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

6

Tears filled Claire's eyes as the pale face with blood kept ringing in her memory. She felt some kind of nausea hit her. That would be the first time she'd ever seen a ghost. Her whole body shook with fright. She gazed at Justine who without count didn't stop glancing back at Bateman's injury. Justine's face was red with sorrow. Gracia was restless pacing about a corner. After Claire had said what she saw, the girls became more scared.
“This place is evil. I can't stay here anymore.“ Claire sniveled.
“Where do you want to go?“ Justine looks at her. “It wasn't an hour Bateman left and look what's left of him.“ Her feelings were hurting with more and more sorrow. “If you leave you could die.“ She warned.
“If we stay here, we could die as well. That demon behind the death of Bate will not stop until it kills us too. Don't you see.“ Claire says with the most tearful manner. “I—i saw the the face, it was scary. Bateman's blood was smeared to it.“ Claire was telling them again.
“Stop please.“ Justine pleaded. The words gave her more thumping in the heart.
“Did you mean it ate Bateman's face.“ Gracia who'd stopped pacing asked. She found it hard to believe that it would ever do that.
  “Hell no, there's no way it could do that.“ Justine sounded disgusted.
“There's no way it did, if it had, then what about the blood on the knife?“ Gracia continued. “Who could've used the knife?“
“This whole thing is driving me crazy.“ Claire held her head. “I don't understand any of this. Why did we come here. We shouldn't have.“
“Was it a female?“ Gracia looked at Claire.
“What do you mean?“ Claire looks at her.
“The ghost you'd seen on mirror, was it feminine.“ Gracia asked again.
“How do you expect me to know that. All I can remember is the awful face with neither eyes nor mouth peering deadly at me.“
“I would've screamed.“ Justine says.
“We are going to die.“ Claire looked around. She'd lost faith.
“Wait.“ Justine told them lowly. “I think I heard something or was it me thinking.“ Justine thought she heard a knock on the front door.
“What did you hear?“ Gracia said.
“I'm pretty much sure I heard a sound from the door.“ Justine spoke in hushed tone. The girls were attentive.
For some while, they didn't hear anything, and then it came again. This time, very loud.
“What is that?“ Claire said quietly with her heart beating rapidly. The knocking grew much louder and persisted.
“Help! Help me please…” The cry of a woman came from outside.
“Who could that be?“ Justine stood still, her heart throbbing wildly.
  “Lord have mercy.“ Gracia was too shocked and scared to move. The noise didn't stop.
“Maybe it's someone like us who's in trouble.“ Claire was leaving the small room.
“No Claire, don't open it.“ Gracia's voice warned. “I think it's a trap.“
“A trap? No, I think it's someone in trouble. You aren't so sure that—“ Claire turned to look at Gracia.
  “Don't open that door.“ Gracia puts in. The voice kept on, this time it possessed an extreme pain. “Help me!“ The knock on the door was too loud. “Don't let me die… I'm in pain. I don't want to die… please help me!“ The feminine voice cried aloud.
“She needs our help can't you hear her?“ Claire queried.
“Who on the world is that?“ Justine wondered as her eyes hanged on the tiny door.
“Like I said, it's someone like us that wants help. Something dangerous is outside trying to harm her. Don't let your imaginations get a better hold of you. It's not a trap or whatever you reckon it to be “ Claire uttered.
“Claire, don't you think Gracia is right? Her tune just feels unnatural.“ Justine says.
“You know what I think, what I think is that we should help whoever that is outside.“ Claire said again and was going to the door. The cry made her imagine the kind of danger Lee might have faced when he'd squealed.
“There's definitely something dangerous going out there.“ Justine said. “What if it follows her inside, our lives would be in danger.“ Justine tried to stop Claire who was holding the doorknob. Claire didn't respond. Gracia moved back to avoid whatever she was expecting, and when Justine saw her do so, she followed suit.
Claire looked out expecting to see someone but didn't. How come there was no one. She wonders and was going further out. Her mind tried to  warn her that there was something wrong somewhere, but she didn't want to believe that. Perhaps she'd left when she thought that no one was coming to let her in. Claire allowed her thoughts tell her. The icy night wind was washing on her face and hair and Claire dropped her hands to her waist. “Hello!“ She called in the dark, and waited to hear something, maybe a reply. But there was nothing. Claire was confused. It wasn't up to a minute that she'd heard the knock and cries, and now she can't find who was responsible for them. Just then, Claire perceived that what Gracia had said must be true. It should be a trap. She turned around and was hurrying back to the wood house when a strong force grabbed her hand and began pulling her roughly. Claire was surprised and terrified. She couldn't see what was holding her hand so tightly.  It was forcing her down the wet mucky hill. “What in God's name. Let me go.“ She was struggling with what she wasn't seeing. Claire puts her right hand forward to touch whatever was pulling her with force, and felt nobody. That moment, Bate's butchered face flashed in her memory and suddenly it came to her, she was going to see death soon. Claire voice increased as it got serious. “Gracia! Justine! I need your help!“ The night was growing darker and the cries of the night birds rang the air. Claire started crying.
Gracia and Justine was stupefied when they heard Claire's cry. They hesitated before going to the door. Justine pointed the flashlight over the darkness. They weren't able to see her.
“I told her that it was a trap. We're risking ourselves if we go out.“ Gracia was worried.
“So what're you saying, that we should leave her to the fate of death. We might at least try and help.“ Justine said. "Claire shouldn't die too. I would die of heartbreak.“ Justine added.
“Leave me alone!“ They heard Claire's distant voice in the wintry evenfall.
Gracia took a breath. "We should go." She walked with unsteady steps. Gracia knew that there was a possibility that she wasn't going to be alive if she meets whatever was holding Claire. Claire's screech made her fear. Possibly this would be her last time on earth. Gracia reasoned and uttered a short prayer of forgiveness to the lord.
Justine and Gracia were miles away from the cabin when they saw Claire some meters away struggling with the air and they noticed something was dragging her further. “Who's she fighting with?“ Justine was astonished.
  “She's in trouble.“ Gracia was alarmed and was racing to meet up with Claire.
Gracia and Justine were panting heavily, closely behind Claire. The strange thing that they weren't seeing continued pulling her. “Help me.“ Claire said and was a bit relaxed when her eyes noticed the two of them. They were confused on what to do. Gracia hurried to Claire and caught her left hand and was drawing it towards her. Justine's eyes were probing the moist muddy land. Her gaze fell on a fairly large length of wood and she ran for it.
“Leave her alone.“ Justine was saying at the top of her voice. She was beating the air with the wet wood. For some instance, she thought she'd gone crazy. “Let her go!“ it didn't stop.
  Gracia continued pulling Claire's hand. She knew that she was no match to it since it was able to drag the both of them.
  “It's hurting my hand.“ Claire cried.
“Go away.“ Justine was in pursuit. She kept on hitting the invisible creature. She couldn't tell how she got the courage to do so. All that was in her mind was to save a friend. Some minutes later on, the thing pulling Claire came to a stop making Justine and Claire to fall heavily on the soaked soil. There was a moment of quietness. Claire looked up at the dark clouds and saw only a single star blinking. She made a wish not to die.
“Are you alright?“ Justine was concerned as she came to them. She was thankful that the invisible thing had quit.
“I'm not sure.“ Claire was standing with the help of Justine. “My wrist is burning.“ Claire said and touched her right wrist. 
“What was that?“ Justine wondered.
“Something evil. We need to get into the house before it comes back again.“ Gracia was wiping off the wet sand on her arms.
“Gosh, thought I was going to die.“ Claire shivered. The soil had mugged her breeches.
“Let's pray we don't die later.“ Gracia said and was scurrying up the sloppy mound. The force had taken them to a long distance.
Justine bolted the door. She was casting the torchlight at every corner of the room. She feared that something might have come in when they were away.
“There's no one.“ Gracia read Justine's mind and sat on the hard floor.
“I need to be sure, you know.“ She brought the flashlight down.
“I'm sorry that I put you both into that trouble. I really thought it was someone in need.“ Claire voiced immediately. She was convinced that Gracia was upset with her.
“I tried to warn you. What if something bad had happened to us, to you. You should be grateful that you're still breathing.“ Gracia said.
“I'm sorry. I thought if I helped her maybe I would be helping Lee.“
“Helping Lee? How on earth would you be helping Lee when he's dead.“ Gracia was confused.
“I'm sorry.“ Claire said again.
Gracia sighed deeply. “How's your arm.“ she asked.
“Still in pain.“ Claire utters.
“I wonder what that was.“ Justine says.
“Forces of evil.“ Gracia said.
“It should be.“ Justine rubbed her nose.
“It was so powerful.“ Claire recalled.
“Where was it taking you to.“ Justine wondered. She couldn't get over the incident, it was as though she was yet undergoing it.
“I don't know. Maybe to death.“ Claire mutters with a shrug.
“I'm skeptical that we would ever find our way out of here.“ Justine said. “If we do, or any of us makes it out of this place alive, please never forget about ourselves, or Lee and Bate.“
“Don't, say that.“ Claire's eyes were getting moist.
“The three of us would leave here in the morning and find the car. We would drive to our inn and phone the police.“ Gracia told her and hoped it would come true.
“Then we would look for Lee and bury him and Bate with flowers.“ Claire said in heartfelt tears.
“Claire, you have your phone with you, right.“ Justine suddenly remembered. She hadn't thought about it until that moment.
“No, i lost it. I found out I did when I searched my pocket for the lighter you'd used to lighten the stove. Must have dropped it when looking for Lee earlier. It still had a few battery on it. Would've served as a great help for us right now.“ Claire mentioned.
The three of them sat quiet, widely awake and was listening to the crickets chirping in the dusk. A lot was going through their minds. 'When will they get to leave the old shabby house.' Was one of their thoughts.
“My mum would be so worried. I haven't spoken to her for the whole day.“ Claire spoke up.
“I wonder what Mrs skyers would do when she finds out about her son's death.“ Justine was referring to Bate.
“For sure she would be very devastated.“ Gracia bit her lower lip.
“We thought that we were going to have the best fun of our lives by coming to the mysterious city, little did we know we were coming to meet our end. I feel I wouldn't survive this.“ Justine said. Gracia was going to say something, maybe some words of encouragement when Justine utters. “We should expect the best and the worst too, so we wouldn't be left surprised."
Justine stood from the cold floorboard and strolled over to where the pictures were scattered on the floor and picked one. “Like I guessed it would.“ What she said caught Claire's and Gracia's attention.
“What's wrong?“ Claire looked at her. Gracia already knew what was coming.
“Look.“ She showed them.
Gracia saw the once black woman was now white, and the three children were no longer on the photo. Seconds after, a child's voice came audibly from the walls. “Don't hurt mum, she doesn't deserve that!“