Eyes of the Forest

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

Scout Master Terry laughed as one of the kids through candy at him.

"Boooooo." One of the boys called out from across the fire. "Scout Master Terry that sounds lame!" The boy pulled the wrapping off a milky way chocolate and tossed the whole thing in his mouth.

"Alright Benny, how's this. Once I tell my story you tell yours." Terry said crossing his arms, the flashlight still on in his right hand.

The rest of the troop groaned while Benny chewed through his chocolate candy. He narrowed his eyes, and then nodded. The boys looked back at the scout master and quickly got settled in for the story.

Terry grinned, and held the flashlight up under his chin. "Alright, so!"

***

The Cabin was old. With wind swept walls, it breathed with each passing gale. Sitting atop a small hill overlooking a portion of the forest, a lone candle remained alit in the window. Through night a day this candle burned. Until, a group of travelers came across the Cabin.

The group was tired, and searching for the first sign of rest they could find. One of the men in the group walked up to the cabin and gently knocked on the door. He did so a couple of times until another man in the group, not so nicely, threw open the door.

The two bickered as they all went inside. The gentle man, Thomas lectured the not so gentle man, Hayden, on how rude it was to barge into ones home. A woman followed, Erica. And a rather large man, Justin was last to enter.

("Prolly not as large as Henry" One of the boys elbowed Benny)

The group got settled in for the night. Erica was enamored with the light, the men kept passing by her as she sat at the table that held up the candle. They said their off the shoulder remarks, yet she continued to watch the candle. Erica offered first watch for the night, so the rest went to bed.

It was getting deep into the night. Erica could not pull herself from the flame. She stared and stared deep into its light. In her trance she was suddenly surprised. The light was looking back at her.

She gasped, and deep in the flame what looked to be an eye stared deep into her soul. Erica no longer felt comforted by the light. Try as she might, Erica could not pull herself away from the light! She stood up, moving back and forth around the table but to no avail.

Erica began to panic, as she heard movement outside the cabin. She tried to will herself away from the flame but could not. Only the eye in the flame was all she could view. Erica heard the steps outside. The scratching against the wooden boards.

The wind was beginning to pick back up, and the house breathed from its wooden logs as it whipped past. Whatever was outside was now banging on the door. Loud crashing noises that shook the cabin. Erica could hear the others stirring but still, she could not look away.

Erica could hear the door fly open, sputtered gasps and words rang out as the men looked to whoever or whatever stood in the doorway. More noise. Erica heard the others take fight against this unseen fiend. She heard the tumbling of bodies to the ground. The slashing noise of a weapon unknown, taken to flesh. The cries of her friends.

Erica wept. She wept as she stared into the eye of the flame. Staring deep into the only warmth she could find. The noises stopped. The wind calmed. Boots clattered across the floor. Step, after step, after step, until she could feel a presence right next to her. A dark presence, overwhelming the entire cabin. Erica didn't know if the pull of the flame was worse, or the aura of pressure surrounding her.

Erica jumped as a small scythed blade stabbed right by her hand into the table. Suddenly, the pressure was gone. The flame was extinguished, and Erica stood there alone in the dark.

***

The camp was silent, all the boys were looking back and forth at each other while Scout Master Terry grinned, turning the light towards benny across the campfire.

"Benny. You're up!"