Across the Threshold

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. The events of that night haunted the Blue Ridge community for years, and as with all small-town horrors, it fueled the local gossip mill and gave way to superstitious ramblings. No one knows for certain what happened that night, no one but Veronica "Ronnie" Knowles.

July 2016

When Ronnie turned 18 her uncle Norman offered to let her stay in his guest house for the summer, so she would get a chance to see what West Virginia life was like. He lived in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in a community of 3,000. Blue Ridge, his home of 25 years was only 40 minutes away from Bluefield State College, her home for the next four years of undergrad. Ronnie jumped at the opportunity thinking she would do anything to get away from her parents sooner. She could finally start her life. So, she boarded a plane, and the next thing Ronnie knew she was standing on the front porch of an old run-down colonial house. The humidity weighed down her thick brown curls and made her jeans hug her tighter than she thought possible. Norman opened the unlocked front door and dragged in her bags while she anxiously stepped into the home.

She hadn't seen her uncle in 8 years. He always kept his distance from the family, but she still remembered him kindly. When Ronnie did see her uncle, she called him uncle Normy and he would always sneak her candy or extra dessert. Other than that, her recollection of Norman was nonexistent, which made the fact that she was now staring at his humbly decorated living room all that more surreal. He had a small square television resting on a wooden stand. There was a rust color lazy boy chair that looked like it had seen its fair share of abuse, and a coffee table nested Infront of a small love seat.

"Well, it ain't much to look at, but there is a spare room for ya down the hall. The bathroom is around the corner. The hot water takes a minute to work. We get about five channels on the TV, and the air conditioner don't work on days hotter than 85, which means the windows and fans are yer best friends. I ain't much a cook, but if ya want anything special I can pick up some stuff from Reggie's down the way. Otherwise, I think yer grown and can do what ya like. Don't go near the Dogwood trails after dusk though. I'm gonna need to know you heard that last one." Norman said in an exhausted breath.

"Don't go near the Dogwood trails after dusk. Got it." Ronnie repeated. Then Norman threw a singular key attached to a ring at her. She tensed as the object flew toward her but ultimately was able to catch it against her stomach. Ronnie looked at her uncle with confusion. "What is this for?" she asked.

"These are the keys to the car out near the shed. You can use it this summer, but I can't guarantee it'll go far." Norman had been fixing up the car he got at a scrap yard last year. He had finished it just in time for Ronnie's arrival figuring this way the girl could have some freedom. Some limited freedom, anyway, because the vehicle couldn't exactly guarantee it would get far. Norman figured she could get by in town, and if the truck broke down it wouldn't be more than a fifteen-minute walk back to the house.

With that exchange, Ronnie headed to her room and began unpacking. It was simple and overlooked the wooded area behind the house. She had a bed, dresser, and small desk that sat in the corner of the room. She hadn't brought much, but she figured whatever she forgot she would replace. A trip to Reggie's would be in order. She stowed her now empty luggage under her bed. Grabbing her wallet and new keys she stepped out into the humid Blue Ridge evening.

Reggie's market was a small shop with all of the essentials, including air conditioning. Ronnie made a mental note that she might be stopping by more frequently to cool down. She wandered from aisle to aisle picking up anything she might need. After about a half-hour she made her way to check out.

"Yeah, sounds like trouble but I'll be there Amy." The cashier said as the boy in front of me said as the girl, presumably Amy, was walking out of the exit. His name tag said, Noah. He looked like he was a year or two older than Ronnie. He had a light stubble on his chin, and even though he wore a ridiculous uniform he was undeniably handsome. He was tall with dark hair and light blue eyes, which seemed to be staring questioningly.

"Sorry, what was that?" She asked, embarrassed for not paying attention to what the boy was saying.

"You just driving through? I haven't seen you around before." Noah asked.

"Nope, here for the summer. You?" She asked instantly mortified. Stupid, he works here. A job kind of means you can't just be passing through. She thought to herself.

He chuckled. "Can't say I am. What's your name?" He asked as he began scanning my items.

"I'm Ronnie. I'm going to Bluefield in the fall, so I'm staying with my Uncle Norman till then." She says nonchalantly as if trying to cover up her previous word vomit.

"Nice to meet you, Ronnie. I'm Noah. I go to Bluefield myself." He said glancing up at me. There was a lull in the conversation. The only sound between them was the methodical beep of items being scanned.

"Soo" Ronnie drew out. "What sounds like trouble?" she asked. There was a pause in the beeping as Noah looked up.

A smile returned to his face as he said "You heard Amy then? There's a party out by the Emerald Lake at 9:00. It's by the Dogwood trails on the outskirts of town. You should stop by." Noah said it in a way that felt sincere.

"I'll check it out. Couldn't hurt to meet some people." Ronnie said as she passed Noah her credit card. Ronnie grabbed her bags and juggled them with one arm she gave Noah a small wave as she left Reggie's.

~~~

When 9:00 rolled around Ronnie began searching her closet for something to wear. It had cooled off substantially, but she had a feeling that Emerald Lake, like most in the south, was a breeding ground for mosquitos. She settled on a pair of jeans and an emerald tank top that complemented her tan skin. She put on a subtle amount of makeup and grabbed a hoodie for the car. A slight feeling of remorse weighed in her stomach. She was breaking the one and only real rule Norman gave her and on her first night no less. He won't know she thought to herself as she headed out the door.

It was dark outside, and the only visible light came from her phone. Ronnie was begging to feel like she was lost. She had found the entrance to the Dogwood Trails and parked her car just 15 minutes ago. She knew it was the right lot because it was riddled with other cars. Many of which had college stickers slapped on the back. Still, she was getting goosebumps. The hiking trails were beautiful in the light of day but at night... It felt like she was being watched. She heard a faint sound and stilled like a deer in headlight getting ready to bolt back to her car. Music, she thought and instantly exhaled the breath she'd been holding. She must have been close to the party.

After another five minutes on the trail, Ronnie came to a clearing filled with people. There was a speaker playing music and a small bonfire illuminating everyone's faces. The girl from Reggie's was there. She hadn't gotten a good look at her before. The girl had strawberry blonde hair and a sheen of freckles around her light blue eyes. She was beautiful.

"Glad to see you made it Ronnie" The voice startled her. She turned around to see Noah was only a couple of feet behind her. He was wearing a red flannel shirt and jeans. His eyes were locked on hers and he had a soft smile resting on his face. "Have you met anyone yet?" He asked walking toward the fire everyone had gathered around.

Ronnie followed him toward the group. "No, not yet I just got here. I thought I was lost for a hot minute, but then I heard the music, and well here I am." She rambled. She saw the curious, but welcoming looks from the others. Nervous, she wrapped her arms around herself loosely.

"Everyone this is Ronnie, she's staying with her Uncle Norman Whitacker until she starts class at Bluefield in the fall." As he said this, he rested his hand on the small of her back in a reassuring manner. Ronnie lifted one of her folded hands in a meek wave to the group. There were six others in all. Two girls and four boys, making for eight of them total. "The girls are Meg and Amy. You saw Amy at Reggie's earlier." He continued. Ronnie felt a blush creep up her cheeks. Way to sound like a stalker she thought. "These two over here are Waylon and Hunter, and the two on the other side of the fire are Jackson and Owen." Noah finished up introductions, but his hand remained. Ronnie could feel the heat from it through her shirt.

After an awkward pause, Ronnie announced, "It's really nice meeting you all. What do you all like to do in the summer?" With this question, the awkwardness and silence disappeared as everyone listed out their favorite activities. Ronnie was offered a few drinks and took them grateful for the distraction. After a few hours, people slowly started to trickle away. Soon Ronnie and Noah were the only two people left, and the absence of music was noticeable. Cicadas' chirps loudly, and Ronnie was starting to feel on edge again. For the second time tonight, she felt like she was being watched. Ignoring the feeling she stared up into Noah's eyes telling herself it was just the dark that was creeping her out.

Another 20 minutes of the conversation went by when Noah sighed and said, "Well we should start walking back to the parking lot." He laced his arm through mine and smiled widely at me as he said, "Shall we?"

"We shall. Ever the gentleman." Ronnie responded trying to say it with a posh accent. They both laughed as they began the walk back.

While the clearing felt private the trail back felt secluded and scary. The ominous woods on either side of them reminded Ronnie of a horror movie. The only thing that kept her grounded was Noah's arm wrapped around her. She was thinking about this when Noah came to an abrupt stop the pulled her back. She shined her flashlight in his direction and saw a pinched expression on his face.

"What's going on Noah" Her whisper came out strangled with fear. When he didn't answer she followed his gaze. At first, all she saw was the darkness of the woods, but then her eyes focused on a flicker of light. It was a candle in the window of a beatdown shack. Had that been there when I came in? She thought. She tugged Noah's arm, breaking the trance.

He glanced down at her. "That's the old Harris house. No one's supposed to be in there. The place nearly burned down 50 years ago. It's just been rotting away ever since. It's probably some stupid high schoolers playing truth or dare." The hair on Ronnie's arms was standing on end. Every part of Ronnie wanted them to just get to our cars and leave. "They shouldn't be in there. I'm going to check it out really quick." He said causing Ronnie's heart to skip a beat. She weighed her options. Go with him and investigate the light or walk back in the dark by herself. She hated both options but decide to go with Noah.

They were quiet as they walked toward the old shack. Alert, they were listening for the sounds of teenage laughter. Some clue to agree with Noah's earlier theory. Nothing came. They reached the door. Noah slowly turned the nob and pushed it open, trying to remain undetected. Ronnie's grasp tightened on Noah's arm. As they stepped in they could see the warm glow of the candle. It took them a few seconds to comprehend what they were seeing. The house was pristine. The living room, where they entered, was warm and alive. It was like the owner of the house had just sent down their coffee to get the mail. There was a partially drunken cup on the table. The couch and other furniture looked new, but it was clearly outdated. They found this was the case in every room they entered. Freshly cleaned china in the kitchen. New clothes were in the closets, but they were from the wrong era. Ronnie felt cold and sick as she looked at a newspaper on the dining room table dated 1968.

"What is this, Noah?" She asked him terrified. She looked over her shoulder where he was moments ago, but he was gone. "Noah!" she said louder. She walked back into the living room. Staring at the candle flickering in the window. Just past the flame, she saw something that curdled her blood. It was a face. The face was pale and unearthly. Black locks of what could loosely be considered hair fell around its face. Its teeth were borne in a sadistic smile. She was frozen in fear. Trapped in a staring contest with this human-like creature. The only thing keeping it away from her was a thin glass window. The creature broke eye contact, its grin spreading further on its face. It looked bast Ronnie. "Noah, please tell me that's you." She whimpered not letting the monster out of her sight. It was like a spider. When you don't see it, you can pretend it doesn't exist, but once you do you have to kill it or live in constant paranoia. If she looked away, she worried that it would disappear, only to attack when she least expected it. Every second that went by without a response she worried more about what could be behind her. A floorboard creaked behind her. She flinched; her eyes still focused on the thing.

"Ronnie, it's me" Noah's whisper was barely audible, but Ronnie's shoulders relaxed a fraction of an inch. Noah's hand wrapped around her wrist. "We need to get out of here. The house belongs to them. We need to go." He pulled gently on her wrist trying to compel her to step back slowly. She began to follow his lead but stopped.

The creature had taken a step closer to the window. "Who... What are they, Noah?" She asked her voice an octave higher. The creature had raised a long thin finger to the window. A black claw-like nail tapped on the window sending an audible tch tch sound into the house.

"They're the people of the mountains. Some call them cryptids. They aren't supposed to be real. They are just stories told to make sure kids come back home before dark." Noah said in a hushed voice. The pair take another small step backward. It's almost like the creature knew what they were doing. It ever so subtly shook its head as it tapped the window again. When they went to take yet another step back Ronnie watched as the cryptid drew its black lips together and blew out a single quick exhale.

It shouldn't have been possible, but then again none of this should have been. As the cryptid blew its one breath the light on the candle extinguished, and with it, all the light in the shack dissipated. Noah's grip on Ronnie tightened as he dragged her through that house that moment before was a pristine time capsule. Using the light on his phone they scanned the house, which now matched the state of its decrepit outside. Ronnie tripped, and as she glanced at what caused her fall, she saw there were human bones scattering the floor. She was immobilized. A shrill scream pierced the air from the room they had just left. The creature stood in the doorway mere feet away from Ronnie. Pure terror raced through her body.

"Ronnie run! Find help." Noah screamed as he raced by Ronnie tackling the creature. Both of them let out unnatural-sounding screams. "Go" Noah yelled again as he fought the creature. Ronnie snapped out of her panicked state and ran out the door. She ran down the trail as fast as she could. She felt like she was being chased, but she couldn't see anything. She fumbled a step as she tried to rip her keys out of her jean pockets. She could see her car in the distance. A blood-curdling scream motivated her to push even faster. She opened the door to her car and slammed the door shut after her. She felt too exposed sitting as she tried to start her car. The engine came alive, and the lights shone into the woods. She could see glowing eyes in the direction she came from. So many pairs that she couldn't count. She shifted the car into drive and zoomed out of the lot. She didn't stop for anything. She even ran the red light on her way into town. She glanced at the clock in her cat. Impossible she thought. The clock said it was 4:00 am. It was only midnight when they had entered the house. 4 hours she thought. How could they have been in the house for 4 hours?

Confused, Ronnie pulled into her Uncle Norman's driveway. She ran into the house turning on all of the lights and locking all the doors. Then she sat on the couch and waited. Waited for anything to make sense. Her Uncle who was awoken by her entrance came to sit with her. She flinched away. He asked her what had happened the concern growing in his voice. In a dazed shocked state, she muttered a single word, "Cryptids."