The Cry of Death

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

Leave. Run. Never come back.

Fear echoed in Kali’s mind. She had lived at 364 Oakenshade Lane for 6 years and never once had that dilapidated cabin been inhabited. Not even the birds or squirrels went near it. But it was just beyond her property line that she could never get rid of it. For years it had stood there as a solemn reminder that one day everything will decay. But now, the cabin window flickered with life.

Kali instinctually reached for her phone. No signal. If this happened any day earlier, she would have listened to her gnawing fear and ignore the ominous cabin. Or better yet, she would have left. But this day was unlike any other before. An almost magnetic pull drew her to the cabin, no matter how much she could hear her mind begging her otherwise.

Hesitantly, Kali walked through the line of evergreens that separated her charming home from the neglected cabin. She took a single step over the barrier. A piercing ache buried itself into her neck, her breath quickened, and her body felt…cold. It was as if her body was warning her, trying to hurt her to keep her away. But she could not turn back…not now.

Kali reached the cracked front door. Should she knock? Should she run?

Kaaalllliiiii…

A faint, feminine voice sang her name.

She grasped the rusty doorknob, cautiously but determinedly.

This was it. There was no turning back now.

The cabin was dusty, moldy, cold. It could have once been beautiful, but it was left to rot in its own grave. Aside from a barren kitchen and grimy fireplace, the place was empty.

Kali crept towards the window, careful not to step on any rusty nails or shards from the wooden floorboards. The chipping walls of the cabin groaned, and the wind whistled its way through any cracks it could find.

There it stood, a single white candle. Its flame was struggling to survive.

Creak…

Kali spun around at the sudden noise. There was nothing behind her. Just the same, tattered cabin. Old wooden walls often made unsettling sounds.

But then she saw it. Fear festered like an infection in her stomach. On top of the barren fireplace was a single, white candle. It burned much brighter than the one on the window. Or so Kali thought. With a quick peek back to the window, Kali’s concern grew. The once dimly lit candle in the window now blazed as proudly as its twin.

Kali staggered towards the candle on the fireplace. She tried to blow it out with a trembling breath, but to no avail. Then, a slight rustling noise caught her attention. She knelt in front of the fireplace, peering into its shadowy mouth. There were no logs or papers. There was only a large pile of ash and the remnants of a long-forgotten fire.

The ashes stirred, imitating the cycle of a tornado. It rapidly grew higher, collecting the surrounding dirt and burnt wood chips that littered the fireplace floor. A soft, but raspy whisper emanated from its core.

Kali…

Kali jumped back.

The ash storm pulsated, shaping itself into a form that matched Kali’s height. From its smoky center, a ghastly figure emerged. In one lifetime, it would have been a woman. But in this one, it was a decrepit mess of stringy blonde hair and a shredded white dress. Its neck hung to its left side, as if broken by an invisible weight. Kali could barely see its face through the tassels of hair, but she knew it must have been as horrendous as the rest of its body. Its skin was pallid and bruised. Long, cracked fingernails and toenails protruded from its skeletal extremities. With a twitchy limp, the abomination struggled forward. Its toenails scratched the floor, like ten hooks dragging across the rough hardwood.

Scrape…scrape…

That was a sound Kali would never forget.

Kali…

Its voice sounded distorted and hoarse, but familiar.

Then…it screamed. It was the type of scream that could only come from the worst of agony.

It was the cry of death.

Kali was forced to cup her ears, trying to get that unbearable scream out of her head. A sweep of ash struck across Kali’s face, temporarily blinding her. The heart-wrenching shrieking had stopped. Kali’s vision slowly came back as she desperately rubbed her dry eyes. Her head jerked around, trying to find that terrible monster. But the cabin was empty. Almost empty.

A ring of white candles circled the spot where the thing appeared. Each one burned with an unnaturally bright flame.

Reason finally made its way into Kali’s brain as she raced for the door. She fumbled for the doorknob, but it was stuck. Not locked, but stuck.

Kali…

That distant whisper made her blood run cold.

It was coming back. It was coming back for her.

Kali hurried to the kitchen cabinets. The double-doored cabinet that was under the grimy sink was large enough for her to fit in. She frantically crawled inside and closed the doors, encasing herself in darkness.

Scrape…Scrape…SCRAPE…

Kali’s heart pounded so aggressively that she could feel it pulsing throughout her whole body.

SCRAPE…

The grating footsteps dragged near the cabinet she was hiding in. Then…silence.

The cabin seemed to freeze in place. The moans of the decrepit walls, the wheezes of wind sneaking through the cracks…it all went still. With trembling hands, Kali covered her nose and mouth. Did that thing hear her breath? Could it smell her? Tears stung her eyes and she squeezed them shut.

SCRAPE…

Go away, go away…Kali anxiously pleaded in her mind.

SCRAPE…

Scrape…

Scrape.

That terrible sound of broken talons against the hardwood faded. Many moments passed. No whispers of her name, no scraping, nothing. Kali fought with herself to get out of the cabinet. She had to keep moving. She had to survive.

With a deep breath, Kali pulled herself out. Luckily, she was alone. At least, for now. Her eyes fell upon the circle of candles on the floor. She scurried over to them, landing on her knees. Kali tried to blow out the candles, but they burned even brighter. With quivering hands, she clasped her palm over one of the candles. She expected pain, but felt nothing, not even a tingle. Her hand opened to reveal the smoke of the extinguished candle. Kali smothered the remaining flames. She leapt up to snuff the fireplace candle and then sprinted towards the final candle in the window.

SCRAPE…SCRAPE…

Fear gripped Kali’s body. An invisible weight pushed against her arm as she reached for the final flame. An icy claw dug itself into her neck. She cried out in pain. Her hand burned slightly. But the monster was too late. Kali got the last candle.

With a deafening screech, it clutched its neck as if it was suffocating. Kali fell to her knees with her hands cupped over her ears. The blood-curdling shriek pierced her ears, brain, and neck like spiny icicles. Her eyes were forced shut by fear and pain. She felt a pair of cold, calloused hands cling to the back of her neck. Kali screamed until her throat and lungs burned. Her heart throbbed within her chest.

Finally, the cabin went utterly still. That inhuman thing was gone. The candles were dead. She was alone once more.

Kali stumbled out of the forsaken cabin. She could barely keep her footing as she tripped her way towards the evergreen boundary. With a deep breath, the sickened girl hesitated. Kali wanted to keep moving. But she had to be sure…she had to know that thing was gone. With a reluctant turn, Kali faced the cabin once more. As a familiar chill clasped itself to her neck, she stared at a single candle that burned in the window of the once abandoned cabin.