The Stranger

Part 1

Elliot Mayfield lied motionless on the snow-covered ground. The cold wind sent chills throughout his bones. He opened his eyes. It was dark. The light of the moon barely cut through the thick of the forest that surrounded him. He stood, his hands and face red from winter’s embrace. “Hello!?” he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the clearing. A murder of crows screeched from the trees, startling him. He was alone; lost.

On the other side of the clearing, through the trees, he saw a flickering bright light. “Hello!? Is someone out there!?” he shouted. He began walking closer and closer towards the light, the snow crunching beneath his cold feet. The light grew brighter, the flickering grew faster, he picked up his pace. “Hello! Help me, please!” As Elliot reached the tree line, the light disappeared.

It was darker now in the forest. Elliot pushed through, stepping on sharp rocks beneath snow. Tree branches snapped against his cold skin, but he continued on. His breathing grew heavy. He felt a deep fear. He was a lost and uncertain of what awaited him, but he knew he could not stop. He knew he could not survive in this cold much longer.

Elliot continued through the forest, his body growing weak, when suddenly the light returned. He reached the edge of the trees and he finally realized what he was seeing. He sighed in relief. It was the porch light of a two-story cabin hidden in the darkness. It looked old and dilapidated, but he knew it was his only chance to survive. The rotted wood creaked loudly with every step towards the porch of the cabin. The house number read 2B. He knocked on the door. “Hello? Is anyone there?” Suddenly, the porch light buzzed and turned off. “If someone is in there, please, I need help. I need to use your phone,” but no one responded. He knocked again. Still no response.

Elliot knew he could not stay out in the cold much longer. He tried the handle, but it was locked. He walked along the porch to a nearby window, wiped away the frost from the glass, and peaked inside into the kitchen. It was dark, except from a small glow coming from another room. The floor was littered in trash, flies buzzed around rotted food and chunky bowls of liquid. He tried to lift the window open, but it was locked.

He moved across the porch to the other side of the cabin, hoping to find the source of the glowing light and a way inside. He wiped away the frost from another window. As he was about to peek inside, the porch light buzzed and kicked back on. He looked over briefly, then returned his attention back to the window. The glow of dying fire lit up the small living room. Next to the fire sat a man, or woman, he could not tell. All he could see was the back of the figure’s head and their long, stringy white-hair. He pounded on the window. “Hello! Hello!” he shouted. “Please, let me in. I am freezing out here!” They did not budge. “Can you hear me?” Elliot began to wonder if the figure in the cabin was even alive.

When he could not take the cold anymore, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He searched frantically through the snow until he found a rock. He gripped it tight, ascended the rotted steps, and approached the living room window. As he reared his arm back, he hesitated for a moment, and then he heard a loud click. He looked over and saw that the door had cracked open slightly. He rushed over and went inside.

Once inside, he was immediately overwhelmed by a foul stench. He began to gag, covering his nose with his arm to try to lessen its effects. Ahead was a staircase leading to the second story. He could hear the floorboards creaking above him. “Hello? Anyone up there?” he said quietly. The floorboards silenced.

Frightened, Elliot turned into the living room where he had saw the figure through the window. “Hello?” He made his way closer to the figure. It was a man. “Hello?” He moved even closer. “I am sorry to just come in, but I am lost and I—,” but he was distracted by a loud thump on the second floor above him. Elliot looked up to ceiling, then back down towards the man that SUDDENLY GRABBED HIM BY THE WRIST! The man’s long skinny fingers gripped him tightly. His jagged fingernails dug into Elliot’s skin. Elliot screamed and tried to pull away but he could not break the man’s hold. The man slowly turned his head towards Elliot. His skin was thin and pale, his nose long and crooked, his eyes sunken into his face like two dark black holes. Elliot tried his hardest but he was could not break. Suddenly, the man raised his other hand and extended his long, boney finger and began forcing it into a small hole on the side of his head. Elliot heard a squishing sound as his knuckle disappeared into the hole. The man opened his mouth, his lips cracking and bleeding. His teeth rotted and broken. He began to scream at Elliot, as his entire finger disappeared inside his brain. Just then, Elliot heard a loud pounding on the back door of the cabin. Someone else was there. Elliot wanted to cry out for help, but was frozen in fear.