The Body In The Bed

This is a result of Julie suggesting that I develop the horror story I posited at the beginning of this story and enter it into the Campfire Ghost Story Challenge.

This is for the Vocal Campfire Ghost Story Challenge to be judged by Chelsea Catherine and Meg Anderson both prize-winning Vocal members.

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

I don’t know where I was walking or why I was walking, I didn’t think it was strange just I didn't know where I was. I wasn’t lost but I didn't know how I had got here or why I was here.

Then I saw the candle in the window. I know the cabin had always been abandoned, not falling down but not somewhere you would want to visit, even out of curiosity.

I was being drawn to it though, I don’t know how. I then tripped on a paving stone. I didn’t fall, I steadied myself and looked at the paving stones on the path and they were actually gravestones, and the path led to the door of the cabin and the lit candle.

I tried to make out the words on the stones, and there were letters that looked like names but my mind was fogged and the only words I could see were "DIED" on every stone. I looked back and saw that the path of gravestones disappeared into a grey-green mist in which things seemed to be moving or drifting. The things looked worse going forward, the cabin was looking like the safest place, but I really didn't want to go there.

Outside I was feeling more threatened, though I don’t know what by. Nothing seemed to have any form or substance but that only made them more frightening. I had nothing to defend myself with, only my hands and wits, and I looked down and realised I was wearing nothing but a dirty white smock, the sort of thing they make you wear in hospital just before they send you for an examination. Why was I dressed like this, out in the woods on a foggy night?

The fog and its denizens were getting closer, the cabin was the only refuge in this place that was getting creepier for me by the second. I then felt something on my feet, I looked down and realised I wasn’t wearing any footwear, and ants and millipedes were running over the path and my feet which made me feel very queasy. At least they weren’t running up my legs ... yet.

I was compelled to make for the cabin as I saw shapes detaching themselves from the mists, I didn’t want them to touch me, I felt fingers of icy fear in my very soul, I wanted to wake from this nightmare but it was all too real.

I got to the door and pushed. It was heavy but it opened slowly with a creak. The candle was burning and there was a huge fire burning in the hearth, bigger than any fireplace I had seen, and in fact there seemed to be no grate , just a fire. I had not seen smoke coming out of the chimney, but I think my attention had been diverted elsewhere.

I looked in the corner and there was a bed, someone was in it.

I went and prodded them, but there was no movement.

I pulled the sheet down and saw my dead face.

I didn’t see the wings or the red leather skin

“Come Michael, You Have Dallied Too Long” and I was grabbed by cruel claws and pushed into the fire that was the Gate To Hell.

........................................................

This may be why this happened