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

9

Gracia pressed her eyes once more trying hard not to believe what she saw. The terrifying face did not stop ringing in her mind. Claire and Justine were staring at her with utter confusion. The words she said had scared them for quite some time. Though they saw it as improbable, they found it to somehow be the truth. Gracia didn't know how to tell them what she'd seen. She felt a little dizzy, and her eyes ached madly. Gracia staggered a little backwards and Claire was already at her reach. “Are you okay.“ Claire was asking with concern and a pinch of worry in her voice.
“I guess I am.“ Gracia replied, and they helped her sit on the bed.
“You looked like you'd seen a ghost.“ Justine said and sat beside her.
“I did.“ Gracia said after a minute silent.
“You did?“ Claire looks at her, and she nodded.
“Was it the one I'd seen with no eyes and mouth?“
“She'd only an eye.“ Gracia touched her forehead, and paused for a second before uttering. “And—she was crying.“
“She was crying?“ Justine says in disbelief.
“Not tears but blood.“
“I don't understand.“ Claire was puzzled and at the same time, scared.
“I don't understand too.“ Gracia's hands came to her face. “Her hair was in disarray and she looked at me like she was in pain. I saw her move her lips a little, but I couldn't hear the words. I felt like I was in another planet. That eye, there was something in it that i can't explain.“ She was telling them.
“Do you think that was Marylou or Sarah?“ Justine sighed.
“It's Sarah, and she wanted to tell me something. Something we must know.“ Gracia lifted her eyes and looked at them.
“I really would want to know what that is.“ It was Claire. “But I would advise you not to hurt yourself for something that—”
“How are we going to leave this place?“ Justine cuts through Claire's statement. She was worried that there would be no solution to it, and wished that that wasn't the case.
“I'm afraid it's no sooner.“ Gracia shook her head.
“Why's that?“ Justine looked at her with a troubled frown.
Gracia shrugged and said. “The ghosts wouldn't let us leave freely.“
“The two women you mean.“ Claire said, and she did a little nod.
“That must be the stupidest decision I've ever made in my life.“ Claire remembered purchasing her ticket to reshford. The two girls immediately knew why she said that. She recalled how happy they were about coming in to the city for the holidays. They had gone to the bar to pop some champagne two nights before their flight. Claire remembered how Lee had left the bar drunk, and they'd scolded him when he insisted on driving the car. She could still see the drama in her left eye.
“How would we have known this would happen.“ Justine uttered, and Claire tried to hide the tears already making away from her eyelids. She was in discomfort. She felt dirty. The mud on her heels and at her bottom was the main reason she was. Claire touched her hair. It still remained the ponytail she'd styled it in the morning. Claire usually did a warm bath in the evenings with cologne water and patchouli. She knew that there was no hope for that now.
“You'd said something about Sarah being possessed by Marylou?“ Justine broke the quietness clouding amongst them.
“I found the truth.“
“How're you so certain it's the truth?“
“Sarah.“ Gracia said. “She communicated to me.
“Telepathy?“ Claire says.
“I don't know. I just came to find out. Sarah was tortured. She was tortured in her mind, tortured with her soul. Marylou is responsible.“
  “But how?“ Justine queried.
Gracia was quiet for awhile before uttering with a sigh. “That's what I'm trying to understand. How did Marylou possess her? Where, and why?“
“I guess the only way to find out is in there.“ Claire nods over to the dark inner room and the discoloured face with blood came to her eyes.
“Bate's lifeless body is still laying there.“ Claire spoke a little lower. “Do you think maybe his ghost will begin tormenting us too?“ She added and Justine grimaced at her. “Can you be serious.“ Claire observed the look on Justine's face and said. “Sorry, was just saying.“ 
Gracia was the first to enter the room with the flashlight firmly in her grip, followed by Justine and then Claire. The room was looking as they'd left it. Dusty, dirty and this time it smelt of dead body. Gracia's eyes met the sharp edge with blood once again that had been used on Bate, laying on the floorboard. As they moved on the floor, it made some creaking sound. They saw items in the room that they hadn't noticed before. Items like, pots, broken plates, spoons, wallpaper that hasn't been used. The spider Claire glanced upon scurried quickly out of sight. That must be the biggest spider she'd ever seen. Claire was reasoning. Justine was checking the damaged old shelf. She saw a tray cloth, some scarfpin, yellow hairbrush that looked over-used, a notebook, a fashion magazine that held the year 1683, and a hardcover. She was dusting the notebook and the hardcover. The dust came to her nostril and she sneezed out loud.
“Urrgh.“ Gracia quickly removed her face from Bate's body. She didn't want to look at it. “I can't, I just can't look at him.“ She said sorrowfully. Tears was forcing it's way out of her lids. “He was whole, and well when he left through that mystery door and now he's gone. Killed, just like that.“
“Mystery door you say.“ With courage, Claire walked up to the wall where they'd indicated that the door had been and touched it. “There's no sign. Absolutely no sign that a door was ever here.“
“You think maybe we were hypnotized into thinking that there was a door?“ Justine said after having some thoughts.
“Must be.“ Claire was nodding.
“He said that there was a grave.“ Gracia continued. “and, shut the door quickly.“ She remembered. “He was scared. His voice proved that he was afraid of something. Perhaps that was what left him to that.“ She pointed to Bateman's body and struggled with the tears dropping on her cheeks. “And about being hypnotized, I think that is the answer.“ Gracia sniffled. “There was no such thing as a door. Bate had walked into the world of the dead.“
“World of the dead?“ Claire says.
“I touched that door. I closed it.“ Justine was saying.
“The moment we'd closed that door was the moment we killed him.“ Gracia said, and for the first time since Bate's body laid in the room, Gracia brought her eyes to see the atrocious sight. She fell on her knees in front him, and she allowed the tears fall freely from her eyes. Her heart was in pain. She reminisced on the times with Bate. He was the sweetest person she'd ever came across. She recalled the first day that they'd met. She was with Claire on that Tuesday noon. They'd gone into the restaurant miles away from her workplace for some snack, and was leaving when the rain began showering heavily. The two of them hastened and took shelter under the oak tree close to the parking lot of the eatery to avoid the rain. Some minutes later, a big umbrella appeared from behind on the top of their heads. She could still remember the color of it, blue. The same color of the t-shirt Bate had worn on that day. His smile, his facial expression, and body language sung friendship. Gracia knew that she would've regretted if she'd missed becoming friends with the fellow staring back at her on that rainy day.
“I was having some cheeseburger when I saw you both from across struggling to get away from the rain.“ He laughed. “Left my drink opened. I usually don't do that, but it's okay since I'm doing something that could help so the rain wouldn't ruin your lovely dresses.“ Gracia recollected that she'd worn a red coatdress, but she couldn't really remember Claire's clothes.
“I could've guessed you were eating cheeseburger.“ Gracia had stressed the word, cheese.
“Why do you—”
“Your breath smells of cheeseburger.“ She'd said immediately and gladly accepted the umbrella. The next thing, he offered them a ride in his car.
“I can't allow you trek miles whereas I've got a car.“ Bate had said with a grin. “It's quite comfortable.“ He added, and was pointing at a crimson coated ride at a distance.
“He's gone, no, he's gone. Why does it have to be the good ones.“ Gracia was weeping.
“So sorry, Bate. I wouldn't have closed that door. I should've went out and brought you in. Maybe, just maybe you would still be alive.“ Gracia was regretting.
“Found this there. It's a curtain.“ Claire dragged a drop cloth that was no longer white because of the soiled appearance. “We should wrap him with this.“
“Rest in peace, Bate. Until we meet again.“ Gracia forced the words from her mouth.
“We must leave here immediately.“ Justine said. Her voice sounded like someone in pain.
“We don't know who's next. It might be me, it might be you or you.“ She pointed at the both of them.
“That doesn't mean we should leave in the middle of the dark. Even if ghosts don't eat us, wolves might. It's not safe outside.“ Claire told her.
The tears on Justine's eyes were too much to control. “We should try at least.“
“Justine.“ Gracia came to her. “I understand the pain you're feeling but it's unwise to risk our lives. We mustn't be in a haste, it could be dangerous. What did they say about slow and steady, they win the race.“ Gracia cleaned off the tears on Justine's face. “We should be patient.“ She showed Justine a little encouraging smile. “We will leave here very soon.“
“Even if i don't, any of you that do should not forget about us. About what we passed through on this night. At least not our friendship.“ Justine was trying to swallow her tears.
“Oh, come here.“ Gracia was hugging her so tightly. “No one else is going to die. I will try my best to make sure of that.“ She assured.
“What do you have there.“ Claire's gaze went to Justine's hands. Justine let go of Gracia's embrace and was wiping the tears on her face.
“It's a notebook, and this looks like a diary.“ She replied, and cleaned the top of the hardcover.
“A diary?“ Gracia was reaching out for the hardcover book. It had a leather binding. She opened it and was trying to guess what was written inside. It was in scribbled letters. “The words are so tiny. I don't even know what it says.“ She peered her eyes to it and gave up trying.
“Let me have a look.“ Claire took the book and gazed at the note. “I think we should use the same method that Lee had told us to. That might be the only way to figure the meaning out.“ Claire says after she'd tried to spell out the message. They came together, and Justine did as Claire suggested. She was able to read it out with squinted eyes. “Mum screams at herself most times why? She bites me and Jason and Raphael.“ Justine looks up with surprise and continues.“She said she wasn't my mum.“
“Could it be the possession that made her do all of that?“ Claire said.
“Should be.“ Gracia agreed.
“Poor Jason and Raphael and whoever that wrote this. They must've passed through a lot. I wonder where they are.“ Justine says.
“We should wrap Bate's body before we continue.“ It was Claire.
“I don't want to.“ Gracia shook her head. She still didn't want to believe that he was no more.
“We have to. He's dead. Let's face the reality of it.“ Claire said, and Gracia agreed after a bit persuasion from Claire. Gracia and Claire was handling the lifeless body when Claire spoke up. “I can sense something isn't right around here.“ She felt a strange sensation. A plate fell on the floor and made a chattering noise.
“What was that?“ Claire turned her head to where the sound came from with fear.
“I think it's me.“ Justine said quickly. “Perhaps my arm mistakenly pushed it.“ She wasn't sure her arm did. Justine had been looking allover at the shelf she'd once looked through.
“Oh.“ Claire says, and continued covering Bateman's body, and with the assistance of Gracia, they were able to cover his entire body.
“Till we meet in heaven.“ Claire kissed her hands and touched the curtain used to conceal him.
“Look here.“ Justine was holding a green scarf that she hadn't detected on the shelf. “There's blood stain on it.“ The lines of red blood was clearly visible on the clothe.
“A murder had occurred here many years ago.“ Gracia said. She was touching the muffler. 
“Sarah had a killer?“
“Not Sarah. Marylou Bellamy did, and, she was never buried.“ Gracia's gaze was watching the north side of the room. Closely at the corner of the cupboard, was a discovery that would undoubtedly freak the girls out.