Pig Cabin

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window, signaling someone’s arrival. Edwina arrived early that morning and it was her first time back to her family’s cabin in many years. Edwina needed a break from the electric life that she had created for herself in the city, and she longed for a feeling that she had left at the cabin many years before. Edwina was a mesmerizing woman in her appearance and in her eclectic personality. Her long polished black hair like a leather trench coat, hugged her body and her cerulean eyes suited her olive-toned skin. She moved like a jaguar and was always the topic of discussion yet remained a mystery to all.

She carried her two large luggage bags into the abandoned cabin. The smell of fresh air and mildew overwhelmed her senses as she crossed the threshold, bringing her back to her more youthful days spent in the cabin with her parents and sister.

Edwina had an unusual childhood but the events that played out at the cabin were more diabolical than anyone could imagine. When she and her sister were brought to the cabin as children, it was more like a training camp and less like a quiet getaway. The ventures that Edwina’s parents would make their children go on would make outsiders that were peering in, think that it was some morbid way of making the girls interested in being doctors or veterinarians or to work for their family's mortuary business, but that wasn't quite what they had planned. Margaret and Thomas appeared to be the perfect couple. Both of which were uniquely different, mannerly and outgoing. People, at times, resented them, and when they had two beautiful daughters, it made them even more interesting to the rest of the world. The family was the life of the party and the envy of everyone who thought they couldn’t have a fascinating life with children. However, nobody knew what they were up to behind closed doors, and for good reason. If people knew the dastardly activities the pair were conducting, let alone, teaching their daughters, the world around them would grab pitch forks and torches.

During the family’s stay at the cabin, Margaret and Thomas would give the girls each a sack of instruments made for, well, torture. They forced them to hunt through the day and night until they caught something, and when they did, they were forced to explore the entire anatomy of the animal. The young girls had to dissect the animals and pull out their innards and label the parts correctly. As they got older the assignments of hunting and brutalizing animals got increasingly more dangerous. They started out hunting prey animals, such as rodents, raccoons and working their way up to foxes, coyotes and bobcats. They were soon able to identify nerve endings and where to cut in order to keep the animal alive while they continued to slice their live victims. The girls even made it a game to see who could torture the animal the longest before the animal died from the blood loss or pain. Helene, Edwina’s sister, was ravenous. She loved to paint herself with the blood of her furry casualties but most often she would carefully skin the animals and prepare them for her family. Helene had cultivated an incredible skill for cooking and baking, which came in use along with her immaculate skill of tearing apart living things without remorse. Edwina, on the other hand, enjoyed the hunt over all else. She loved to sink into the background of the woods, stalking her prey. The last time Edwina was forced to hunt with Helene, their parents decided to up the ante. Edwina had recently turned 18 and her father thought it was time to test them with the ultimate challenge. They were not to hunt any furry animal, large or small, but instead a human. That day, Edwina watched as her parents dragged a man with a bag over his head and hands tied, from their car. The two had never hunted a person before but they were not shocked at their father's request to do so. The man stood like a hill; his shoulders hunched over with a medium physique crushing into itself, his stomach protruding out. His muscles were semi-prominent though and likely capable of putting up a good fight but his lack of what seemed to be the will to live would likely hinder him. Edwina's parents thought he would be perfect; not too strong, but still a challenge. As soon as their father yanked the bag from the man’s head, he ran as if his life depended on it, and it very much did. They left the man to escape for an hour, while Edwina devised a plan. Not so surprisingly, she found the man within 45 minutes, giving Edwina and Helene 15 minutes to taunt the fearful man. He gave up faster than any other animal they had hunted before. He sat on the cool, damp forest floor, breathing heavily and sobbing uncontrollably. Edwina watched the man from behind a large southern live oak tree, her sister quietly skulking behind her. Edwina’s greatest hunting skill was her incredible ability to use psychology against her mark. She could visualize her prey’s thoughts and use their mannerisms to know exactly what they were going to do next. She used the woods as her labyrinth and guided her victims exactly where she wanted them to be. "Humans are a lot more predictable than animals." Helene scoffed to her sister. Edwina’s plan went as she suspected, and she watched as Helene attacked the man by leaping on his back and injecting a special frog poison into his neck, preventing him from movement. He tried to crawl away, but the poison slowly began to cause paralysis, stiffening his joints. Helene giggled as she watched him struggle and kicked him over onto the ground. The sounds of the man’s squeals for help echoed through the woods, followed by Helene’s maniacal laughter. Edwina's mind wandered. She didn’t know if she enjoyed causing so much agony as her sister does, but she continued to help her drag their easiest victory on the forest’s floor anyway. Once they arrived at the cabin, exhilarated, exhausted and out of breath, they heaved the man on their picnic table. Thomas and Margaret watched from the cabin window while Helene tied him to the picnic table. They dissected him for hours before skinning him alive. Edwina showed no emotion throughout the process and once he took his final breath, she left to go on a walk. She later returned to the cabin to have dinner with her family. She didn’t dare ask what her sister prepared because she already knew...

The memories slowly faded in and out as Edwina placed her bags on the floor. A feeling that had been lost to her flushed her body with heat...

Just outside the cabin, only 6 miles away, a group of 3 friends were getting their campsite set up. The three men, Henry, George and Tim are unaware that they’ve gone so far into the Louisiana woods that they have stumbled onto privately owned property. They piled out of the car that they rode in together, laughing and expecting to have a fun weekend.

The forest is not dense with trees; however, each tree has its own space. Their crooked, empty branches reached out for one another, almost holding hands as they passed moss to each other. The tall grass, though, made it impossible to see what lurks within. Tim noticed how the trees stood tall and had a peculiar energy about them. They were quiet even when the wind blew, "almost like they are keeping a secret." He thought to himself, an eerie feeling slightly brushing the back of his neck.

“Damn, Henry, your girlfriend definitely found an interesting spot for us to camp. There's even a dry spot for us to set up. How did she find this place?” Tim asked as he closed the car door.

“I’m not totally sure. She mentioned it to me one night when we were together.” Henry replied “But she’s not my girlfriend. She’s made that very clear.” Henry rolled his eyes as if she had reminded him of that a hundred times before.

“Then why keep her around if she doesn't want to settle down with you? You’ve been on how many dates? 9? And you’ve been with her every weekend for the past 2 months. Sound like a girlfriend to me.” George criticized and gave Tim a look of disapproval.

“She's different. I’m telling you. She’s something special.” Henry explained with a hopeful tone and a sense of admiration. "I don't mind if she doesn't want to be exclusive because I know if I keep pushing it, she'll eventually give in."

"She's not 'different', dude. She's weird as hell. She's beautiful and all but there's something off about her." George exclaimed.

The men went silent for a while as they unloaded their tents, sleeping bags and enough alcohol to intoxicate 30 people. After a couple hours of setting up camp, the sun began to set, and by this time the guys were already buzzing from finishing off their first case of beer.

“Let’s tell scary stories!” George said and continued “Whoever tells the lamest scary story has to drive home on Sunday.”

“Ah, come on man! You agreed to be the one that drives back! I don’t want to drive home hungover.” Tim whined and tossed his empty beer further into the woods.

George let out a long belch, “You better tell a good story then.”

“I’ll set the mood.” Henry said ominously while he kindled a fire.

The sky darkened all around them and the fire danced a bright orange flame as they gathered around it, popping a squat in the lawn chairs they brought along with them.

“I’ll start.” Henry said. “I already know I have the best story.”

He grabbed a flashlight and shined it on his face “Apparently, these woods are haunted by the spirits of the people who were murdered here…”

George scoffed “who told you that? Your not-girlfriend?"

“Yes, actually. That’s why I wanted to come here. She told me a story about the murders. I figured we could check it out. Plus, I want to see a ghost.” Henry said with a blank face. George laughed as Tim frantically looked around,

“Dude, what? You brought us to a place where people have been killed? I knew this place felt off.” Tim questioned.

George's laughter ceased while he looked back and forth between Henry and Tim. He thought it was a joke and waited for Henry to break character but when he didn’t, he knew he was telling the truth.

“Have people actually been murdered here?” George asked.

“Yeah, like 10 people over the last 40 years. Police never caught the person who did it either. Actually, they don’t know if it was one person or a group of people or even a copycat killer. But it’s always the same scene. A pile of bones and the skin of their victim, or victims, in almost perfect condition after being separated from its body, or bodies, hanging from a tree branch like a towel being left out to dry. There was, however, this one instance where the person was almost caught in the mid-eighties. It was a group of 3 people, almost like us except it was a couple and their daughter. They went out on a hike, not too far from here. The family, unfortunately, got lost in the woods and soon realized they were being hunted, taunted, even. Eventually, the killers pounced on their targets. The little girl was, somehow, struck in the head so hard that the killers must have thought she was dead, but she wasn’t. She watched as the killers cut the clothing off her parents and tied them upside down by the ankles like animals. They then cut off their hands, decapitated them, bled them out and skinned them. The girl was able to get up and run to the authorities, but after the police took her statement, she disappeared. They believe that the killers came back for her to finish the job.”

George and Tim stared at Henry in awe. Unable to fathom what horrors occurred in these twisted woods. “This seems like the perfect time to go relieve myself, alone, in the woods, in the dark. Give me that flashlight.” George said sarcastically, snatching the flashlight from Henry’s hand. As George left his group and wandered out in the woods, he couldn’t shake the thought that he was being followed.

“I swear, if one of you jumps out and scares me, I’m going to take the car and leave you stranded here!” He yelled forcefully. He faced the campsite, keeping an untrusting, watchful eye on his buddies and unzipped his pants when suddenly the sound of footsteps behind him froze his body where he was standing. A warm breath hit the nape of his neck and the words “I’ll come back for you later” were whispered into his ear. George screamed and darted through the woods. “There’s someone here!” He screamed. Tim jumped out of his seat. Henry laughed,

“Dude, chill out! You’re just freaking out because of the story. Everything is fine.” He tried to assure him.

“I’m not making this up! Someone literally whispered in my ear!” George cried.

“We’ve had a lot to drink, man. Plus, I made it all up, anyway. Let’s call it a night." George nodded and climbed into his tent.

Tim sighed in relief. “Damn, Henry. That was one hell of a story. You really had me freaked out. Thank God, you made it up."

Henry looked down at his can of beer and finished it off “I didn’t.” He whispered and departed into his tent.

The night was hushed until a scream rang from Tim’s tent. “There’s someone out here!” he screamed in terror. “They were just in my tent, I swear!” They all gathered back to the center of camp.

“It’s not that big of a deal, man. I’m sure it was just some animal.” George said condescendingly. “They took my duffle bag! I saw it!”

Henry quickly realized the truly sketchy situation he had created. “Where’s the car keys?” Henry demanded.

“I can’t remember where exactly I put them.” Tim reported.

George applauded Henry’s supposed performance but stopped when Henry's gaze failed to waver. “Why are you suddenly freaking out, Henry? The bits over. You already told us you made it up.”

“I lied! It’s all true. We have to get out of here.”

Tim and George said nothing and immediately started looking for the missing keys. Henry ran to the car to find it locked and empty. He dragged a deep distorted breath into his lungs but then stopped at full capacity. He noticed something about the car appeared wrong. He slowly stepped backwards, and the breath deflated at the realization that the tires had been slashed. Keys or not, there was no way out. A metal clanking sound began to chime from the woods where the car was parked.

“What is that? Do you guys hear that?” Tim asked as he stared into the darkness until the darkness took his sight. The three of them stood, staring out into the woods, waiting to see what would happen next. Suddenly, they all realized what the chime was. It was the keys being jingled by an unknown hand. A hand that snuck into Tim’s tent to take the car keys and slash their tires, a hand that wanted to do them harm. It was at this exact moment that the men’s thoughts synced together, and they all took off running, in the opposite direction, into the woods. Swift footsteps sounded behind them which made the men run even faster. The darkness of the night made it impossible for the guys to know how long they’d been running through the woods.

“We’re lost!” Tim cried.

“We’re not lost! It’s fine!” Henry said with too much confidence before tripping over a tree’s roots.

“Look! I think that’s a cabin!” George stated with excitement. A cabin materialized from the darkness. A lit candle in the window signified that someone was in there and could help them, they thought. The three of them ran up the steps and immediately began to bang on the door “Help us!” “We need help!” “Someone’s after us!” They all yelled.

Henry’s face quickly turns to confusion when Edwina opened the door.

“What are you doing here?” He said while grabbing hold of her shoulders and pulling her inside with protective force. The men followed their friends lead into the cabin, slamming the door shut.

“This is my cabin. What’s going on? I heard you yelling that someone was after you?” Edwina said furrowing her brows with concern.

“Yes! The killer is in the woods!” Tim yelled aggressively.

“Okay, take a breath. Everything will be okay!” Edwina said calmingly.

“Wait. Did you know she was staying here?” George questioned skeptically.

“I had no idea, but I’m so happy to see you!” Henry exclaimed, pulling her in for a tight hug.

George’s eyes scanned the old cabin. It was too weird to be a coincidence, he thought.

“I’ll grab you boys a hot cup of lavender tea to soothe your nerves.” Edwina said as she descended through the cabin and into the kitchen.

The men sat down on the dusty couch in the front room. “I’m so glad we found her! She’s alone! What if the killer found her first?” Henry thought of the terrible things that might have happened to his beautiful girlfriend, had they not shown up. Guilt began to creep under his skin when he realized they likely put her in danger by leading the killer to her. “I think we should go.” George said in a stern voice and heavy eyes. “Chill. We’re safe here for a minute. I’m sure Edwina has her car around the back. We’ll leave after we’ve calmed down.” Henry rationalized.

Edwina walked in with 3 cups of steaming hot tea on a tray. She passed each of them out to the guys and took a seat on the arm of the couch next to Henry. She gave him a gentle kiss on the head and held him closer to her. Each of the men held their teacups tight, taking sip after sip. “This tea is really good, Edwina, thank you! I’m already feeling calmer.” Tim said with gratitude. She smiled and began to pet Henry’s head, pulling him into her chest. Tim started to slowly sink into his seat, his head now resting on the arm of the chair. George began to scan the room again, waiting for danger to pop out at him. The sound of one of the ceramic glass teacups breaking on the hardwood floor jolted him. He looked to his right to see Henry passed out in Edwina’s arms. He looked to the left to see Tim hunched over the side of the couch. George tried to stand up, but gravity slammed him back into his seat. His head nodded over while he tried to use everything in his power to keep his eyes open. They fluttered open, closed, open, closed like a butterfly’s wings in slow motions. And that’s when he saw two open luggage bags filled with what looked like hospital instruments, scalpels, hammers, tongs, knives, tarps. Maniacal laughter reverberated through the cabin. His eyes finally shut, and he felt his body fall deeper into the couch until he was eventually unconscious.

George awoke naked on his back, on a cold metal slab. A petrifying cry exits Tim’s body. George tried to get up but realized his arms and legs were in restraints. He lifted his head to the left, in an attempt to see his friend but all he could see was a medical light and a bloody bucket. The air around him was stale and the walls and floor were made of dirt. He laid his head back down and looked up to his right to see Henry quietly sobbing. “What’s going on?” He questioned, already knowing the answer. The sound of flesh being torn from the hypodermis sounds almost like separating Velcro, George's stunned brain thought. Tim's heavy skin splattered into the metal bucket. He looked to his friend again only this time, desperately wanting to be wrong. “What’s going on?” George cried out, stifling back tears. Henry’s face said it all, his eyes were swollen from sobbing so hard, and saliva and snot covered his red face. Edwina approached her blubbering beau and ran her fingers through his short curly hair. “Why are you doing this?” Henry winced as he heard what sounded like Tim’s intestines being emptied from his body and onto the dirty floor. She tilted her head and smiled lovingly.

“Well, Henry. I got tired of running away from who I really was, who I was created to be, and I couldn’t understand how my little sister could be so much of herself. I left my family to pursue other hobbies, but nothing could ever match the feeling I get when I hunt. So, I decided to test it out and see how I felt about it. I met you, wooed you and then planted the idea of camping in the woods. You’re so simple, I knew you would take the bait.”

She looked over to her sister, Helene, and gave her a devilish smirk and shrugged her shoulders.

“I thought you really cared about me!” Henry cried.

Edwina laughed, “Oh dear, you were nothing special, I promise. However, you were easy.” She and Helene laughed at the man’s naivety.

Helene walked over with a saw and a bucket.

“Here.” she said handing the items over to Edwina.

She placed the bucket on the floor directly under Henry’s head. She grabbed him from under the armpits and pulled him closer towards her, allowing his head to fall over the edge of the table, forcing him to strain his neck. Henry's sobs became more hysterical. His blood began to pool in his face, tears ran up into his hair.

“What are you doing?” George screamed as he watched his friend plead with death.

Edwina took the saw in both hands while remaining eye contact with her beau and sawed through his skin and bones. Blood gurgled in his throat until she got to the vertebrae to which it started to ooze out of him like a weak fountain. George closed his eyes and wished he could close his ears as well. The sound of the saw crackling through his spine caused George to vomit on himself. A faint thump sounded, and it was quiet. George regretfully opened his eyes to see Henry’s head on the ground staring at him, his eyes twitching and blinking sporadically.

Helene slowly approached George. His mind was in shock and all he could see through his tear encapsulated eyes were two demons covered in his friend's blood. His lips curled into a tortured smile as he thought about his dog, back home, who will be anticipating his return and spend the rest of his life wondering when his owner will arrive. “This one has more meat on his bones.” Helene said as she inspected his parts. “We should keep him alive for a while. Save him for a special occasion.” George laid there, catatonic, gazing up at the ceiling while Helene continued to check for the best parts of him. His eyes glazed over, and his body convulsed as he fought the new images that are now imprinted his brain. He tuned out the laughter that emanated from the women’s lungs. The wind blew around the cabin and the birds chirped. George's mind may have been in a catatonic state, but his body wasn't. Hollow barks and shrieks escaped his lungs and echoed through the woods. The trees finally made noise, their branches whipping in the wind. More poor souls were collected and soon Edwina and Helene's stomachs will be full...