After Life

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burns in the window.

It is dusk and an old man with a few strands of white hair on his mostly bald head appears in front of the cabin, lying on the ground. He is in his pajamas which look too large for his shrunken frame. He gingerly sits up and looks around.

His watery blue eyes are drawn to the light of the candle and to his name etched into the wax along the side. He begins to carefully push his body up off the ground but stops to look at his bent knees with confusion. He stretches his legs out and bends them bank again several times in rapid succession. Next, he reaches his arms up and stretches his back with a long sigh. His face shows first amazement, then pleasure as he bounds to his feet with the energy of someone decades younger.

He looks up at the cabin as the door swings open, spilling light in many shades of orange and pink, like a vibrant sunset, across the threshold. The sound of music pours from the door as does lively voices. A huge grin spreads across the old man’s face and he does a funny little hop-step before he strides up to the door and enters the cabin to the sounds of many voices crying out in delighted reunion, and merriment.

The door closes, the candle goes out, and the cabin is empty.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burns in the window.

The moon rises and a small girl around the age of eight with black hair in two long braids, appears in front of the cabin, lying on the ground. She wears a pink hospital gown with yellow stars on it. She carefully sits up and looks around. Her wide brown eyes look to the light of the candle and to her name etched into the wax along the side.

She begins to lift her body up off the ground but stops when she looks down at her arms. Her face shows confusion as she runs one hand up and down her arm, enjoying the smooth skin that is empty of the needles and tubes that had enveloped her for so long.

A spotlight of moonlight causes her to body to glow as she gets to her feet and spins around in circles taking in deep lungful’s of air and laughing with joy. She stops her spinning and looks up at the cabin as the door swings open, spilling warm yellow sunlight across the threshold. The sound of a woman’s kind voice calling to the girl wafts out and a shy smile spreads across the girl’s face. She skips up to the door and enters the cabin happily after she considers the sight within.

The door closes, the candle goes out, and the cabin is empty.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burns in the window.

The night is dark with threatening storm clouds when a large man in his fifties, with thick shoulders and a small paunch appears in front of the cabin, lying on the ground. His heavily tattooed arms and legs sprawl in unnatural positions and his clothes are torn in spots. He cautiously moves his limbs back into place, sits up, removes his motorcycle helmet, and then wraps his arms around his knees and bows his head for a few moments in relief.

When his eyes open again, they look warily to the candle in the window, but then widen in surprise as he sees his name etched into the wax along the side. He pushes his body off the ground and stands, assessing the building. The door swings open and the sound of waves breaking along a sunny, sandy beach drifts out on a cool breeze. A climate of calm inside the cabin is at odds with the turbulent atmosphere on the outside.

As the man walks towards the door, his back straightens and his shoulders relax as the weight of years - his regrets, remorse and resentment drop away making him appear less jaded. He enters the cabin with a look of serenity on his face, an expression seldom worn during his tumultuous life.

The door closes, the candle goes out, and the cabin is empty.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burns in the window.

It is a couple of hours before dawn when a woman in her thirties appears in front of the cabin, lying on the ground. Her pantsuit is of excellent quality although it is slightly askew as if she had been thrashing around in it. She sits up only to immediately double over again like she’s about to throw up, but nothing happens. With a hand to her head, her eyes flick to the light of the candle and to her name etched into the wax along the side.

She stands without grace and wobbles a bit drunkenly before finding her balance. She looks around her, assesses the situation, and then unclasps her messy hair and finger combs it back into a semblance of tidiness. She licks the pads of her fingers and rubs them under her eyes to wipe away the smudged mascara that she judges must be there. She straightens her clothes and smiles with haughtiness before rearranging her expression into something more pitiable and demure.

The door remains closed as she steps onto the porch, but with only a quick knock, she opens it to let herself inside. The sickly red glow emanating from the interior stops her feet just two steps inside the doorway. Suddenly she spins revealing an expression of fear and anguish just before the door slams shut, trapping her inside.

The candle goes out, and the cabin is empty.

- - - - - - - - - - - -

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burns in the window.

You open your eyes and discover you are in front of a cabin, lying on the ground…