The Cabin In The Woods Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When they finally arrived at a small clearing, both were heavily panting.

“What the hell was that?” Lizzie said, bending over with her gloved hands resting on her blue jeans knees.

Kevin was not listening to her. He was inspecting the narrow tree path they had to finish running through.

“It’s too cold for those icicles to fall like that,” Kevin said pensively.

Lizzie looked at her husband. He had his military face on. She could tell when his eyes became narrow and sharp. He looked like a man surveying and calculating.

“Honey, something strange is happening. I can’t explain it. But those icicles should not have fallen like that. It’s too cold, and it was not random.” Kevin’s voice was more profound and edgy.

The heavy snow was beginning to lighten, the winds were less intense, and there was a subtle change in the atmosphere around them.

“What should we do?” Lizzie said. Her voice wobbled from fear.

“We are not going back through that pathway. There is no telling if more icicles will fall. Walking over those giant icicles is like trying to walk over glass. If we fail, we could get really hurt.” Kevin said.

“We keep going to the small walking bridge. There should be a house or something nearby.” Kevin said, trying to sound reassuring.

The crunch of the snow was the only sound they started to hear. The wailing, frosty wind was really dying down now.

When they finally reached the small bridge, shrieking in the wind picked up. The wind violently swung the small bridge. Below the bridge was about a 25-foot drop to icy, irate water raging with pieces of ice.

“Do you think this bridge will hold us?” Lizzie asked uncertainty.

Kevin looked at the wooden bridge, made with twine, wood slats an inch apart, and rope for handrails. His military eyes spotted every nut and bolt, looking for anything missing.

He did a quick scan around the frozen landscape. Training his flashlight ahead, he spotted what looked like a rooftop of something. A house? This was their only way to the other side.

“Well, there is one way to find out,” Kevin said seriously. “We are going to cross over it.

“Turn back,” a soft moan carried on the winter wind.

The hair on the back of Kevin’s neck rose. The soldier in him scanned the surroundings, looking for anything unusual. The moonlight cast an evil veil over the winter landscape.

“Did you hear that?” Lizzie whispered in a small voice to Kevin as she moved closer.

He reached for his wife and hugged her, telling her it would be OK, but his laser-sharp blue eyes searched above her head. After a brief hug, Kevin’s soldier’s mind went into the planning.

From Kevin’s estimate, they had to travel about 15–20 feet of bridge. Not too far but not close either. Kevin pulled off his backpack and told Lizzie to do the same. Kevin then threw the backpacks over to the other side.

Kevin looked into Lizzie’s hazel eyes. “We don’t need extra weight as we cross over the bridge. Stay behind me as we go over this bridge,” he said. “Hold onto my waist.”

Kevin then softly kissed Lizzie’s lips. Her cold lips met his for the briefest of moments. They pulled apart. It was time to move. Kevin set a slow pace over the wobbly bridge. Lizzie did as he instructed. She held on to his waist.

When they got halfway across the footbridge, the winds suddenly picked up again, and the bridge swayed violently back and forth as if something were shaking it.

“Turn back, turn back!” an icy roared around them. Kevin began to move at a fast pace.

Behind Lizzie, one wood slat popped up, then another, increasing speed.

Lizzie and Kevin looked back as the wood slats were popping off. The winds were shaking the bridge like a snow globe.

Kevin screamed to Lizzie, “Run!” They sprinted forward to stay ahead of the popping wood slats.

Just as Kevin’s boots hit the snowy ground, he turned, but Lizzie stumbled, and the wood slats caught up with her. She lost her footing and was about to fall down to the river when Kevin grabbed her arms and propelled her upward onto his large body. They fell into the frozen snow, and Kevin rolled over with Lizzie, protecting her from whatever phantom was out there.

A squeal of rattling laughter descended over the icy winter forest. The oppressive sound felt heavy against Kevin and Lizzie’s bodies.

After a few minutes, Kevin felt the invisible weight lift. He slowly sat up, pulling Lizzie into his arms. She was shivering from fear and the cold.

A decaying scent began to permeate the desolate woods.

“Oh my god?” Lizzie whispered.

Kevin’s eyes were scanning the area around them.

“Who screamed at us?” Lizzie said shakily, nuzzling Kevin’s neck. “Do you smell that?” she asked, crumpling her nose.

“Yeah, it smells like death,” Kevin said.

He continued to scan and noticed that the winter trees looked more like skeleton bodies with disjointed branches reaching out toward them. It was as if the trees were trying to get them. Not the most welcoming evergreen trees.

The snowfall had let up a bit, giving Kevin a better view of their surroundings. He saw an imposing oak tree up ahead, and behind it was the outline of a chimney. So he had been right. There was a house nearby.

The oak tree had dark gray bark and gnarly large knots. Its branches were many and intertwined. Kevin thought the oak tree looked like a demon with knots, eyes, and branches of twisted arms. It was terrifying to look at.

Kevin thought wearily that they had to pass by that nefarious oak tree to get to the house.

Kevin helped Lizzie up. They loaded their backpacks onto their backs.

“Listen to me; something is very off about these woods. He can’t go back to the car because the bridge is gone. We will have to keep going to the chimney; it’s got to be a house,” Kevin said.

Lizzie began to worry her bottom lip as she looked up at him. Her long blond hair was now blowing wildly in the wind. Her ivory knit hat was skewed.

“These woods are haunted,” Lizzie said.

Kevin let out a tired breath. “Yeah, it looks like it. We are in danger, but we have to keep moving.”

Lizzie stared into the creepy white landscape with that ugly oak tree ahead. She turned back to face him. Lizzie had a look of determination on her face. A little rosy cheeks filled her slender cheekbones.

“Let’s do this”, Lizzie stated.

Kevin was so proud of his wife at the moment. She was not used to life-and-death situations like he was. But knowing Lizzie’s perseverance, she would give it her all. After all, her career in the ER definitely put her in pressure cooker situations.

“I will walk ahead; I want you to follow me. Do everything I say. If I say run, you run. Understood?” Kevin said.

“Yes,” said Lizzie.

Kevin had them walk in a serpentine pattern. The weaving in and out would help Kevin do surveillance and make it difficult for the enemy to track their unpredictability. If the land was a booby trap, then they would avoid stumbling over them.

Although, if they were dealing with something from another world. Well, then, this might be all for nothing. But Kevin had to try to keep them safe.

For a bit of time, nothing out of the ordinary took place. As they slowly made their way, the snow drifts seemed more profound. Kevin thought that was odd.

“How are you doing?” Kevin called over his shoulder.

“OK, the snow is getting pretty deep here,” said Lizzie.

“You tired? We can take a quick break at that fallen tree head,” said Kevin.

“Yes, just a fast one. I don’t want to be out here longer than necessary,” said Lizzie.

When they made their way to the fallen tree that was lying like a dead corpse, the scent of death became stronger. The wind that had been strong suddenly stopped.

An eerie stillness descended upon them. The tree branches stopped moving, and the snowfall stopped. The quiet was unnerving. Kevin raised his hand to keep her quiet. Lizzie nodded in understanding.

Out of the corner of their eyes, dark yellow eyes appeared in the oily dark woods. One set, then another, then another.

Lizzie whispered, “Wolves.”

To be continued……

This was perviously published on Medium.