Thompson cabin

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. A police cruiser crushed through the gravel up the path toward the building. Its headlights shined on the broken-down hovel before being shut-off by the driver.

“Old Malcolm was right Gladys. There is a candle lit at the Thompson house.” Officer Michael Denton said into his radio.

He exited the car, but something told him to grab the crowd pleaser from between the front seats. He reached in and snapped the shotgun out of its security lock then turned to look at the two-story log cabin. Feeling a bit safer with the gauge resting in his hands, Mike approached the cabin. He was steps away from the stairs leading to the entryway when the door creaked open.

“Who’s there?” Mike asked, hands tensing on the gun.

“Brownberry Police!” Mike couldn’t see any one from where he stood. The darkness in the cabin returned an answer of silence. Feeling uncomfortable but resolute, Mike took out his flashlight and shined the piercing bright cone of light into the rectangular unknown. Something or someone quickly sprinted through the cone of light before disappearing into the darkness inside. Mike took a step back but recovered. He brought the shot gun up to eye level then shelled a round.

“I’m not playing games here.” Mike said, scanning the interior visible to him from where he stood. He had to go in to see if that person was a threat to the community, at the least discover why someone lit a candle and put it in the window of this creepy old shack. Talking himself up, Mike climbed the few steps and entered the darkness of the hovel.

He recognized the mistake he’d made seconds after making it. The door behind him slammed shut. A rush of air blew through the darkness in the cabin, as if the building had a spirit and it was finally able to relax with Mike inside of it. Mike swung the gun and flashlight around trying to find who closed the door but the strong cone that came from the flashlight while outside seemed feeble now. Mike could hardly see through the gloom.

“Brownberry police!” Mike screamed to the darkness, wishing he had a partner.

“I have a gun! If there’s anyone here, come out now!” Mike screamed; his voice cracked on the word “Now”, but Mike still felt sure that it held power.

He waited two, three minutes to allow for anyone in areas that might take time, to reach him. After a little more time, Mike began to search the cabin. He searched for the candle that got him on a call out to this damned cabin, but he couldn’t see it. Mike couldn’t even see the window that the candle could be viewed by from outside.

“Gladys?” Mike tried calling out to dispatch but got static. “Dispatch this is Denton, code 10-78, need assistance at the Thompson cabin.” Nothing. The sound of small feet running was followed by the sound of a baby laughing. Mike whipped the gun up towards the sound, tracking the steps with his flashlight.

“Who’s up there?” The response he got back was not one that he expected or wanted.

“Baba.” Came from somewhere within the darkness. Chills rushed up Mike’s spine at the sound of a baby in this place. Mike took two rushed steps toward the stairs then stopped.

“Why would a baby be here?” Mike whispered to himself. He took a step back or tried to take a step but tripped over something on the floor behind him. Whatever it was scurried away, the sound of it moving loud in the darkness. Mike dropped the flashlight during his fall, he reached out to retrieve it when something scurried past the beam of light. Mike snatched his hand back with a yelp.

“What the hell?” Mike jumped up gun at the ready. He wanted to shoot the floor where the creature had been but didn’t think that would be the best use of his bullets.

“I might hit the damn flashlight.” Mike said. He bent over to pick up the flashlight, but something pushed it further away. The laughter of a child came from somewhere in the darkness. Mike spun toward the laughter, gun shaky, he pointed in the direction he felt the sound originated while taking steps toward the flashlight.

The sound of small feet running was chased by more laughter from the cabin’s horrible orphan. Mike had a tough time deciding between rushing for the flashlight or the door if he could find it. The bulb on the flashlight clicked off, engulfing Mike in complete darkness.

Ignoring the light for the moment Mike tried to retrace his steps to the front door. He stuck his hands out in the darkness searching for the front door or the closest wall. He’d taken two steps when his left hand bumped into a soft object. He ran a hand down the lumpy mounds of whatever it was until he couldn’t feel the object. Thinking it may be the mail slot for the door, even though he couldn’t remember one being on the door when he entered the cabin. He moved his hand to the side of the space. The skin of his hand began to prickle as a puff of warm air brushed through the hairs on it then receded before brushing his hand again. Mike was confused, considering what could blow air like that when something moist slid across the pad of his hand.

‘Is that something breathing? On my hand?’ Mike thought then immediately after that considered. ‘How big is its mouth?’ The thing, whatever it was, clamped spike like teeth into Mike’s hand. Mike screamed, startling the creature, and causing it to open its mouth. He yanked his hand out then turned to run away. The growl of the creature came seconds after the boom of it taking a step. Mike took a step back from the sound, there was another boom as the creature did the same.

Mike wanted the flashlight, but the promise of its shine was somewhere behind whatever was stalking him. Mike chose to whip the shotgun up, fire then run for what he hoped was the door. His shot hit the creature and its cry of pain was loud but when Mike turned to run, the crashing rumble of the creature was remarkably close on his heels. He could feel the heat of its breath as it blew on his neck. Mike could think of nothing else but to dive to one side, just as he did the creature swiped with a heavy limb sending Mike crashing the other way.

The creature was running so fast that it crashed into the cabin door creating a hole. The moonlight shined through the darkness, allowing Mike to see parts of the creature. Its skin was the color of gun metal, the limb visible through the moon’s light was larger than Mike’s thigh. The creature moved again; Mike could see that it was human but its androgenous features made it difficult to figure a sex. The beautifully horrid face turned to Mike and smiled, as if it knew Mike could see it.

Something in Mike snapped at the sight of the thing smiling. He jumped up screaming, pumping shell after shell into the creature while moving to the door. He turned and fired two rounds into the door, one hit the handle disintegrating it. Mike broke through the door heading straight for his cruiser. There was a roar from within the cabin seconds before the area surrounding the door frame cracked. Mike didn’t need to see more, he jumped into his cruiser and fired up the engine.

One side of the cabin flew past the police cruiser as the creature broke through. Mike put the car in reverse then mashed the gas. The human, if one could call it human, stood over nine feet tall. Its arms and legs were larger than most midsections. Its three heads, the left a baby, the right an elderly man and the center a canine, snapped at each other before focusing on Mike and his retreating vehicle. The large monstrosity lowered itself to the ground then charged towards the cruiser on all fours.

The creature moved with incredible speed for its size and form. Mike put more pressure on the pedal causing the cruiser to lurch backwards. The canine head roared before the creature increased its speed.

“Oh god no!” Mike screamed when the creature began to gain ground. He didn’t want to chance getting caught by the creature, but the cruiser moves faster going in drive. He waited until he was out of the cabins drive then swung the car ninety degrees. He slammed the car into drive and was in motion when one of the creatures’ claws scraped the left side of his vehicle. The creature roared again but did not give chase.

After taking a moment to calm down, Mike grabbed his radio and reported the ordeal to Gladys. The dispatcher took down Officer Denton’s report of the events and relayed the info to other officers on duty.

When officer Denton and over two dozen well-armed men returned to the Thompson cabin, they found the lot empty. The cabin which all can remember being in the same location for all of their lives was gone. No tracks marked any vehicle coming to take the building away, nor were there tracks from Denton’s earlier visit.

Officer Denton was put on administrative leave requiring a full psyche evaluation. He never returned to the police force. As for the Thompson cabin, it can be seen deep in your forest, a lone candle burning in the window.