The Pale Demons

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

No one knew how long ago the cabin had been built, but it had been abandoned longer than I’ve been alive. Occasionally hikers’ reports would come out about a suspicious glow coming from the direction of the cabin. Hikers even claimed to find the source of the light. It seemed that no one dared to approach the dilapidated and presumably haunted hut.

When we started towards the cabin, the air was humid and sticky. Each step found us eventually shivering until it was difficult to remember that this was the middle of July. I could have sworn I saw the moon as we left the tiny parking area, but there in the middle of the forest, I couldn’t see any light except the eerie glow calling me further down the trail.

Without warning, we were upon the cabin. Though we hadn’t seen another soul all night, we instinctively ran for the camouflage of the overgrown bushes along the front path. From this vantage point, the malevolent flame flickered furiously, feeding my erratic heartbeat. It’s as if the candle knew we were near, crouching silently under the brush. The tall taper showed no signs of melting or age. The glow from the wick was red and murky like waves of blood ready to pull us under.

My friends seemed to become uneasy at the sight of the unnatural flame. Its glow was tempting to touch. I waited for any sign of life that would explain the burning of this mysterious candle, but no such sign occurred. The longer I made my friends wait, the more restless they seemed to get. I was almost ready to turn away and leave forever when the whole forest went silent. The nighttime symphony that had welcomed us on the trail now silenced as if fear muffled the forest. It’s a dreadful feeling to sit in such silence. I glanced at the window and my blood iced in my veins.

A face pale as the moon glared at us from above the candle. Thin lips moistened by a black forked tongue parted to reveal razor sharp teeth that sparkled in the bloody glow. The face beckoned us. Slowly, it descended into the shadows, the darkness enveloping its features. An icy breeze shot around the cabin, momentarily disrupting the entrancing rhythm of the flickering flame. A chill went down my spine.

My buddy Luke broke the silence with pleas to turn back towards the car. Unable to find my voice, I nodded in agreement and we turned away. My cousin Michael and his friend Rico didn’t move an inch, frozen in fear from the demonic apparition. I finally swallowed the lump in my throat and called to them, begged them to turn around.

I knew we were in trouble when they started walking.

Their eyes were bloodshot. They were out in the open now and advancing towards to cabin. They were thrashing and squirming as if they were being burned by the scarlet flame. I called their names and screamed for them to come back. No reply came as they descended towards the monstrous cabin. Without warning I threw myself towards them hoping to drag them back. Luke stood up, grabbed me around my waist, and threw me back into the bushes. He scolded me and started calling me crazy, but I wasn’t paying attention. I stared helplessly at Michael and Rico as they were walking up the steps to the door. Luke stopped and turned to see what had caught my attention.

The door opened with an eerie groan. Michael had tears streaming down his face. Rico had a horrific expression. A pale hand emerged from behind the door. Its fingers were long and skinny. The hand slowly reached out to grab Michael. He turned to look at me which seem difficult for him. His tear stained face was transfixed with fear.

The creature captured Michael and pulled him into the dark void of the doorway. He would never see light again other than the bloodied flame. Rico’s screams drowned out the sound of flesh and bones being torn off whatever remained of Michael. Mid-scream, the hand seized Rico and dragged him into the cabin with the door slamming behind him.

Luke grabbed me by my shoulder, his fingernails digging in deep enough to draw blood. He whispered that we should get the hell out of there. I again nodded in agreement. Though curiosity lead us down the trail that night, fear fueled our escape. As we turned our backs on that godforsaken place, there were footsteps.

A group of hikers, about five, were walking down an old hunting trail that intersected the yard. One of them pointed towards the cabin in excitement and ran towards it. Luke and I screamed at them to stop and to get away but they were too far to hear us. Then they started thrashing and kicking just as Michael and Rico had done. I couldn’t believe I was witnessing this horror for a second time tonight. Two of them fell and looked as if they were being dragged by their feet. This time multiple pale hands flew out and grabbed three horrified people and quickly pulled them in. Screams of agony bellowed out from beyond the door. Two more hands came and grabbed the rest of the hikers and just like that, Luke and I were alone again.

I stared, stunned and horrified, at what I had just witnessed. Suddenly a low rumble began like a car in the distance. The noise grew louder and louder until it was vibrating inside my head. Suddenly an explosion erupted from the cabin. Chunks of the floorboards and walls fell from the sky along with shards of window pane and fabric from old curtains. The explosion was so destructive that the nearby trees and brush ignited, forcing us to retreat into the open yard.

Blistering screeches sounded from the blaze and several shadowy creatures jumped through the thick tree canopy to land in front of us. They were tall, nearly twice as tall as the average man. The fear compressed my heart and suffocated my lungs making it painful to breathe. The creature on the far left hissed and ran into the dark cover of the forest. When it returned it was dragging three confused and terrified teenagers that had been farther down the trail. They were screaming for help. The demon creatures, howling and hissing, ran towards their victims, feasting them alive.

I felt nauseous and dizzy as I watched the blood flowing from the bodies. I managed to bring myself back to reality and grabbed Luke to take off into the forest. My breathing was shallow and desperate, but I kept moving. I glanced beside me and saw Luke sweating and gasping for air. Suddenly demonic screeching began along with the noise of dry leaves being smashed. It had finally gotten warmer but the louder the howls, the more I shivered. They were like wolves, catching our scent and hunting us. I could tell that the creatures were closing in from all sides. Soon between the trunks of the trees to my right and to my left I saw little white blurs. They were faster then any animal I had ever seen!

I heard a grunt as Luke tripped over a rock. I ran to his aid and realized that he cut his thigh wide open. I refused to lose him too. He reached with his arm and grabbed my hand. Tears were streaming down his face. In his final moments before the creatures arrived he screamed for me to go and not to look back. With that he shoved me away. I stayed as long as I dared then took off. I ran till my legs started to cramp. I could hear his screaming echoing behind me. My tears made it almost impossible to avoid the logs and rocks. In just a few moments they caught my scent and were following me.

I stumbled and rolled into a tiny clearing. The only thing in the clearing was an old hunting shack.

I ran in, stumbling as I did so, and slammed the door behind me. For a few blood chilling minutes it was silent. Then the dull roar came from the distance. A cold feeling settled over me as I sat behind the locked door. Suddenly a screech erupted from behind me. I ducked down under an old table. I could see the outline of the creature from between the gaps in the panels. Its breathing was wheezy and low. I could hear it circling the shack.

One skinny finger dragged along the side of the panels making an eerie scratching noise. My heart was choking me. Then it stopped in front of the locked door. I waited to see what would happen. It reached down with its hand and it grabbed the rope door knob. It pulled once and then again and when it realized it couldn’t open the door, it took one long finger and sliced the lock off. The door opened as I slid back as far as I could into the shadows and out of the line of sight. It stepped in, scanning the room. I guessed its eyesight wasn’t very well because it reached out and started feeling around the shack. As it got closer to me, I could hear my heartbeat exploded in my ears. I thought it impossible that the pale demon couldn’t hear each pulsing beat echoing through the darkness. I waited for it to touch me and I held my breath. It was an inch from my face. Then howls and screeches erupted from somewhere off in the forest.

It jerked its hand back and looked outside the shack, but cut me in the process. I was surprised when it didn’t smell the blood. Without hesitation it ran into the forest. I exhaled and gulped in a breath of relief. Tears welled up in my eyes. I felt the side of my face. There was blood along my hand. It was hot and sticky and instantly reminded me of the crimson flame that had drawn us into the forest tonight.

I scrambled up and rushed out of the shack, desperate to get as far away from here as possible. I started running as hard as I could to the parking lot nearby. I clumsily tripped over sticks and logs, but I didn’t care.

Until the creatures heard me. Their hissing indicated they were scattered behind me but getting closer. I could see the parking lot now and ran so fast I knew I’d fall before I made it. The creatures closed in behind me. I couldn’t tell you how many there were, but they were soon breathing down my neck. I was choking on my own fear sixty yards from my car. As I reached the rusted old gate at the edge of the forest line, I could feel one of their fingers run down my back.

I launched myself through the air towards the parking area and ended up rolling and thundering down the hill. I laid there dazed and not really sure what was happening. I opened my eyes and worked on bringing my vision back in to focus. But it was my ears that brought me back to reality. The noise was earsplitting. I looked up, scanning the forest line through foggy lenses, trying to locate the direction they were coming from. Right at the forest line we’re dozens of these blood stained creatures. They were agitated and screeching and scratching at the air, but couldn’t seem to get past the boundary of trees. I lifted myself out of the ditch and eased over as close as I dared. I realized the entire perimeter was surrounded with a coarse gray dust.

After recovering from my experience, I tried to find out what this dust was composed of. I finally came to figure out that it was ground up animal bones. I made my own dust and sprinkled it around my house.

I found out monsters are real in a gruesome experience I hope you never have to go through. So I warn you now. If you ever go camping or own a house in the woods or rent a cabin, make sure to surround the perimeter in animal bones. Or they will come, they will come for you. Don’t look behind you cause they’re probably right there.