Before the fire burns out

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

Erick rolled his eyes and groaned. Jules shone the flashlight from under his chin as he told the story while they sat around the bonfire. Jules had been telling him the same story since they were children and although there would be slight changes in the details, it always ended the same: everyone died except for the protagonist who later learned that he was dead and had been reliving the same fate every night.

It was the end of the summer and their senior year would start in a few days. As a last hurrah, he, Jules, and their best friends: Elena and Adam, planned a camping trip at one of the national park’s camping grounds. Camping never interested Erick since he hated bugs and he was always impartial to being surrounded by nature. However, camping was an excellent way to spend time with Jules since their relationship had been a secret from both of their families.

When Jules noticed Erick’s disinterest, Jules grinned widely at him. “C’mon, babe. They have not heard the story yet.”

Erick sighed and leaned back on his chair. Elena and Adam were huddled together under the same blanket, as they waited impatiently for Jules to get on with the story—the hotdogs on their sticks were left forgotten in the fire.

“You do you. Now while you tell the story, I’m going for a quick walk to the bathroom,” Erick said as he stretched. The full moon hung low in the sky, casting a silver glow on the ground. Other than the soft music from their radio, the campground had been eerily quiet. Erick was expecting to hear crickets or any form of wildlife, but so far, it was just them. The other campers were far enough from them that they could barely hear their existence.

The silence made him uncomfortable, but he also had been a big city kid from a loud obnoxious family. He never knew silence.

“In the dark? By yourself? What if there are bears? Or Cayote? Or serial killers?” Elena voiced out the fears that he had been attempting to quell.

Erick waved it off as he walked away. “I’ll be fine. This is a campground, there are other campers, and the bathroom is a five-minute walk.”

“Wait.” Erick halted in his tracks as Jules jogged after him. “I’ll walk with you. I can continue the story later.”

Erick raised a brow and Jules waved the flashlight in front of him. “We also only have one flashlight. Perhaps, those two need to sort out their feelings. This will give them time.”

“Fair enough,” Erick smiled as they walked quietly together. Jules whistled lowly as their sneakers crunched on gravel. Their hands intertwined, but neither of them fussed over it. It was the happiest night they both had. Erick then wondered what their parents would say if they saw them together. Would they be disowned? He never truly cared about his family since they were dysfunctional, but he cared about Jules. Jules loved his family and they loved him in return. It would kill Erick if Jules had to suffer because of their relationship.

“What are you thinking about?” Jules asked as they stopped in front of a small brown building. The fluorescent light on the ceiling flickered as bugs swarmed around it.

“Nothing other than I appreciate you,” Erick said quietly as Jules waggled his brows.

“Oh?”

Erick snorted. “Don’t be gross. I’m going to the bathroom. Do you need to go too or not?”

“Is that an invitation?”

“Forget I asked,” he said as he headed into the bathroom while Jules stayed outside. He scrunched his nose from the sulfuric stench and how the soles of his sneakers stuck to the floor. The light inside also flickered which cast odd shadows in the mirror. Luckily enough, his business was quick and as soon as he was finished, he headed to the faucet to wash his hands. Unfortunately, no water came out. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Groaning, he stomped toward the door to complain. However, as soon as he stepped out, Jules was nowhere to be found.

“Jules?”

Deep frown lines formed on his forehead as he walked around the building. The fluorescent light had gone out and the building was covered with cobwebs. The small building was dilapidated when he made it back to the door. Its roof had given in and black scorch marks marked the sidings. He stepped back and tripped on a root. It was then that he realized that he was deep in the woods, in front of a ruin, with no other light to guide him but the large moon in the sky.

He opened his mouth to call out for someone but immediately shut it. Taking in a large breath, he stood up and decided to follow a small path instead while he thought about how he got himself where he was.

He remembered being with someone.

He remembered having to go inside that building.

However, he could not fathom the reason why nor recall the name of the person he was with.

He no longer knew his name.

A raindrop fell on his cheek which soon turned into heavy droplets that pelted against his skin. His ribs shook uncontrollably and he used the trees as his guide. His feet slid on the ground and he fell face first into the mud. Yet, he got up and kept walking, trusting his instincts.

He was tired and cold, but the rain never let up. His eyelids threatened to shut from exhaustion until he saw a small wooden cabin that had a candle burning in the window. Like a moth drawn to the flame, he hurried toward the cabin. The door was ajar and the furniture had been covered with white sheets except for the bookshelf by the fireplace. Most of the shelves were missing and the books had been ripped apart.

A part of him wanted to leave but he was too cold and tired to weather the storm. So, he made himself at home as much as he could. He locked the front door and approached the small candle. Its flame wavered and he carefully brought it with him to the living room area. Gently, he took off the blankets on the furniture, afraid that the slight draft would put out the flame. He then took off his mud-covered clothes and wrapped himself in the blankets. When he had stopped shaking, he decided to examine the fireplace. The coals were too burnt to use so he rushed into the kitchen to search for wooden items. After grabbing several wooden spatulas, and spoons, he threw them into the hearth. He then grabbed the remaining shelves on the bookcase and threw them in there as well. He tore the remaining pages of the books and used them as a starter. He flinched with each tear but he kept going. He never liked damaging books but paper was an easy way to start a fire. Once the fire caught on, he sat back and watched the golden flames scorch through the wooden shelves and kitchen utensils.

The fog had settled in his mind and even if he no longer had any recollection of his past, he sat by the fire contentedly. His head nodded as sleep wrapped its fingers around his consciousness, but a slam! had him immediately up on his feet. When he saw the front door still locked, he took the small candle with him to inspect where the noise came from. The hallway to the room and bathroom was dark but he walked down to the bedroom, confident that the candle would be enough to light his way. When the door creaked open, he calmly entered the room. The furniture was also covered with white sheets and the opened window had let rain in. He set the candle on what he would assume was a nightstand and closed the window. Yanking the white blanket that covered the bed, he used it to absorb the pool that had formed on the floor. Once he was done, he explored the rest of the room by taking off the furniture covers. The room was small and nothing about it stood out, yet something about its simplicity brought him comfort. He sat on the bed and grinned. It certainly was not a comfortable bed but it was better than sleeping on the couch. However, the heat from the candle would not be enough to keep him warm so he decided to grab pillows instead that he would bring back to the living area with him.

When he got up, he heard nails scratching against the wooden floor that came from underneath the bed. Curious, he got down on his hands and knees and peered. However, other than the dust balls that collected on the floor, he saw nothing that would have made the noise. He sighed as he collected the pillows and tucked them under his arm. Then he grabbed the candle to proceed back to the living room, where it was warmer and more comfortable.

But at the corner of his eye, right before he shut the door, he saw an elongated shadow of what he would assume was a man, dangling from the ceiling. Instead of investigating it further, he shut the door completely and immediately forgot about it.

On his way back, the photos that were hanging on the wall caught his attention. He saw two men together, grinning at a camera. One of them was a blond man with dimples, and the other had darker hair and sharper features. He then saw another photo that had two other individuals with those two men. One was a brunette girl and the other was a red-haired man with light grey eyes. His arm was around the woman’s waist. Just like in the previous photo, everyone looked overly happy. He then stepped closer to study the photo and saw the cabin that he was currently in at the far-right corner.

Odd, he thought. However, what was even stranger to him was how aloof he felt about it. The photos were certainly nice to look at, but he just assumed that this cabin must have belonged to those four individuals. Shrugging, he decided to stop in the bathroom first since it was across from the bedroom. He may as well wash the mud off his skin before he fell asleep. Yet not even a droplet of water came out of the faucet. He sighed as he looked in the mirror. But instead of seeing his reflection, he saw no one. He blinked and touched his face, confused.

Was there supposed to be a reflection?

How did mirrors work again?

With a shaking hand, he touched the mirror to inspect if it was real. The glass was cold to touch and it certainly showed the objects behind him. But why was he not there?

His heart raced as his lips quivered.

Why couldn’t he remember anything?

Why was he still here?

Why was it that he felt so alone?

He glanced at the candle and watched the wax melt. The fire struggled to stay lit as the candle reached the end of its life. Afraid that he would be left in the dark, he rushed out of the bathroom and found himself in a dark tunnel instead. He looked ahead but saw no end. The void seemed to stretch farther than he could comprehend, but the candle was almost out and the thought of being alone in the dark scared him more. So, he pushed his legs to go forward even if he saw no end to it.

Over and over he repeated that he would escape.

Tears streamed down his face as he strode on.

This is just a nightmare, he reassured himself even when he knew deep down how lost he felt.

When the candle puffed out, he stopped in his tracks. There was nothing to light his way anymore, and the darkness have never felt heavier than it had. Yet, he couldn’t just stand there and feel sorry for himself. So, slowly, but surely, his legs moved ahead even when he can no longer rely on his sight.

His tears ran dry as he eventually gained confidence in each stride.

I will reach the end, he said aloud. I will make it until the end.

He didn’t know how long it took but eventually, he saw a small light ahead. Hope fired through his veins as he sprinted toward it. He could feel the grip of the darkness, yanking him back. Yet, he pushed with all his might to reach the end. His legs grew tired as his lungs screamed for more oxygen.

He did not stop—fearing that if he did, the light would vanish and he would be left in the dark forever. His throat burned, and his feet ached each time they hit the ground. When the bright light grew bigger, he squeezed his eyes shut and ran faster as he felt its warmth on his skin.

I’m almost there! He shouted. I will make it!

Then the light grew kinder on his eyelids, and when he knew that he could open his eyes once more without being blinded, he blinked and saw the people in the pictures around the bonfire. When the blond man saw him, he gave him a big smile.

“Erick! What took you so long? Get your butt here. I’m about to tell the scariest story out of all times.”

Erick sat with them quietly as he watched the blond man lit the flashlight from under his chin. Then in a low voice, he said, “the cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. It was said that once the fire burns out, the wanderers would forever be lost, never being able to find peace.”

“That doesn’t make sense,” the girl with them laughed as she blew out the fire on her hotdog. “Are we talking about a real cabin or is it a metaphor for something? If it is a metaphor, then Jules, let me tell you, you’re not that great in storytelling.”

Jules chuckled as he nudged him. “Well, Erick, what do you think? Should I keep going?”

Erick blinked and looked at the group. Tucking his hands into the pockets of his hoodie, he replied, “I would like to hear it. I would like to hear you talk again.”

He didn’t know how long this comfort would last, but this time, he would sit back and enjoy it as much as he could.

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