The Mask Maker

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

Four friends headed out to the woods after they got off of work on Friday. They felt a camping trip may fix the tensions that had been occurring within their friend group. There was Jason, Kylie, Mark, and Hannah. Jason and Hannah had a relationship going on that Kylie found out about. Long story short, she was not happy about them. It was freezing out, right in the middle of December, and it seemed no fire could suffice their cold. Jason lifted a tightly packed bag up and turned it upside down, shaking it so poles fell out- material for putting tents together. They weren't sure how far they had traveled out, only that they were exhausted when they got there. "Jason, can you hurry up and put my tent up? My makeup is coming off..." Hannah glanced up from where she was sitting on a log. "Trying." Jason grunted in response.

Kylie rolled her eyes, watching Mark struggle with the other three tents. "Maybe you could help instead of whining, Hannah." She said with a firm tone that surely came off as snappy. "Maybe you could shut up for five minutes." Hannah immediately shot back. "Hey, woah--,' Mark turned to the two of them. "Chillax. We're here to have fun, guys." Hannah turned her face away and Kylie shook her head, helping Mark in silence. Jason stood back triumphantly, gazing at the tent he had managed to put up. "Okay, I brought a lighter, but we need firewood." Jason looked at the rest of them expectantly. "But it's getting dark!" Hannah complained in that whiny tone that Kyllie despised so much. Kylie snatched a flashlight out of a bag they had set down, clicking it on. "I'LL go, then." The woods were vacant yet crowded, calming yet chilling. She picked her way through small twigs and bushes, collecting sticks in one hand when she came across them. She had a big handful now, but not nearly enough to make a fire.

She sighed heavily before holding the flashlight between her teeth, using her now free hand to gather a stack of sticks she had found. "Just-" She mumbled to herself, trying to hold the flashlight firmly in between her teeth. Holding the sticks to her chest with an arm, she reached up to adjust the flashlight. It slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. She tried to catch it midair, but it only caused her to drop the sticks as well. Kylie took a deep breath. She had promised herself she'd keep her cool during this trip, and she kept her promises. Usually, anyway. Bending down to pick up the sticks, she glanced up, following where the light was beaming. She frowned, putting the sticks in a pile and grabbing the flashlight. After moving it around, she realized it was a house she was looking at, more like a log cabin. She was about to dismiss it and walk back to camp before a light struck through one of the old windows, illuminating the desk the candle was sitting on. Now, she did know the whole 'stranger danger' thing, but she also wasn't exactly looking forward to going back, where she could now here Hannah giggling at the faint voice of Jason. Besides, maybe whoever was in there had a large stack of wood logs next to the door. One log couldn't hurt to take. Surely the owner of the home could easily find more. She left the pile of sticks and made her way over to the wood stack, scanning the flashlight over it to find a log that wouldn't be too heavy to carry. There were only two she felt like she could carry, but they were all the way at the bottom. Once again, she put the flashlight between her teeth and tried taking a big log off the top. Her arms strained with the effort, but she dropped the wood to the ground. Well- actually, right on her foot, and then to the ground. "OW! GOD DAMMIT--" Kylie cried out, but then almost eagerly listened to see any concerned voices from the camp, to see if any of them would care.

Hannah did hear, looking up. She looked to Mason, who had gotten up, eyebrows etched in a frown. "Oh, please. Don't worry, she's just a blundering idiot." Hannah laughed, looking back to the small mirror she had in her hand and applying lip gloss. "Don't say that.." Mason sighed, but sat back down. Kylie quickly looked up to see if the cabin door would fling open, revealing an angry old man. There was nothing. In fact, the door was cracked open a little, one of the rusted little hinges missing a screw. She considered the fact that he could be empty. Maybe the candle had been burning before, and she just imagined the light being struck. Besides, she was shivering now, even with two coats on over each other. There was no harm in looking. She moved away from the wood stack and curiously moved towards the door, her footsteps padding lightly in the fallen snow. "Hello?" She called, leaning in the doorway. The rest of the house was swallowed in complete darkness, except that one candle down the hallway. "Okay.." She said to herself, hesitating before pushing the door open with a loud creak that almost sounded like a scream. "Hello? Is anybody in here?" Her voice just echoed back to her.

Kylie stepped inside now, moving the flashlight over the place. There was a table with some rusted metal chairs, a small stove and fridge, and a big musty couch that looked like it was make completely of mold. She wrinkled her nose, but walked forward down the hall, her footsteps slow. The flashlight flickered wildly for a moment, and she panicked, lurching forward and grabbing the candle that rested at the end of the hall. The light beamed normally, and she cursed herself for being so jumpy. Kylie examined the candle. There was no melted wax yet, it looked brand new. Like it had just been struck. Had she hallucinated it or not? "BEAUTY, ain't she?" A voice boomed behind her. Kylie screamed that sounded embarrassingly shrill, dropping the candle to the ground immediately Before the fire could spread, the owner of the voice stomped it out. It was complete darkness for a moment before she heard a match striking. A moment later, a lantern illuminated between them. A man stood before her, with smooth skin and a wispy beard. His eyes were a piercing blue, and he gave a crooked smile. "The candle, I meant. Beauty. I make the wax myself." His voice was clear, and once she got a good look at him, she could see him wearing a well-tailored suit. In a dirty log cabin in December? Odd, but she'd seen weirder. "O-oh, that's nice." Kylie's voice trembled. "Ah, don't be afraid," You could hear the grin on his face. "This dirty shack is just a decoy, to scare people off. Come with me!" He said joyfully, walking off down a hallway littered with cobwebs and lighting candles that were hanging from the wall as he went.

Kylie stood in shock. She had a really weird feeling about this, but the man was amazingly charming; it made her have an immediate lull to him. So, with a brief glance out the window at the woods leading back to their camp, she followed. The man pushed open a double door to a well-lit room. He moved aside to let her through, and it was nothing less than extravagant. Rich red velvet couches, a crackling fire. Priceless china placed on a polished wood coffee table with a sparkling tea pot in the middle. Two handsome oak bookshelves lined the walls. The man walked in and closed the door behind him. "Make yourself at home, I'll be right back." Kylie watched him go over to a door in the right corner of the room and pull out a golden set of keys. He hummed a tune to himself as he flipped through them and found the right one, turning the lock and walking in, leaving Kylie in the room by herself. She came from a wealthy family herself, but had never seen a room like this before. There was gold lining along the fireplace that made her question if it was real gold or not. She ran her hand along the white marble top.

This place was wonderful! But- what the hell was she doing? She left only to get wood, not to get in a mix up with some ridiculously wealthy stranger. Kylie glanced over to the door the man had walked through and pulled away from the fireplace. What was he doing in there, anyway? She tried the door, but it was locked from the inside. "Er-- hello? Sir? It was nice of you to invite me in, but I've really got to go--" The door burst open, and she stumbled back. "DON'T GO!" The man had a crazed look in his eye for a moment before smoothing his hair back and regaining his composure. Kylie clutched her chest. He was charming, sure, and good looking, but the vibe for her was way off. "Uh, why not...?"

"Well, I thought you wanted to get away from your friends for a little while?" 'How could he know I was with people?' Kylie thought to herself, looking back to him with a new cautious eye. "Oh, where are my manners! I'm Sam." He held out a well-manicured hand. "I'm.." Was it really a good idea to give this guy her real name? But she didn't have to finish. "Kylie, I know." Sam smiled. She took a step back. "Who are you??" Sam smiled widely. "I told you! I'm Sam. Oh, please don't be alarmed. I know everybody who comes in and out of these woods." She let out a breath. Maybe he was a ranger or something, but that didn't explain how he knew her name. "How do you know my name?" Sam tilted his head. "Lucky guess?" He grinned. Sam was starting to rub her the wrong way. She'd always had a good sense for when things were wrong, ever since she was little. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up. This wasn't good. She had to leave NOW. Kylie maintained eye contact for a moment before bolting for the door. "WHATS THE HURRY?" Sam grabbed her by her shoulders and spun her around. The crazed look was all over his face now. "PLEASE-!" Kylie flinched, trying to pull away with the desperation of a caged animal. "I. TOLD. YOU." He snarled, dragging her to the open door he had come out of. "TO MAKE. YOUSELF. AT HOME!" Her eyes widened to the point where her pupils weren't showing. "Now I'll make a home for you instead." In one swoop, he shoved her through the doorway and slammed it shut. "Tough one!' He chuckled to himself, straightening his tie. "Now for the others."

"Okay, it's been an hour. I'm going to get her." Mark stood after checking his watch. Hannah pouted. "But Markie...!" He shot her a look. "Just because you don't care about her right now doesn't mean I don't." He shook his head, lacing up his shoes. "Hannah, it's fine." Jason dramatically stretched in order to put an arm around her. She smiled. "Okay. Have fun!" Mark's footsteps faded as she cuddled into Jason's chest. "KYLIE?" Mark called, looking left and right as he walked. "JUST COME BACK, I'LL GET THE WOOD!" What if her scream hadn't been a mere scare? What if it was genuine? "KYLIE!" He bit his lip, moving a bit quicker through the trees. Jason leaned his head back, listening to Mason's voice. "Huh. Maybe I should go look too." Hannah hit him in the arm. "No! He'll find her."

About 10 minutes passed, and Mark's calls were still audible, just far away now. "Hannah, I'm gonna go check it out. It shouldn't take this long to find Kylie." He got to his feet, pulling on his jacket over his sweater. "Jason, come on!" She complained, getting up and trying to pull him back down. "Babe, I'll be right back. Mark's probably looking the wrong way." Hannah glared off in the direction of his calls. "Fine. Go find KYLIE." She said with a sneer. "But don't come running to me for help if you can't find her." Jason grabbed a flashlight.

"We'll find her."

Jason jogged until he caught up with Mark. "Did you check down by the water?" He huffed, out of breath. "I checked everywhere, Jason." He moved past him, squinting through the dark with the limited light they had. "Maybe if I just retrace my steps..." He walked back, going off to the right. Jason put his hand on his hip, sighing. "She'll come back, Mark. Can't we just go back?" There was a silence. "NO!" Mark finally shouted. Another 15 minutes passed, and Mark finally came to a stop where Kylie had gathered the sticks before. "Dude, there's a cabin!" Jason laughed as Mark carefully inspected the ground. He looked up to see the candle. It had been replaced with a new one. "Oh, man, we should totally crash here!" Without a second of doubt, Jason ran to the door and went inside. "Great. This is great. Jason, come back, man!" He didn't get a response. "Idiot." He breathed to himself, following after a long pause. "Jason? Come out, man. Kylie's still out there, stop playing around." His flashlight flickered. He smacked the side of it a few times until it went back to normal. He moved further into the house, following the light from the candle. "Jason-" He looked down a hall illuminated with candles to see Jason about to push open a door. "Hey!" He whisper shouted. "Quit, let's go! Somebody's probably home!" Jason waved him off with a hand, pressing his ear to the door. Mark shook his head and went down the hall with him. Once he came closer, he could hear some old tune playing from within the room, probably something from the 50's. "Mark, chill. It's totally empty, somebody would've come by now if they were home."

"I just don't think it's a good idea to--" Mark started, but Jason pushed the door open. "Woah, LOOK at this place!" He laughed, running to the bookshelves that had golden stoppers. "How much do you think I could get for this?" Mark looked around. It was a cool room, but he seemed to be the only one here thinking logically. Nobody would leave a room of this standard alone, much less candles burning in their house. "Put that DOWN." Mark hissed. "Thank god, our fire sucked." Jason flopped down in front of the fireplace with a satisfied grunt. "Jason, I'm telling you we need to go." He stood very still. He thought he had heard a thud along with the crackling of the fire. Whether there was a thud or not, he wanted to go. "Be quiet, everything gives you a bad feeling." Jason stretched out and sighed, placing his hands behind his head. Mark still had the flashlight in his hand, and it flickered again. He hit it on the side, but it continued to flicker until it went out. Jason looked up to see Mark's startled expression. "Batteries." He shrugged.

"Uh, no? I put two double A's in this thing not an hour ago. Can we PLEASE just go?" Jason sat up, irritated at this point. "YOU can go, man. I'm staying by the fire. Tell Hannah to come here, we can stay inside instead of dying out there in the cold." Mark straightened. "Alright, then. But don't say I didn't warn you." He said in a tight tone, shaking his head and walking out. Jason yawned and watched him go. Mark's footsteps seemed to stop immediately after getting down the hall, nowhere near the front door. Jason smiled to himself. Mark was probably hesitating and listening to him for once. He closed his eyes again. There was a thick black rug beneath him, and it seemed to be gently pulling him in. Sam crept out from the locked room, looking at Jason. He had already stopped Mark, but Jason was making this a little too easy. He stood over him, breathing heavily. Jason shifted and frowned before blinking his eyes open. "Kylie? What're you doing in here, we were looking all over..." Sam smiled and perfectly mimicked Kylie's voice. "I was waiting for you, silly!" He sat up and nodded. Sam was wearing Kylie's clothes, but they were way too small. "Kylie, did you, like..grow?" He looked at her. "Of course not. You seem to be feeling ill, want to have tea?" Jason nodded hypnotically. He didn't remember Kylie being so enticing before. "Sure thing. Want it with sugar or without?"

"Uh..with." He looked around. He suddenly felt disoriented. "Kylie" nodded. She poured two cups for the both of them, smiling with content. "I'll go get the sugar." Jason picked up the tea with both hands, studying it. "Kylie, how'd you make this stuff? It's really red." He swished it around in the cup. "Secret ingredient!" She called back. She returned with a small bowl covered with a lid. "Close your eyes, it'll make the first sip so much better." She said softly, and Jason did so without question. She opened the lid, taking the contents of the inside and putting two into Jason's cup. She leaned over, placing her hands over Jason's and guiding the cup to his mouth. He took two big gulps. "This is really good...!" She pulled away as he opened his eyes and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He paused, looking at his sleeve. It was streaked red now. "Did you dye the tea or something--" He looked down and screamed. Blood moved around in the cup. It seemed to bubble for a moment before two large forms moved to the top. They rolled around to face Jason. Two large eyeballs floated in the blood, both a dark green. "Kylie? Kylie, what the HELL?" He looked back up. Why did she have blue eyes? They were green before, right? Sam chuckled, placing two hands near his neck and pushing up. Jason grimaced. It looked like he was trying to rip his skin off. But as he moved the skin back, a new face was revealed. A face with a wispy beard and a crooked smile. "Who's Kylie?" He laughed, throwing the mask over. Jason stared at it in horror. The skin was still warm. He'd recognize those freckles anywhere. He was holding Kylie's face.