Rachegeist

The cabin had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The cabin had been completely forgotten about for many years as it was nestled deep in the Appalachian mountains. It had been there since the Great Depression, and many people who had even simply walked past it, said it as haunted. The cabin belonged to a man by the name of Jakob Angermann, the son of German immigrants, who were farmers from the Saxony region. Jakob built this cabin in the autumn of 1928, and he had lived alone for a few years before meeting his future wife at a local diner in 1932. Granted, he couldn't afford anything on the menu, but still he came into Macy's Greasy Spoon everyday just to see his beloved Fiona. She had a smile that could light up any of his darkest days, and a face that was more beautiful than the setting sun among the horizon on a summer's day. He would refer to her as his guardian angel, and the love of his life.

They were married by the end of 1940, and in the summer of the following year, they welcomed the birth of their son, Ethan. While living in the cabin with her new, young family, Fiona would often catch a glimpse of some one walking around, just outside of their home. From what she could tell, it was always a woman, who was dressed in a cream colored blouse and a navy knee length skirt. Although, something about this woman was very upsetting; her skin had an unusual green hue, and her face was alarmingly swollen. The clothes that she wore had large yellow and black stains upon them.

Perhaps one of the most frightening experiences that Fiona had ever endured was when she was in her vegetable garden. After harvesting some carrots, Fiona rose from her position and turned to make her way back into her house, but as she turned the corner, she was met face to face with the woman. Gazing upon the ghoulish face of this woman, Fiona was even more terrified than before. The woman's eye color had turned a cool grey, with a milky wash over them. The right eye socket had become enlarged, as if the eye was about to fall out. Her blonde French side part bob had become so matted and so filthy, that her hair appeared to be a dull shade of brown. The woman's lips were coarse and withered , but when she parted them as if to speak, only a soft but audible sigh was released. Just then, Fiona heard the backdoor of the cabin slam shut, and the steady footsteps of her husband behind her. Before she turn back to the woman, she had vanished into thin air.

"Jakob, did you see her?" Fiona asked him "Did you see the woman? It's the same person I always see at our kitchen window It's her!" Jakob studied his wife for a moment, then decided to walk her over to their small porch. As they sat down on the modest wicker chairs, Jakob poured some fresh lemonade with wild blackberries. Fiona took her glass and stared off into the distance. She wondered who the entity could be and what it wanted. Suddenly it dawned on her; the woman looked an awful lot like Jakob's sister, Genevieve. How could that be? Genevieve was alive and she was still residing with her parents in Bushkill. She surveyed the land surrounding the cabin. It was empty, and it was isolated, but somehow she could still sense a presence in the area. Jakob cleared his throat and shifted in his chair, then peered into the kitchen window.

"You know, only you and my mother complain about seeing ghosts. I haven't seen any. Sometimes I think I hear your voice in Ethan's bedroom when you aren't even here," he confessed. "However, my mother has told me that she sees an old man sitting on the porch each time she comes to visit. She has no idea who it could be. He just sits and stares out into the openness. He doesn't speak, but eventually he would rise from his seat and walk towards the back door and disappear. However, how could this cabin be haunted? I built it with my own bare hands! I haven't seen this ghost woman and I do believe that the isolation of these mountains are getting to you. Maybe you should go into town for a little while. I think it'll do you some good!" Jakob stated. To this, Fiona was flabbergasted.

"I can't even describe the amount of disbelief I have right now. You honestly think that I'm hallucinating? What about who your mother saw? Was she seeing things as well?" Fiona interrogated her husband. She added, " The woman who I saw looked just like you sister Genevieve. She looked just like her! She exclaimed. Jakob stared at her and scoffed. He shook his head and rose from his seat. She followed him into their home and made her way to Ethan's bedroom. As she watched her child peacefully sleep in his crib, she cautiously looked out of the window. A steady rain fell from the sky and as the sky darkened, Fiona went on to fix dinner.

As the evening progressed, the general sense of unease developed more and more. It was difficult to place what was amiss about the atmosphere, but it was quite evident. When both Jakob and Fiona where in the living room, peacefully listening to the radio before bed, he confessed something eerily coincidental. He took his wife's hand in his and told her about the strange dreams he had been having for about one month. Each night he has dreamt of his sister. She was always asking him for help in either spoken words or in the expressions in her face. Every night the dreams seemed to get worse and more disturbing. She would appear in the forest, at first she appeared to be in good health, but as time went on, the more she would appear to be deceased and in the progress of decay. Her clothes were filthy, her hair was matted and brittle. The most recent dream that Jakob had endured was one of discovering his sister laying on a large stone in the middle of the woodland. She laid so still that to the naked eye, she was dead. Suddenly, she sat up, turned her head to face him and said, "Why did you never help me? You let me die. You've forgotten the love we shared before she came along, " Genevieve spat spitefully. "I am your beloved sister, and you left me here, all alone. I swear to you, Jakob, someday you will suffer the way I did. I'll make sure of it. You and I will rot in this festering place for all eternity!" She screamed, deranged and clawing at the stone, she stood and ran towards the cliff, plummeting to her death.

Fiona listened to her husband's dream, completely terrified. Although, she began to question him about their relationship. He was hesitant to explain it to his wife. In the past Genevieve and Jakob's relationship was always as endearing and as close as ever. He protected her from what she was most afraid of- thunder and lightning. Every time a storm rolled in during the hot summer nights of their childhood; Genevieve would crawl into bed with her older brother. He would hold her until the storm passed, comforting her for every minute of it. This kind of behavior continued until their adolescence. When Genevieve turned 19, her bond with her brother became even more strong, with it now turning into an obsession. Every afternoon, and evening Genevieve desired to be in the company of Jakob, even if her own parents disapproved of it. She did have some friends of her own, although that was only a few and she showed a jealous and domineering personality over them. She frequently fell out of friendships and relationships during her years as an adult. It was the summer of 1939 when her parents began to suspect that there was something very wrong with their daughter.

In June of that year, Genevieve started to exhibit signs of insanity. She locked herself away in her bedroom for days. She did not eat, she did not sleep, Genevieve had become a total recluse. However, during the night, she would venture out into the woodlands surrounding the family home to collect stones, twigs, and dried leaves. She would place the large stones in a circular pattern on the floor of her bedroom, and she would take the twigs and nail them to the walls in a design that would strangely catch the eye. After pulling out strands of her own hair, Genevieve would stuff the twig creations with hair and dried leaves. When her parents forced themselves into her room, and they had seen all of the peculiar artwork littered about the bedroom, they were frightened. They were very superstitious people, they now believed that their child had become possessed.

It was July when Jakob had received a letter from his mother, explaining what was going on regarding his younger sister. His mother informed him that they have decided to take Genevieve to an area in the mountains, not so far away from where Jakob resided. Their plan was to take her away in the night, as to make sure that none of their neighbors would see their sick daughter, and to drive her up into the mountains where an exorcism can be performed. Jakob argued with his mother and father, claiming that a good doctor at a hospital and some love and support was all Genevieve really needed to make a full recovery. Despite everything, Jakob loved his sister, and he wanted what was best for her.

After confessing everything to his wife in regards to his sister, Jakob retired to their bedroom. The atmosphere was still particularly heavy, but Jakob could not keep his eyes open. Sleep fell over him, however there was a strange odor in the house that was quite pungent. It was the sweet smell of rot and decay, and it was most palpable in the bedroom. While Fiona laid Ethan down in his crib for the night, she noticed the foul smell as well. After a few moments it had dissipated. She ventured out into the living room. She took a seat and read through some mail that she did not get the chance to do so before. Fiona discovered a letter from Jakob's mother and father, so she decided to open it without waking her husband. Upon reading the letter, and much to Fiona's alarm, it stated that Genevieve had committed suicide at the Witches Head Mountain. She had been the thresholds of the exorcism when she became volatile. She spat at her parents, she began to crawl on her hands and knees while licking the large stone she was laying on. She tore at her clothing, her flesh, and she even attempted to pull her own eye out of its socket. Before suddenly jumping to her death, Genevieve looked her mother in the eye and said, "Hell is real, and I'm going to rot in it. You'll burn, too, and so will she!" The letter also stated that Genevieve was laid to rest in the mountains, but there will not be a funeral. She was buried closest to the man she loved the most; her beloved brother, Jakob. Fiona ran into their bedroom, where she was met with her husband.

Jakob sat up without saying a word, but suddenly he turned to face his wife. She studied him as he stared at her. He spoke, "Genevieve is dead, isn't she?" To this Fiona slowly nodded. She walked over to the bed to comfort him, but he grabbed her wrist. His eyes were bloodshot, and he said, "They never buried her, she's still there, up on that mountain," he stated. To Fiona's horror, he added, "Hell is real, and I will rot in this festering hole for all eternity!" Fiona shrieked and ran out of their bedroom. She gazed at her wrist, and to her disbelief, there was a large burn mark around her wrist.

After taking care of her wound, she entered her bedroom in the early morning hours. Her husband still laid there, completely lifeless. She attempted to shake him awake, but he did not wake. When she rolled Jakob on his back, his grey eyes were fixed. He drew no breath and his heart had stopped beating. He was dead. Heartbroken, Fiona looked about the room, trying to rationalize what had happened. In her heart she knew who was responsible for her husband's death, but who would believe her? Now, it's said that after Fiona had her husband buried in Bushkill, she decided to move out of the cabin and into a small town known as Jim Thorpe and she lived out her days there along with her son. She never remarried, and she became somewhat of a hermit during her last days.

Today, some people say that the cabin is still haunted by the ghost of Genevieve Angermann and her brother. Some folks claim that she is still visible in the window of the cabin, lighting a candle. They say you can still smell the distinct odor of rotten flesh if she is nearby, and her grotesque visage is quite a sight to behold. Local kids like to scare each other by daring one another to enter the cabin and light a candle. The legend is that if you leave a candle burning in the window, the vengeful spirit of Genevieve will fall in love with you, and she will drag you down to hell with her! As for Jakob, it's said that his sister never found him in the afterlife, so perhaps he escaped her, or maybe he is still here...