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The locked door

Submission to scary ghost story

By Leslie StromPublished 2 years ago 13 min read
2
The locked door
Photo by Bogdan Dada on Unsplash

”The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window.” I said looking at the teenagers around the fire.

I am one of the leaders who bring out troubled teens for a camping adventure. They come from all across Canada to experience the North, it’s their last chance before heading to juvenile detention. Some of them are drug dealers/users, some have hurt animals children, some come from alcoholic families, and others are just lost with mental problems. When we take them camping they all have duties to complete for survival and it takes all of them to succeed. By the end of three weeks most of them are equipped with skills to last a life time. Team building, skills of cooking, problem solving, navigational skills, and responsibilities . In the middle of the camping adventure they individually are dropped off on an island with a tarp, a coffee can of food, to survive for three days on their own. The leaders paddle by three times a day to check up on them to make sure they are ok. If the kids break solo by talking to one another or breaking solo (joining a friend at their campsite) they are immediately picked up by helicopter and shipped to juvenile detention. The solo is a place for them to rest, to reflect, to really decide for themselves what they want in the future. After their solo the staff make them a huge fish fry and get ready to keep on portaging and camping. They are long days, at the end of the day each group of six find a campsite and set up camp, cook over an open fire and rely on each other for survival. In the mornings all campers pack up their stuff and meet in the middle of the lake to await instructions for the day. Every 4 days staff makes the kids supper and we have group meetings to discuss what they are feeling, thinking, it’s a safe place to talk about anything and everything. The last day of thee weeks we all have s’mores and tell ghost stories. Tonight is my night to tell the story of the old cabin in the woods with a candle burning in the window. I hope they are ready for this one because it even scares me!

********

The old cabin in the woods was haunted but the four teenagers didn’t care. They didn’t believe any of that. Suzanne was sixteen, the oldest of the group. She had green eyes, long blond hair and was a champion tennis player. Her brother fourteen was a wild one. Justin had dark hair, dark eyes, and when mad they turned black. He was adopted at ten, he came from a foster home of 10 kids.He was not afraid of anything, he smoked, got into lots of trouble, skipped school, and had not one care in the world. Suzanne’s boyfriend Dustin almost sixteen was tall, good looking with short hair who’s mission was to be a police officer. He had the build and the smarts that met the criteria. His sister Kaya was fourteen, she was shy, long dark hair, drooping sad eyes but was actually very chatty. On the weekends they all would often hang out and explore the bush behind Suzanne’s grandparents house.

Kaya was telling her brother that she heard of an old abandoned cabin that was haunted and asked her brother if they could check it out. He looked at her and thought that would be cool but Justin would think it was stupid.

“Oh please…” she begged to her brother. You have to ask mom if we can have a sleep over in the bush on the weekend. She always listens to you. Please!”

He looked down at her smiled and said he would try. He walked away from her and texted his girlfriend if she was up to trying to find the haunted Abandoned cabin in the woods and have a sleepover. She texted back and told him that Justin would have to come, but would ask.

He looked at his sister and said, “let’s go talk to mom, but don’t mention the haunted cabin.” She smiled and walked with him to the kitchen. They told their mom that the two of them would share a tent, and Susanne would share a tent with her brother. She agreed to it by surprise. Kaya jumped with excitement and ran to her room to dig out her camping gear. She was lost in thought when her brother was watching her with smiling eyes leaning up against the door frame of her bedroom. He said that Susanne and Justin could go but asked her if she was sure. Hiking in the woods was fun but trying to find a haunted cabin could be very scary. She laughed and told her brother that she would protect him if he needed. They both laughed.

Justin was excited about the up coming adventure because he knew he could smoke, and do whatever he wanted away from his new parents. He was trying to think of ways to scare the rest of the group while he dug out his camping things. He thought it would be funny to scare them because haunted anything just isn’t real. He snickered to himself.

Suzanne packed the car with the tent, the pack sacks, and food. She was smiling because this was a first that her parents let her camp with her boyfriend. They got into the car to pick up Dustin and Kaya.

Justin wasn’t happy that he had to sit beside Kaya in the backseat but decided that fighting with Dustin wouldn’t be a good start to the camping trip. He couldn’t stop smiling at himself to what he would do tonight to scare everyone.

The car stopped at the grandparents an hour later and the grandparents made the kids go inside to have something to eat before their adventure. Grandma gave Suzanne extra batteries for the flashlight and grandpa gave Dustin a Swiss Army knife.

Once fed the four of them headed towards the bush waving at grandma and grandpa. They decided to head for the stream which was an hours hike. Once they got there they decided to have a snack and look at the map to make a plan. Dustin had a compass to plan out the next treck of the hike. Immediately the two younger siblings whined that they were tired and needed a longer break. Dustin and Suzanne smiled at the younger kids and said fifteen more minutes we go straight North pointing the way. The haunted cabin was off the trail at the crooked tree then 4 km to the northwest. He got the coordinates from a buddy at school but warned him not to go there the hike was tough but the cabin was spooky. His buddy and a couple friends didn’t go inside. They peered through the windows and couldn’t see much, but one of the boys swore they saw the rocking chair in the corner rocking with now one in it.

After another hike of an hour through rough terrain they were close. The compass around Dustin’s neck started going crazy, the dial was pointing east but they were headed west. The sun was going down so they new the direction. Dustin as spooked, looked around and showed Susanne. She made up some excuse that the batteries were to close to the compass to make it all wacky. They continued to walk.

After another hour there it was, the old abandoned cabin. Kaya pointed to the window and said look. They all turned their heads to see a candle lit in the window. She said, did you see it. The shadow of an old man looking at us. Justin laughed and said, “no, but I see the candle lit, that’s odd. Who could have lit it, we are the only ones out today!”

The three of them walked closer to the cabin and felt drawn to keep walking even though the back of the hair on their neck was standing up. When they got closer the wind picked up and gave them all a chill.

“Ouch” said Kaya, “stop pushing me Justin.”

He was several feet away and looked at her. “What, I’m not even close to you.” Everyone turned to look at Kaya. She looked annoyed. But couldn’t explain why she kept getting pushed forward. It was a creepy feeling.

Dustin was the first to step on to the step. He knocked on the door and yelled Hello! He went to reach for the door knob and the door opened. He looked back at the group but decided not to say anything. He thought that his imagination was playing tricks on him. Once all inside the door shut and locked.

Suzanne immediately turned to try to open the door but is was definitely locked! Justin looked puzzled because he was planning on locking the door at some point. She said, “Dustin is locked.” In a high pitched tone and looked very worried.

It was starting to get dark outside and the winds were howling outside. Dustin said, “a storm is coming, we might as well stay in the house and be safe” reaching inside his pack to search for a flash light.

“Ouch!” Cried Kaya stop pushing me Justin!

Justin was beside his sister digging through his pack sack to search for a flashlight. He looked at Suzanne then at Kaya and said, “relax I’m over here” shining the flashlight on her.

Kaya walked over to her brother and said,”I’m scared something keeps pushing me.” Reaching out for his hand.

Dustin grabbed her hand while walking holding the flashlight with his other hand. He said, “stay close everyone, we might as well look around and check out this house.”

Suzanne saw a mirror on the wall and instinctively walked over to it, she wanted to make sure she looked good for her boyfriend. As she was straightening her hair she started to scream. She tried to back away but couldn’t. The other three ran towards her to see what was wrong. They looked in the mirror and saw nothing. Suzanne was now leaning up against the wall and slid down the wall to sit on the floor. She was crying and rocking back and forth. She looked up at Dustin and said I saw a girl in the mirror that looked like me but her eyes were blue, she had mascara running down her cheeks and she was smiling at me. It was so creepy and terrifying.” She sobbed while Dustin sat beside her and touched her hair to calm her down.

Justin was sitting in the rocking chair smoking a cigarette laughing at his sister. When the chair spun around in a circle, and moved across the room. He started to scream. When it stopped he tried to jump out of it but couldn’t. He screamed, “help me.”

All of the kids ran over to him, as soon as they did the rocking chair flew across the room and stopped at a blue door that was chained.

They all stared at the door, at Justin, and back at the door. Kaya grabbed her brothers hand again and said, “let’s go in.” Her eyes hazed over and her voice deep and in slow motion. Dustin looked at his sister, kneeled down beside her and shook her. “Kaya, Kaya” he said repeatedly until she came to and hugged him.

Dustin looked at everyone with a calm voice “we are not going in there.” Just then the chains started to move. They all tried to run but they were all stuck to the floor like they were glued to the floor. All four of them screamed!

The blue door opened very slowly, it creaked as it opened and all they could see was a candle lit in the window and an ouija board in the Center of the room.

Dustin yelled, “ let’s get out of here.” He grabbed his sisters hand looked at Suzanne and they started to run to towards the front door. When they got there Justin was not with them. Dustin looked at Suzanne you stay here with Kaya, I’ll be right back.” They looked at him crying and shook their heads yes.

Dustin walked slowly to the blue door, and couldn’t believe what he saw. All he wanted to do was scream and get out of there.

Justin was chained to the floor sitting in front of the ouija board. He looked at Dustin with tears in his eyes and said”help.”

Dustin ran over to Justin to try to free him, but something forcefully threw him against the wall. When he hit the floor, his head ached and could feel himself being dragged across the floor towards the ouija board. He tried to struggle and screamed. But the force was much stronger than he was. At the ouija board he was chained to sit in front of it looking at Justin.

Suzzane and Kaya ran to the blue door and was horrified to see the two boys chained. Suzanne stepped one foot into the room. Dustin yelled, “no stop, don’t come in here!” But it was to late.

She was wiped to the ceiling with her back to it. She tried to squirm, cry, scream. She was right above the board looking down at the two boys. She could not stop screaming.

Dustin reached into his pocket for the picket knife. With the flick of his wrist the knife flew towards Kaya.

She looked down and grabbed it. He said, “Kaya, run to the pack sack. Grab my compass and a flash light. Remember how I showed you how to use it last week hiking. He said go 4 km North east, we saw a twisted tree on our way here. Then go due south to Susanne’s grand parents. Do not stop for anything. You must get help.

All eyes were on her. She looked into the room and started to shake. Suzanne said, Kaya you must have faith. You must only think about good things. Only things that make you happy. Your faith, keep the faith.”

Just then she looked strong, she almost had a light around her. She went to walk away, looked back and said, “I love you Dustin.”

She ran to the pack got what her brother said. Put the knife into the hole of the lock of the door and twisted it as hard as she could. She could hear screaming behind her. She felt drawn towards the room. She could hear eerie voices behind her. She turned towards the door again and with all her might she twisted the knife and heard the door unlock. Outside the house she could hear all of them screaming. She felt like someone was pushing her. All she thought about was the angel on her wishing well outside where the birds play.

She felt powerful in that moment and started to run. When she got to the twisted tree, she set the coordinates due south and did not stop until she saw Suzanne’s grandparents house and barged in.

They called the police, the kids parents by this time it was light outside. Kaya was scared but led the dogs, the police to were she left her brother Suzzane and Justin.

There was a helicopter just after they reached the old abandoned cabin. The police would not let anyone inside the house. All three kids were put on stretchers and loaded into the helicopter.

Kaya ran to get brother, he was convulsing under the restraints around him for the flight to the hospital. She whispered in his ear “remember the fountain in our yard.” He looked at her and stopped convulsing.

Many months later the kids were released from the hospital and never spoke of the camping trip again.

***

I looked around the campsite at the kids on our last day and not one of them spoke a word. They were thinking of my story. Some of them were holding each other, some were holding on to hands. For a while the kids just sat around the fire looking at it. It’s always hard for us camp leaders to say goodbye to another group. This group I had high expectations for. They all did amazing, not one had to be shipped out. I too felt myself being drawn into the fire with my thoughts.

Short Story
2

About the Creator

Leslie Strom

Hi, I come from a small town of 2,500 in Northern Ontario Canada. I love camping and fishing, which we have access to many beautiful lakes. I also knit, crotchet, sew, read and write. Our winters are very long and cold so crafting is a must

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