The Cottage

The two-lane highway dimmed as shadows crept in from the forest, flanking it on both sides. Nora turned on the car’s lights, the twin beams cutting through the growing darkness. I knew I should have left earlier, she scolded herself, checking her phone GPS one more time to make sure she wouldn’t miss the turn. She scanned the road ahead for any animals that might think it was safe to cross and saw nothing. That would have been a relief, had ‘nothing’ not been her only sight for the past hour and a half. She had never driven on this stretch of highway before, but it struck her as odd that no one else was driving; it was only just after 8:00pm. Get a grip Nora; you’ve been watching way too many horror movies lately. To ease her senseless paranoia, she tuned into a station that played classic rock and turned the volume up. She smiled; much better than the news station, especially with the anchors going on about the atrocious endeavours of criminals, both convicted and free.

Her GPS reminded her that the turn was coming up on her right. Nora slowed the car down and peered out the passenger window. The sunset was nearly complete; the landscape was washed in grays and blacks, making the little road difficult to spot. Trees loomed in from the forest, some threatening to topple over onto the highway. Low-hanging branches scraped the roof of the car, creating an eerie screeching that rose goosebumps all along her arms. Nora widened her eyes and saw the road at last. Using the right turning signal, she rotated the steering wheel, gently guiding her car onto the dirt road. If the highway had been creepy, then this dirt road was terrifying: narrow, room enough for only a single vehicle, and darker than any road she’d ever driven on. Here, the forest seemed to take advantage of the low traffic flow and had nearly taken the road back into its domain. Bushes rooted on the very edge of the road, vines creeping alongside, and the trees hovered at all heights like shadows. The wind moaned through the forest; the leaves crackling and the bark creaking, crafting the croaking laughs of the deranged. High above, the full moon glowed behind a veil of wispy clouds, casting a watered-down milky light onto the forest and road. As natural as this was, it felt anything but for Nora at this moment.

A sharp turn to the left appeared and Nora knew this was the last turn she’d have to make before reaching the cottage. A cottage was what Mark had called it, but she wasn’t sure if a two-story log structure complete with a second-floor wrap-around balcony, a fire pit, backyard gazebo and Wi-Fi fit snuggly into the cottage category. But a cottage sounded relaxing and warm and she thought of nothing else as she made the turn.

The lights in the windows were a welcomed sight as Nora pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. She stared wide-eyed at the cottage. I indeed made it of solid logs, round and perfectly smooth. The lower portion of the cottage was fashioned from slabs of stone and grey brick, a beautiful contrast to the light wood making up the rest of the structure. A warm light emanating from the back told her someone had started a fire, and as she opened the car door, she could indeed hear the cozy sound of crackling flames and burning logs. The darkness of the oncoming night that had shaken her moments before dimmed in the cottage’s ambiance and she breathed out with relief as she gathered her purse and overnight bag and locked the car doors.

“Nora!” A woman jogged from behind the house and ran to her with open arms. Nora smiled and set down her bag just as the woman wrapped her arms around her.

“Hi Carol,” Nora said as she hugged the woman back. It had been so long since she’d last seen Mark’s mom, last summer, in fact, and it was nice to see her again. She looked good, healthier than the last time, will fuller cheeks and brighter eyes. “It’s so good to see you. Have you been making those recipes I’ve been sending?”

Carol smiled. “I sure have; actually I just took some sweet potato out of the oven. Are you hungry?”

Nora nodded feverishly. “Yes! I haven’t eaten since my last pit stop and I am starving!” She laughed as she followed Carol inside.

The interior of the cottage wasn’t unlike its exterior: wooden, dim, but cozy, and very welcoming. Nora looked around the living room and longed to sit in the plush recliner and put her feet up on the matching ottoman while gazing into the roaring fireplace. It didn’t matter that it was barely August; Nora could enjoy a fire any time of the year, especially if that fire crackled behind a gothic-styled ornamental gate in a fireplace whose dark grey brick covered the wall floor to ceiling. It was beautiful. The room off the living area was the kitchen, where the smell of freshly baked sweet potatoes wafted in delicious waves. Nora followed Carol to the granite counter top island and sat down on the bar stool. Carol placed three wedges of the orange root vegetable on a plate and spooned a generous pile of hummus next to them.

Nora sniffed the meal. “Smells great,” she offered before dipping a wedge into the hummus and taking a bite. “Tastes even better!”

Carol chuckled. “Glad you like them. Anything to drink?” Nora nodded whilst chewing and Carol took a can of iced tea out of the fridge. Nora pulled the tab and took a refreshing drink. “Thanks.”

Taking a bite for herself, Carol nodded to Nora. “How was the drive?”

“Uneventful. There was surprisingly little traffic on the way here. It was odd.”

Carol shrugged. “Not really; even though it’s still summer, there aren’t too many cottages around here. In fact, this is one of the last ones standing.”

Nora tilted her head. “Oh? Why’s that?”

A frown tugged at Carol’s lips. “Some neighbours said it was too remote for them; most of them are up there in age, so I guess it’s too much for them to drive up here and be so isolated.”

Nora hummed sympathetically. “That makes sense.”

“Others said the area was becoming overrun by bears, but I haven’t seen more than usual, so I chalked it up to money.”

“Money?”

“Keeping a cottage in good condition, including water and electric bills, gets pricey, Nora. Not everyone can keep up, so they sell and move on.” Carols’ eyes dropped to the dark countertop. “It’s really sad. I love this cottage; I can’t imagine having to give it up.”

Nora smiled and placed her hand on Carol’s. “Mark loves it too; he won’t let anything happen to it.”

Carol smiled and nodded. “You’re right Nora.” Her smiled faded the slightest bit. “Still, it’s sad to see these cottages go vacant. I didn’t even get to say goodbye to some of our neighbours.”

Nora blinked. “What do you mean?”

“The ones who moved or sold their property I saw leave; I even helped some of them pack up their stuff. But some just left without a word; I didn’t even see some of them leave at all. They just seemed to have gone. It was really strange.”

Nora considered this for a few minutes, but Carol changed the subject before she could comment. “Anyway, enough of that; did Mark say when he would get here?”

Nora frowned. “He hasn’t called you yet?”

“No; I just assumed he was driving. I commend him on not using his phone while behind the wheel.”

Nora nodded. “Me too. He said he should be getting in close to nine.” She glanced at the clock on the wall above the stove: 8:43. “Should be soon, then. I can’t wait for him to get here; it feels like I haven’t seen him in a while.”

Carol laughed. “You two are attached at the hip!” Nora smiled and laughed too. Carol wasn’t exaggerating; since they had met three years ago at a dog shelter charity fundraiser, they had been inseparable. A year hadn’t passed when they moved in together, and they had recently started talking about adopting a dog, since their finances were finally coming together. Just the two of them and a pooch; it would be the beginning of their family.

Carol clapped her hands together. “Alright, enough daydreaming; let’s go say hi to everyone out back.” Nora took another sip of her iced tea and hopped off the bar stool, eagerly following Carol through the living room into what had to be a game room, passed a hallway and staircase and through the back door onto a large deck. The fire Nora had glimpsed on her way in was roaring proudly into the night sky, casting dark shadows all around the perimeter of the circle of awaiting people. There were five, and Nora knew them all: Mark’s cousins Charles and Rachel, their spouses Madison and Julius, and Carol’s sister Dana. Nora glanced sideways at Carol. “Tim couldn’t make it?”

Carol shook her head. “Work; he couldn’t get the time off. He promised he’d make it next time.”

“That’s too bad.” She hadn’t seen Mark’s brother in a while either, and had been looking forward to catching up with him as well as the rest of the family. Pushing that to the back of her mind, she moseyed down the steps to the family below. Hugs and greetings went around, quick “How have you been?” and “You look so good!” made the air light and jovial as they all settled around the fire to catch up, roast some marshmallows and hot dogs, and tell stories. A few comments went around about the vacant cottages Carol had mentioned earlier, but aside from that, all conversations remained bright and cheery.

Nora loved listening to the familial banter, and she allowed herself to fade into happy thoughts and musings as this went on. She gazed around the property. The rear of the cottage boasted grand windows that no doubt offered an amazing view of the lush surrounding forest. In the daytime, it must be beautiful: hues of green blending with the light blue of the sky peeking through the leaves, the chirping of birds and chittering of squirrels swirling around in a harmony no surround-sound system could compete with. Her eyes, which had closed, now opened to a much different setting: it was quiet and dark, all colour of the trees and sky drained to blacks and grays, fuzzy without the sun’s light to shine on minute details. The breeze whispered through the muted leaves, and that same croaking she had heard on the road followed her to the cottage. Shadows seemed to move in shapes that seemed impossible, and twigs snapped in the distance. Nora shivered and gathered shawl more closely around her shoulders. Her eyes swept the treeline, which seemed to have moved in closer, like an entity peering into the light of a bedroom window, eager for a view of the breathing flesh getting ready for bed inside. A movement caught her eyes and she swivelled them to it, catching her breath as she stared up at the second-story window. A figure moved across the pane, cloaked in shadow. She stood abruptly, a small squeak escaping her lips.

Rachel stared in concern. “What is it Nora?”

“There’s someone upstairs.” Her voice came out in a whisper, much quieter than intended. Silence followed, and then chuckles. She stared around the circle, baffled.

Julius put an arm around Rachel. “It’s not time for ghost stories just yet, Nora.” Everyone smiled at his remark. But Nora insisted. “I’m serious,” she said in a louder voice. “I saw someone in the window; that one!” She pointed her finger, which she just noticed was trembling, to the farthest window at left of the cottage. Her voice seemed to grab their attention, and they all turned to look at the window. There was nothing but the tranquil darkness of an empty room. Gravel crunched, echoing in the still night. All eyes became fixated on the corner of the cottage, where the sound came from the driveway.

“Hey everyone, sorry I’m late; I stopped to pick up some refreshments.” Mark smiled and hoisted the twenty-four pack of beer a little higher as proof. He frowned at the less than enthusiastic stares. “What’s wrong? I’m not that late, am I?”

Carol stood. “Nora thinks she saw someone upstairs.” Nora nodded in affirmation.

Mark’s face relaxed. “Yeah, that was me, sorry. I pulled up a few minutes ago and went upstairs real quick before coming out back.” He set down the case of beer and pulled out a bottle opener from his pocket. “I remembered on my way here that I had left it in my room last time we were here. Figured we’d need it for these guys,” he added, prodding the case with his foot.

Nora breathed out and ran to Mark. He enveloped her with his arms and held her tight. “Sorry I scared you, love; guess I’m so used to my room that I didn’t need to turn on the light.”

Nora squeezed him back. “Your uncanny ability to see in the dark may come in handy someday.” She smiled up at him. “I’m just glad you’re finally here.” She kissed him softly.

Mark smiled against her lips. “So am I.” They parted and rejoined the circle, beer and bottle opener in hand. “Shall we get this party started?”

Around the fire, the conversations, laughs, and beers went around enthusiastically, rising into the crisp night air along with the wispy grey smoke and sparkling embers. Sitting next to Mark with her arm linked with his, Nora giggled and sighed and snorted whenever a story or comment prompted it. She was so glad she had come; it really felt like she was part of the family. But something kept nagging at her, way back inside her head. Try as she might, she could not shake it; she allowed it to pull her back and felt the hairs on her arms and the back of her neck prickle and rise and a shiver crawled up and down her spine. She glanced behind her, then to her left and right, and ahead, passed Carol and Charles’ heads. Eyes seemed to gleam from the shadows, bright and twitching. Nora shut her eyes tightly and opened them again. Still there, and while she tried to convince herself that they were just the eyes of nocturnal wildlife, she couldn’t, not so long as she stared at the much-too-bright eyes of something twice as tall as she was. It didn’t move, didn’t blink, and Nora found herself frozen, staring at it, wishing against everything that it didn’t move, didn’t blink, didn’t vanish and reappear closer, didn’t reveal itself; if she couldn’t see its true form, it may not be real.

“Nora, are you okay?” Mark’s voice and gentle touch startled her. Her eyes left the other eyes and stared at Mark. Rapidly she glanced back and swallowed; gone, nothing but darkness and vacant shadows. She turned back to Mark. “Uh, yeah, just tired.”

Mark frowned slightly. “Do you want to go to bed?”

Before she could answer, a round of moaning protests rose from the circle. “You can’t go yet, Nora,” Rachel whined.

“Yeah,” Julius chirped, adjusting his glasses. “We were just getting ready for a good bone-chilling round of ghost stories.” He grinned childishly. “Figured you’d want to go first.”

Her heart was still settling down from her vision in the forest, and a part of her wanted to just go to bed, curl under the covers and wait for morning. Another look around the fire convinced her to stay; she had a hard time saying no to such happy, friendly faces.

So she smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll stay, but you have to go first Julius. I like horror stories, but I’m awful at coming up with them.” Jovial jeers echoed in the night as all eyes turned to Julius. All cheer had drained from his face as he assumed a mask of dramatic intensity, the firelight reflecting off his glasses, giving him the perfect visage of a ghost story master.

“Alright, let’s begin. This is a tale of shadows, disappearances, and madness. There was once a small community of cottages that lay nestled in a green wood next to a shimmering blue lake. All the residents knew each other; they were friendly, open and helpful, and loved their quiet homes very much.”

“Ooh,” said Charles, adding some ambiance. The others giggled softly.

Julius ignored them and continued. “One day, a day that was the same as all the other days spent by their lakeside home, they noticed that one cottage stood empty. They tried to recall what had happened: had a family moved out without saying goodbye? Had anyone lived there at all? None of them could remember, so they investigated.

“The cottage lay further into the forest than the others, where it was darker and enveloped in a heavy silence. The trees seemed to lean away from it, as though they didn’t want to touch its slightly rotted wood and peeling painted porch. There were a few signs of occupants here and there around the property: a faded blue lawn chair on the porch, an old canoe propped against the side, a tire swing hanging lifelessly from a massive tree in the front. But besides these few things, there was no evidence of anyone having lived there in a very long time.

“Inside, the cottage was dark and musty, with spots of dust floating in the few thin beams of sun that found their way inside. They dared not speak, for any sound they made sounded too loud for such a place. Chairs lay toppled over, a table sat on its side; the floor was strewn with leaves and paper cups and plates that someone had neglected to put away. All were normal signs of someone having moved on without picking up after themselves, and the residents began to feel foolish for thinking otherwise. That is, until they began to notice other things: a mouldy banana loaf sitting on the counter; a pile of clothes neatly folded and gathering dust on the bed; children’s toys stacked in a chest against the wall. Surely no one would leave such things behind?

“Suddenly they heard a noise coming from the far bedroom, the one no one had gone in yet. The noise froze them where they stood, for it was no noise they had ever heard before: a deep throaty whine that vibrated as it slowly rose to a splitting shriek, and finally boomed into a guttural roar. No animal could make that sound; the residents felt their hearts stop and the blood freeze in their veins as they stood staring at the closed door which separated them from the thing beyond. Each made the same desperate prayer inside their heads: Please don’t open, please don’t open, please don’t—

“The doorknob slowly turned and the door creaked open. Darkness lay beyond the crack, and so did two bright, round eyes, hovering at the very top of the doorway. The entire cottage descended into an unnatural blackness. No one heard the residents’ screams.” Julius sat back from the fire, his eyes glowing as he observed the effects of his tale.

Nora couldn’t look at anyone else’s face; she was too busy trying to remember how to breathe. Horror films and stories were amongst her favourite things in life, and she never grew tired of the genre. But Julius’s tale had gripped her tight and thrust an icicle deep inside, right to her core. She felt nauseous, shaky and cold, and tried to regulate her breathing and blink so she didn’t scare anyone. Get a grip, she scolded herself, it was just a scary story. You’re only this scared because you’re in a forest and staying at a cottage. Calm down. At last the air she had been harbouring in her lungs forced itself out, and she gave a nervous giggle.

“Wow Julius, you sure know how to tell it.” Rachel squeezed her husband’s arm and pecked him on the cheek. Madison and Charles nodded, looking scared but recovering fast.

Dana and Carol exchanged looks. “Have you been saving that one for a while, or did you just come up with it?”

Julius shrugged. “Kind of just came to me.”

“Well, I for one say bravo,” said Mark, clapping him on the shoulder. “And extra points for relating it to our weekend in the woods at a cottage.” Julius beamed at the praise and then turned to Nora. “So, what do you say Nora, you up for following my masterpiece?”

Nora tried to indulge him and make a joke, but she felt suddenly drained. The forest seemed darker than it had not too long ago, and she felt a heaviness in the air, almost as though a storm was coming. Sounds from the surrounding forest boomed and stole her attention away: creaking wood, hissing leaves in the cold air, heavy rattling breathing from behind that pine… She shook her head. “No, sorry, but I feel exhausted suddenly. Can we pick this up tomorrow?” Mark looked sideways at her but said nothing.

Carol nodded. “You go on to bed sweetie; you had a long day. We’ll talk more in the morning over breakfast.”

Grateful for the excuse, Nora bid everyone goodnight and followed Mark inside. Stepping past the threshold did not soothe her mind like she thought it would. She felt worse, like she was walking closer to the unknown than further away. Most of the lights had been turned off, leaving the once warm and welcoming cottage feeling morose and unfriendly. Every corner of every room harboured invisible somethings: comfy furniture and cheery plants sat hard and eerie in the darkness, unfamiliar and uninviting. Suddenly, the shadows from the forest seeped inside, coating everything in thick, oily fear. She saw things in the darkness as her eyes played cruel tricks on her, creating the hunched over form quivering behind the potted fern, scratching insanities into the floorboards; the wispy entity hovering above Mark’s shoulder before it phased through the wall; the tall dark figure standing at the foot of the staircase, its form forgoing straight and coherent lines, while its impossibly bright eyes stared unfeelingly at her. As sure as she was that these things were not real, Nora felt herself instinctively slow her pace; she and Mark were walking directly to the stairs, directly to the figure from Julius’ story, the figure she had convinced herself had not just been outside in the woods, staring at her from the trees.

There was a quick flick of the light, and everything vanished. Mark smiled at her, unaware of the absurdities that had seconds before filled the room. “I’m just going to get us some water; why don’t you go up and get ready for bed?”

Nora clung to him. Without knowing the reason, she was sure that she could not—should not—go up there alone. “Let’s go together.”

Mark frowned with concern. “Are you alright? You seem jumpy. Did something about the story scare you that much?”

Nora tried to put on a reassuring and relaxed face. “N-no, it didn’t. I guess I’m still a little spooked from when I saw you upstairs earlier.”

This seemed to convince him, and he put his arm around her shoulders. “I told you that was me just getting my bottle opener. It’s just us here. I promise.”

Nora nodded, still somewhat uneasy. “Yeah, I guess that’s true considering the cottage situation, eh?”

Mark asked what she meant, to which Nora reminded him of the selling of properties and the seemingly vanishing neighbours.

Mark pressed his lips together. “Yeah, that’s a bummer. And just weird; it was like one day they were on their porch, and the next they were just gone. Not even a goodbye.”

Nora’s face creased with unease; Mark noticed. His lips caressed her forehead and she felt reassured, though a few hairs on the back of her neck remained raised. Mark quickly ran to the kitchen and came back just as quickly with two glasses of water. He handed one to her and took her hand with his free one. “Shall we?” Nora smiled, nodded, and ascended the stairs.

The light from downstairs illuminated only the bottom portion of the staircase, leaving the top half and the hallway beyond in almost pitch blackness. A window at the end of the hallway cast some moonlight inside, just enough to ensure nothing could be hidden. Three doors stood on their left, two on the right, one being a bathroom, the other a closet. Nora made her way to the furthest door on the left, about to turn the knob, when Mark stopped her.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

Nora gave him a quizzical look. “Going to your room. What else?”

Mark shook his head and took a few steps back until he stood in front of the middle door. “This is my room.”

She frowned. “But earlier you said you went to your room to get your bottle opener.” He nodded, confirming her words.

“Yeah, and I was; in this room.” He opened the door and turned on the light to make his point. Nora slowly followed him and went straight to the window. From it she could see the fire and Mark’s family still sitting around it, clearly having a good time. She could see where she and Mark had been sitting. And she could see that this window was not the last one on the left side of the cottage. Icy fingers gripped her body; she felt herself moving away from the window and back towards the door. Her heart pounded loudly in her ears, her throat closing as she put one foot, then the other, into the dark hallway. White noise filled her head as she turned to look at the last door, at the open doorway in which the tall dark figure stood, its bright circular eyes staring at her. Terrified, she stared back, willing it to stay as it was, still and distant, praying that it did not move; if it moved, she could no longer pretend it did not exist. Outside, a cloud covered the full moon; the hallway was obscured in shadow. Nora could not move; she could barely breathe as her eyes remained fixated on the two points of light that remained fixated on her. Please don’t move, please don’t move. Please. Don’t—

The eyes blinked. Nora screamed. The cottage stood silent in the dead of night.