The cabin of mischief

~Chapter 7~Uninvited Guests

The night wore on, and the cabin seemed to come alive, as if it had been waiting for the darkness to fully set in. Strange occurrences started happening, small at first—barely noticeable, almost easy to brush off. But the longer they lingered, the more unsettling they became.

Isabella was the first to notice it. She had gone back into the master bedroom to grab her jacket, and when she returned to the hallway, she found the door wide open even though she had left it slightly ajar. The oddity gnawed at her, but she shrugged it off, figuring she had just forgotten. It wasn't until she walked back out and found the others gathered in the living room that she heard the faintest echo of laughter drifting through the air. It was low, almost childlike, and seemed to come from nowhere.

She glanced around, eyes darting nervously. "Did... did anyone else hear that?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, I heard it," Jamal said, his face pale. "But I'm trying real hard to pretend I didn't."

Blake looked up from the spot on the couch where he had been sitting. "What are you guys talking about?" he asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Laughing," Isabella said, her gaze locked on the hallway. "Like... a little kid's laugh. But there's no one else here."

Jeremy rolled his eyes and scoffed, leaning back in the armchair. "You guys are just psyching yourselves out," he said dismissively. "We're in an old-ass cabin in the middle of nowhere. Houses settle, wind blows, weird shit happens. It's not like the place is haunted or anything."

"Oh, thanks for clearing that up, Mr. Fucking Skeptic," Sienna shot back, sarcasm lacing her words. "Why don't you go tell that to the doors that keep opening and closing on their own? Or the goddamn shadows that keep creeping across the walls when there's no one there."

"Damn, Sienna, chill," Jeremy replied, shaking his head. "I'm just saying, there's gotta be a rational explanation. Maybe it's some kind of electrical interference, or animals outside. Freaking out isn't gonna help anything."

"Okay, then explain this," Violet interrupted, her tone tense. She reached down and grabbed a book from the coffee table, holding it up for the group to see. "I set this book down over by the fireplace when we first got here. And now it's here."

Blake's eyes widened. "Maybe someone moved it and forgot?"

"Bullshit," Violet said firmly. "I know where I put it. I remember because I was making sure it wouldn't catch any sparks from the fire."

Chad leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "We've been hearing shit all night," he said. "Footsteps, whispers, stuff being moved. Either we're all hallucinating, or there's something seriously messed up about this place."

Isabella wrapped her arms around herself, the hairs on her arms standing up. "I don't know, but it's like the cabin doesn't want us here," she whispered. "It's like it's... playing with us."

The sense of unease only deepened as the night dragged on. The group tried to distract themselves with random games and idle chatter, but even that was cut short by more strange occurrences. Chad's phone, which he swore he had left charging in the kitchen, was found on the back porch, still plugged in. Sienna's backpack was lying on its side in the hallway, with its contents strewn across the floor like someone had rifled through it. Jamal thought he saw a shadow dart past the window, but when he went outside to check, no one was there.

They gathered in the living room, huddled together like children scared of the dark. The fireplace crackled, but even the flames didn't bring much comfort.

"Okay, this is getting ridiculous," Blake said, his voice a low growl. "What if it's not just in our heads? What if there really is something—or someone—here?"

"Oh come on, Blake," Jeremy argued, though there was a quiver of doubt in his tone now. "We've been drinking and barely sleeping. It's just our minds playing tricks on us."

"Then how do you explain the laughter?" Isabella pressed. "Or the stuff that keeps moving? You really think we're all just imagining the same things?"

A tense silence followed, the only sound being the crackling of the fire. Chad spoke up, his voice barely audible. "My phone... I don't remember even taking it outside," he said, shaking his head. "And even if I did, why would I leave it plugged in on the porch?"

"I'm just saying," Jamal added, "there's a reason none of us can sleep. It's like there's something in the air. It feels... wrong."

Violet's eyes darted to the windows, where darkness pressed against the glass. "Okay, if there's something here, what does it want?" she asked. "Why would it be messing with us?"

"I don't know, but if it's trying to scare us, it's doing a damn good job," Sienna said, her voice barely concealing a tremor.

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from upstairs. It echoed through the cabin, causing everyone to jump. The noise sounded like something heavy had fallen, or been thrown against a wall. The group froze, wide-eyed, their breaths held as if they were waiting for the next sound to confirm their fears.

"What the fuck was that?" Isabella breathed, her pulse pounding in her ears.

"I'm not sticking around to find out," Chad said, already on his feet. "I'm checking upstairs. If anyone wants to join, now's your chance."

Blake immediately stood up, grabbing a flashlight. "I'm coming with you."

Isabella hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. "You guys go ahead. I'll stay down here... just in case."

Chad and Blake made their way up the stairs, the creaky wood groaning under their weight. Their flashlights sliced through the darkness as they moved cautiously down the hallway, checking each room one by one. Everything appeared to be in its place, though the feeling of being watched only grew stronger.

They finally reached the last room, where the noise had come from. Chad pushed the door open slowly, revealing a small bedroom with nothing more than an old rocking chair and a dusty dresser. The chair was still moving, rocking slowly back and forth as if someone had just gotten up from it.

Blake's jaw tightened, and he took a step back. "Okay, that's creepy as hell," he whispered. "There's no draft up here. That chair didn't just start moving by itself."

"Let's get back downstairs," Chad muttered, his voice laced with unease. "We need to figure out what the hell is going on, and fast."

Back in the living room, Isabella sat with Violet and Sienna, while Jamal and Jeremy stood near the fireplace, their faces illuminated by the firelight. Blake and Chad returned moments later, their expressions grim.

"There was nothing up there," Blake said, shaking his head. "Except for a rocking chair that was... moving on its own."

Isabella's heart sank, her stomach twisting into knots. "So what do we do now?" she asked. "Do we just... wait?"

"No," Chad replied firmly. "We need to stick together and stay alert. Whatever's in this cabin, we're not letting it get the better of us."

The faint sound of laughter drifted through the air once more, sending chills down their spines. This time, it was closer. Almost as if it was coming from within the very walls.