wasn't his intention to go outside the dark alone. He knew it wasn't. He just had to do it.
"Now." Bateman tapped his shoulder. "We're all going to be fine." Bate was in doubt, but showed Lee an encouraging smile.
"Lee." Justine came to him with a tight hug. She didn't want to let go of him.
"Say a prayer for me." He threw his gaze at Gracia, Justine and then Bateman and finally allowed his eyes to meet Claire who looked like she wasn't concerned. "Bye, Claire." He forced the words out of his mouth. When Lee didn't receive a response, he took the worn out cloak he'd used from the floor. "I would need this." He threw it over his body and was going to the door.
"Lee." Gracia called. "Promise us you wouldn't let anything bad happen to you." She held his hand and was squeezing him again in her embrace. "yes, our lives are all in danger, but you're the first out there. Don't get injured because If you do even for a bit, I would be so mad and I would never talk to you again." Gracia said.
Lee threw a weak smile. "I was alone when I found this place and I didn't get hurt, remember?" He blinked away the tears forming in his vision. "I almost made you guys jump off your skin because of fear." He teased. "I swear that I would not get hurt." Lee assured. "you all have to promise me same too." They were nodding.
"We would go home together." Gracia prayed with a little grin. Hot tears were clouding her eyes. "oh, how I wish this wasn't happening."
Lee struggles for a bit with the wood door. He looked back at each of them with his innocent eyes. "we would do this." he said, and waved them bye before stepping into the cold night wind. Bateman quickly bolted the door. "It's going to be okay." Bate said. He was sad.
There was some minutes of silence in the room.
"Who's wants to go next." Bate spoke up, and they looked at each other.
"I don't want to go out there." Gracia shook her head. "It's very dark outside." she complained.
"Neither do we, but we've got to." Justine said to her.
"Why is this happening to us, why?" Gracia's tune showed sorrow.
"Shh, we're going to escape this, okay." Justine said weakly.
"Just a minute." Bate stops them. He acted like he'd heard something, which he did. He was going closer to the door. There was some noise like something tapping on a board.
"What's that?" Julliete who heard it says in a low whisper. Her heart skipped for a moment. They were listening to the sound which became intense.
"Oh my lord please guide Lee." Gracia appeals with a quiver.
"Lee is safe, right?" Claire who sat in a moody silence casted her eyes to Bateman. She was feeling guilty.
"I pray he is." He did a glum, hopeless shrug. The noise outside had withdrawn.
They were silent for some short time and Bateman interrupted the calmness. "someone has got to start moving."
Gracia shook her head. "Bate, you did hear the noise outside."
"I did."
"Then why do you insist on sending someone else out there. Whatever made that noise might be laying in wait for the next person." Justine stated.
"Don't speak like something bad has happened to Lee." Gracia shot quickly.
"What if it comes inside and kills all of us. We need to locate the car before dawn and we wouldn't do that if we remain here." Bate said.
"You said 'if it comes inside.' You ain't sure it's going to break through." Justine uttered.
"Lee is out there alone, obviously waiting for us." Bate stared at her. "Look, someone needs to run over there and then the next person following behind. That's what we'd planned." He puts it into their minds. "I could be the next person." Bate decided.
"Are you sure you want to do this." Gracia asked.
"Come on, Lee did, why wouldn't I?" Bate knew he was scared of going alone into the dark woods, but knew he had to, at least he should try.
"I suggest we go out there together."
"I have said this before Gracia, we are going to be drawing attention. Too many footsteps and panting would not be good." Bateman said.
"Then let us draw the attention. All for one, one for all. We should fight whatsoever together. A kingdom is mighter with the people. If there isn't any people there would neither be a kingdom nor a king." Gracia stated.
"I'm sorry Gracia, we still wouldn't be going outside together." He shook his head. "It's for our safety." The black boy added.
"Don't you think what she says makes sense?" Justine interjected.
"Of course it did, but not to the case here. I've thought about this, Justine. Someone would surely die if we're-" Bate was startled by a loud yelp from a distance.
"Lee? That's Lee's voice." Gracia recognized and was going to the moth-eaten door. She puts her ears to it. "Bate, it's Lee. Lee is in danger. We must help him."
"There's nothing we can do. At least not now." Bate said with uneasiness.
"What do you mean. We should help Lee. Lee mustn't die." Gracia eyes were moist with tears.
"We don't even know the exact location he's at."
"Yes we do. It's the route leading to the hill, close to the tree Lee had hidden." Julliete put it into his mind.
"Sure I know the path, but you can't risk yourselves. There is danger at this moment." He said.
"No." Gracia squats in despair. The fire from the stove was burning out and within seconds, the room went black. Justine was looking for the torch in the darkness. After a short time, the voice cried again with acute pain.
"Lee!" Claire snapped.