Cabin 13

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. This cabin has a secret, a deep, dark secret that it has held on to for 75 years. Seventy-five years to this very day.

This area used to be a summer camp, the lake has long gone silent with more weeds than water in the background. Twelve other cabins that use to sit here have long since fallen, leaving only number 13 to stand and remind those of the secret that is still whispered about today.

Seventy-five years ago tonight a heavy thunderstorm came through the town. The camp was now closed for the season and all that remained were the counselors and workers, who were shutting things down for the harsh winter that would be there in the next month or so. They were gathered in cabin 13 telling stories about the summer, plans for the rest of the year, and who was coming back to endure another season of "fun".

As the storm rolled in the wind began to howl, and blinding light and crackling thunder shook the cabin, it was then they all decided to depart and go back to their cabins for the night. The last anyone saw was each other running quickly in the rain towards their cabins. The only sounds of the night were the whistles of the wind, the grumbling of thunder, and the deafening rain that beat down on the rooftop.

The next morning a silence fell over the camp as the sun began to break through the clouds. The rain had left the ground damp, and water dripping from the roof and tree limbs. But no one moved or even stirred. The owners of the camp, who lived down the street, arrived late morning and were surprised to see that no one was up and working the grounds.

As the silence began to sink in they thought the camp had been abandoned but as the walked in further they saw the cars and knew they had to be here. They called out their names and yelled hello but were only answered by silence. A sense of fear began to creep in as one walked up to Cabin 13 and reached for the door, locked. Curious, when did they ever lock the doors? Leaning over she looks through the window, her breath catches and a piercing scream erupts from her mouth.

An hour later the camp is surrounded by lights and sirens, fast-talking from the officers to the owners. Every cabin is forced open and inside the scenes are the same. Everyone in the camp was found dead in their bed, with the doors and windows locked...from the inside.

To this day, no one knows who did it or why, and for several years after no one knew how. It wasn't until after the camp had closed and they were clearing out the cabins that a small trap door was discovered which lead to the crawl space underneath the cabins. But the even bigger mystery is the candle in the window.

Every single cabin had a single, white, pillar candle burning in the window that was next to the entrance. A calling card? A signal to the other cabin that the deed had been done? Why no screams? Why now? Why? Why? Why?

How do I know this story? Because I was there, I saw the cabins and I smelled the death and I was supposed to be there that night. And as I stand here, staring at the white pillar candle burning in the window, I can't help but wonder, did they come back?