The cabin of mischief

~Chapter 4~Rules Are Meant to Be Broken

The sun was already dipping below the horizon as the group gathered in the dimly lit living room of the cabin, the ancient wooden beams creaking above them as the wind howled outside. Dusty old furniture filled the space, and a fireplace stood in the corner, unused for what looked like years. The air felt heavy, almost as if it were pressing in on them, and the faint scent of mildew lingered. A chill ran down Isabella's spine as she glanced around at her friends.

Ava and Harper stood by the front door, looking like they couldn't wait to get out of there. They were the ones who'd rented the cabin for the group, supposedly on some "amazing deal." Now, they were here to go over the rules before leaving the others for the night.

"Alright, listen up, assholes," Ava began, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she unrolled a yellowed piece of paper. "There are some rules for the cabin. Some bullshit guidelines we're supposed to follow." She glanced around the group with a smirk, clearly amused by the absurdity of what she was about to say.

Harper took over, brushing a strand of her short, dirty blonde hair out of her face. "First rule," she said, trying to suppress a laugh, "don't go outside after midnight, no matter what. 'Even if you hear voices calling your name or see figures outside, do not engage with them.' Apparently, the forest gets 'dangerous' at night." She made air quotes, emphasizing the ridiculousness of it all.

"That's some Blair Witch type shit," Jeremy snorted, rolling his eyes. "What, are we supposed to believe the trees come to life?"

"Or maybe Bigfoot's out there just waiting for us to fuck up," Chad added, nudging Blake in the ribs. "Better watch out for those hairy ass arms grabbing you, bro."

Blake chuckled, but the laughter was uneasy. There was a palpable shift in the room, a subtle darkening that seemed to thicken the air. Isabella couldn't help but notice how the dim lighting seemed to make the shadows grow longer, stretching toward them as if listening.

"Second rule," Ava continued, glancing at the paper, "don't open any locked doors. If it's locked, it's locked for a reason. Just... you know... leave it alone."

Jeremy let out a loud scoff. "What kind of stupid-ass rule is that? If I see a locked door, I'm opening it. What's the worst that could happen?"

Harper shot him a serious look. "You probably don't want to find out, Jeremy. They say there's a... 'presence' in the cabin."

"Jesus Christ, Harper, you sound like a horror movie cliché," Isabella interjected, half-joking but also unsettled by the way Harper's tone had shifted from playful to unnervingly serious.

"Hey, I'm just saying," Harper shrugged, her expression hardening. "There's been some... weird shit that happened here before."

Isabella felt a flicker of unease, but she forced a laugh. "Weird shit, huh? Like what? Did someone leave the toilet seat up and the ghosts got pissed?"

"Third rule," Ava interrupted, trying to bring the focus back, though her voice held an edge now, "don't go in the basement after dark. If you hear anything coming from down there, just ignore it."

"Great," Chad said with a grin, "sounds like a perfect place for a midnight adventure."

"Fuck that," Isabella muttered under her breath, not entirely sure if she was joking anymore. The basement had always been a creepy part of any cabin, let alone an ancient cabin in the middle of nowhere.

Ava raised an eyebrow at the group, then folded the piece of paper back up. "Look, I know it sounds stupid," she said, her tone softening for a moment. "But the owners made us swear we'd pass this along. Apparently, some people went missing here a long time ago or whatever."

"People went missing?" Isabella asked, her voice suddenly sounding smaller than she intended. "And you're just telling us now?"

Harper shrugged. "Yeah, like, fifty years ago. It's probably just a made-up story to scare kids or something."

"Or scare dumbasses like us," Blake said, his usual cocky demeanor faltering just slightly.

A silence settled over the room as they considered the absurdity of it all. Yet, for some reason, the rules didn't feel as laughable as they should've. There was a weight to the cabin, an invisible but undeniable darkness that seemed to throb against the walls, just waiting to be acknowledged.

"So that's it, then?" Jeremy asked, breaking the silence. "We just sit around like a bunch of pussies and do what we're told?"

Ava rolled her eyes. "Sure, if you want to. Or, you could be smart and not end up as the dumbass in a horror movie who breaks all the rules and dies first."

"Fuck you, Ava," Jeremy retorted, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. "If there's some psycho ghost out here, I'll just kick its ass."

"Sure, tough guy," Harper said sarcastically. "I'd like to see you try."

"Alright, alright," Isabella intervened, sensing the tension building again. "Let's not start freaking out already. It's probably all bullshit anyway."

"Yeah, whatever," Ava said with a dismissive wave. "That's all the rules. Follow 'em or don't, I really don't give a shit. Just remember, if something creepy happens, don't come crying to me."

With that, Ava and Harper turned to leave. As they stepped outside, Ava paused at the door, glancing back at the group. "Seriously, though... be careful," she said, her tone losing its usual sarcasm. "There's something off about this place."

Before anyone could respond, the door clicked shut behind them, and Ava and Harper's footsteps faded down the gravel path leading to the cars. The group was left standing in the living room, the silence pressing in like a suffocating blanket.

"Well, fuck," Blake said, finally breaking the silence. "Guess we're on our own now."

Isabella's eyes darted toward the old grandfather clock ticking in the corner. It was only 6 PM, but the darkness outside made it feel much later. The shadows in the cabin seemed to thicken as if they were listening in on the conversation. She couldn't shake the feeling that those ridiculous rules weren't so ridiculous after all. The atmosphere felt different—heavier, darker, and more alive.

"Let's just forget about it and have some fun," Jeremy said, trying to sound nonchalant. "The girls are gone, and we've got the place to ourselves."

Chad grinned. "Now you're talking, man. How about we crack open some beers and play some music?"

Isabella wanted to agree, to brush it all off as silly stories and old wives' tales. But as she glanced over at the basement door, which stood at the far end of the hallway, she swore she saw the faintest glimmer of movement out of the corner of her eye. She quickly shook her head, telling herself it was just her imagination.

"Yeah, sure," she said, forcing a smile. "Let's just... have a good time."

The mood lifted as the group laughed, but the tension never fully disappeared. It hung in the air like the dust that swirled in the faint light, a silent promise that this trip was going to be anything but ordinary. As they continued to joke about which rules they would break first, the cabin seemed to groan in response, as if acknowledging their challenge.

But even as they moved into the kitchen to grab drinks, she couldn't shake the feeling that the cabin was watching them... waiting for them to break the rules.

As the night grew darker, the real terror was only just beginning.

No one noticed the dark shape that flickered in the hallway just outside their line of sight, watching... and waiting.