Carter's Crypt

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

The camera recording the speaker panned over to the secluded cabin. The building was old. Shingles were missing, logs were covered in vines, and cobwebs hung in the corners like streamers.

The camera zoomed in on the front window. A yellowed candlestick sat on the sill. Its flame flickered as if waving to the camera guy to come inside.

“Dom, focus,” demanded the speaker.

The camera spun back to the man who had been speaking. He was in his mid-thirties; his hair was buzzed, and a pair of sunglasses sat on his head. He wore a black shirt with a beige bomber jacket and camo pants. He gave the camera guy a strange look and continued.

“As you can see, the candle still burns. Legends state that it has never gone out nor been replaced. How did it get there? Why was the cabin built out here in seclusion? Is there a ghost, or is the candle mystery be nothing more than a childhood prank? Discover this and more on Carter’s Crypt.”

The cameraman stopped recording and said, “Nice one, Carter. I think that was the best take yet.”

The man smiled and put his hands into his jacket, “I couldn’t agree more, D, but what was up with you and the cabin? You seem transfixed when you panned to it.”

D shook his head, “I don’t know, man. The flame just felt super welcoming. It was like I couldn’t look away.”

“Part moth, are we?” asked Carter.

“Har de har har, you’re hilarious. I’m serious, though. It felt like I needed to hold it.”

“Well, maybe you’ll get your chance. Millions of fans want me to figure out the secrets behind that candle are. It’s been the most requested topic in the comment section for months. I thought the old prison would shut them up, but they were adamant about this cabin and its candle.”

A chill ran down D’s spine. He zipped up his leather jacket and replied, “That prison gave me the creeps. I hope this isn’t anything like that.”

“Relax. You know there is no such thing as ghosts. We’ve done what? Twenty investigations now, and the worst thing we’ve seen is a broom fall over. We’ll go in, take a look around, and see what we can find. I bet thousands of those stupid candles are inside, and this is just some stupid prank.”

“I don’t know, Carter something seems different this time.”

Carter sighed. He walked up to D and placed a hand on his shoulder. “If you don’t want to go in, you don’t have to. I’ll take the camera and do a first-person shot for the channel. The fans will bitch and moan. You know how they always think we’re photoshopping, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable.”

Carter reached for the camera, but D pulled it away and said, “And let your head get any bigger? No way. Besides, if there is a ghost in there, you’ll need someone watching your back.”

“That’s the spirit! Now get that camera rolling. It’s show time!”

As D walked up the creaking stairs, he had a strange feeling tickle the back of his mind. He looked around to see if someone was staring but the only other person was Carter. Unsettled by the feeling, D pressed stop on the camera and asked,

"What if we don't do this investigation?"

"Are you crazy? What else could we do? We'd never get there, film, and edit the video in time for publication on Friday. The Cryptologists expect their videos on their feed Friday morning and I'm not going to let them down."

"Something isn't right about this place. Can't you feel it?"

Carter looked around, licked his finger, and then stuck it in the air. D wasn't sure what his friend was doing but after some time passed, Carter shrugged and said,

"I don't feel anything. Now turn that camera back on. We've got millions of fans waiting for us to debunk this candle!"

D did as he was told, but prayed that the door would be locked so they would have another excuse not to go in. When Carter reached the door, he turned the old brass knob and the door wined as he pushed it inward.

For spirits who don't want to be bothered they sure have a hard time locking their doors, thought D.

The inside of the cabin look like a frontier-style living room. There was no light, so Carter reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashlight to help them see better. Following the beam of light with his camera, D panned around the room so the camera could get a good shot of what lay before them.

In the center of the room was a wooden table with a grizzly bear pelt underneath. A brown leather couch and chair sat around the rug, and a single lamp stood next to the chair. A fireplace and a door were built into the wall in front of them. The wall on the left had a door and a black and white picture of a family, and various farming tools, pioneer memorabilia, and picture frames were hung everywhere else.

The photo near the door depicted a pioneer family. They were a sick looking bunch. Their limbs were too thin, and large black discs weighed their eyes down. Their clothes were tattered but the cowboy hat that the husband wore looked as if it had never been worn. D found it odd that such a nice piece of clothing would be worn but assumed it was for the photo and the other family members didn't own anything as nice as the man's hat.

A clock chimed and D snapped back to reality.

"A bit jumpy today," asked Carter.

"Just a little. Are you sure we need to do this? I think the fans would be alright if we skipped a weak."

The vein on Carter's forehead twitched as he said, "Just keep rolling, I'll make sure nothing happens, alright?"

D nodded and looked towards the grandfather clock in the corner. The machine was beautiful, but it didn’t match the aesthetic at all. It was too modern. D looked at the other items in the room and felt that a lot of the items were too up-to-date. The coffee table looked prefabricated and the clock was from the the early 1900's at least.

"Do you think its odd how new everything looks," asked D.

"Not as odd as how clean everything looks," Carter brushed his finger across the clock and rubbed it against his thumb. Then he shoved his finger in front of the camera and added, “As you can see, there isn't any dust on my finger. Meaning someone is coming in here and cleaning. If this place is as haunted as they say, the house should be covered in dust. Yet the clock is spotless, and everything looks like it has never been used.”

"So you think someone is cleaning the place up?"

"Absolutely," Carter pointed towards the barren mantel and added, “All I know is, if I were the one cleaning the place, I would mount a flat-screen to that bad boy so I could watch shows while I worked. You'd die of boredom otherwise.”

"Guess that's how the place got haunted," replied D.

Carter laughed, "That solves question. Now we just gotta figure out what's going on with that candle." Carter walked towards the door to his left and added, "If the inside of the house matches the outside, then our mysterious candle should be in here.”

As Carter walked into the room, he stopped. D was close behind, and walked the camera right into his friend’s back. Stumbling backward, D said,

“Shit, sorry man. Everything, alright?”

Carter didn't answer. Slowly moving the camera around Carter, D could see what made his friend stop. The room was old. Like, shouldn’t exist old. The log walls were gone, and in their place stood stone bricks. The window that was squared outside was now an arch shape, but the candle was still there.

The room looked like it belonged in a fantasy novel. Suits of armor stood guard by the walls. Swords, lances, and shields hung on racks, and the floor was covered with a red rug.

“Does this make any sense to you,” asked D.

Carter shook his head. He then walked over to the first suit of armor and slowly removed its helmet. Underneath the iron headwear was an ivory skull. Its dark eyes stared into the camera as a palm-sized spider crawled out of its nose.

Carter screamed and dropped the helmet. D yelled too but started to laugh at his friend for getting so scared.

“First time seeing a spider, Carter?”

Carter gave him a stern look and rubbed his hands on his pants and said, “Shut up! The spider just startled me. Besides, I heard you screaming too.”

“True, but I always scream. You're supposed to be the brave one, remember?"

"I remember."

To keep the show going, D asked, "So, what do you think is going on? I'm sure the fans back home are dying to hear what you think about all of this.”

Carter brushed the suit of armor with his finger and rubbed it together before answering, “Once again, there is no dust. I think the owner is some sort of interior designer and is experimenting with different styles.”

D laughed again, “Do most interior designers use skeletons in their designs?”

Carter sighed, “You got me there, buddy. My other guess is they are a director, and they used the house to film different scenes for their movie.”

“That could work, but I think we should check the other rooms to see how your theory holds up.”

“Not so fast, my poltergeist hunting buddy. We still have that candle to investigate.”

D panned the camera towards the flickering candle and walked closer before saying, “To be honest, I kind of forgot about the candle. It seems kind of unimportant next to all this weird stuff.”

Carter picked up the candle and slowly waved it through the air. The flame on top swayed, but Carter looked as if something wasn’t quite right.

“What’s wrong with it,” asked D.

“I don’t know, but there’s something about its flame. It's mesmerizing.”

“See, I told you! It feels like it is begging you to grab it. Can I hold it?”

“NO! No. Sorry, I’m not sure why I snapped like that. No. I want to run a few more tests first.”

“Then can I hold it?”

Carter hesitated, “Sure.” He then wet his fingers and placed them over the flame. The two digits on his hand glowed red, but the fire didn't go out. Removing his fingers and placing the smoking digits into his mouth, Carter held the candle towards D and mumbled, “Taekjfew iakjtle.”

“What,” asked D.

Carter removed the fingers from his mouth and said, “On to the next room.”

“But I thought I would get a chance with the candle?”

“You sound like a child, D. Besides, I need it so the fans can see me better. Here, you can have the flashlight.”

D felt his chest tighten as he took hold of the plastic light. He had a strange urge to grab one of the nearby swords and shove it through Carter’s stupid black shirt. D shook his head.

What the hell was that, he thought. Carter’s my friend. Why would I hurt him over something so stupid? Let him carry the candle. It’s just a candle. But why do I want it so badly?

Snapping out of his trance, D followed Carter back into the living room and through the open doorway by the fireplace.

The third room they entered was clearly a kitchen. The only weird thing was that it, once again, didn’t match the home's aesthetic. The kitchen looked new. Like, state of the art, fresh out of a magazine, new. It had top-of-the-line kitchen appliances, and it even had light bulbs and switches.

Carter flicked one of the light switches on, but nothing happened. The only lights were still from the flashlight and the candle.

D’s eyes hovered over the candle. He wanted to embrace the dancing flame more than anything in the world. Fed up with waiting, D placed his flashlight on the counter and started to rummaging through one of the drawers. Once he found what he was looking for, D pulled out a large steak knife and walked toward Carter. As he got closer to his friend, D lifted his arm above his head so that the steel point glistened inches from the camera. The knife sailed downward but stopped as the point reached the empty space above Carter’s left shoulder.

The loud gong from the grandfather clock rung throughout the cabin, and D dropped the knife.

Carter whipped around to see D drop his weapon and asked, “Dude, what the hell?”

But before D could defend himself, the kitchen began to change. The monotone room disappeared. Replaced by red walls that bubbled like third-degree burns. When the clock stopped ringing, the room was back to normal. The white cabinets and black countertops returned, and the duo was back in the middle of the modern kitchen.

“Did you see that,” asked D.

“My best friend about to stab me in the back? Yeah, I saw that,” replied Carter.

“No, I was talking about the walls. They were… fleshy for a second there.”

Carter threw up his hands, “That’s just like you. Making up some big ordeal just to get out of something.”

“What are you talking about, Carter?”

“Just last week, when I was at the cemetery in Georgia. You said you couldn’t do it because your sister was getting married.”

“She was.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t go. That was the lowest-rated video in years, D. You know our subscribers hate first-person videos, yet you left me to fend for myself. Do you even care about the channel anymore?”

D’s chest was coiling even tighter, and his eyes glanced towards the candle. He then looked back at the knife on the floor and shook his head, “Dude. I’m sorry. I should have just told you I needed a break. These things may not be creepy for you, but they scare the living shit out of me, and I think I’m starting to see things.”

“See things,” asked Carter.

“Yeah. Like I said, the walls were all fleshy, and I thought you were a creepy monster.”

Carter kicked the knife away before answering and said, “Sure you did. I think you just wanted this dumb ass candle.”

D laughed, “That’s crazy, man. It’s just a candle.”

“Then why’d you try and kill me for it?”

“I didn’t, I swear.”

“Look me in the eyes when you say it.”

D couldn’t. He knew he was lying. If he wanted to save his relationship with his friend, he needed to convince Carter that he wasn't crazy. Taking a breath, he looked Carter in the eye and said, “Alright, I tried to kill you, but I couldn’t go through with it. I’m sorry I scared you.”

“Sorry!? How does that fix anything? You still tried to kill me. You’re a freak, Dom.”

“I’m not a freak, it’s… it’s this house. It’s messing with my head. I told you we shouldn't have come in here. Maybe we should just leave?”

“No. We still need to find out what’s going on. I overstepped, I’m sorry. You aren’t crazy. Just stay in front of me from now on, okay?”

“So, you’re not mad?”

“I mean, I’m upset you tried to kill me. That's fucked up. As far as the wanting a break? No. Just tell me next time. We’re best friends, Dom. You can tell me anything.”

Like how I want you to give me a turn with the candle, thought D.

“I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to," added Carter, "and if you want a break, just let me know. I’ll tell you what, we'll go on a little hiatus once we finish this investigation. We’ll post our initial introductory video, then publish the one inside the cabin a few months later. The fans will eat that shit up.”

D couldn’t stop staring at the candle, “Sure, man, whatever you say.”

Once the apologies were exchanged, Carter led D towards the stairs by the fridge. D didn't remember seeing them when they first walked into the room, but he guessed it was because he was too fixated on that damn candle.

As D descended into the darkness, the anger he had felt before was gone and replaced with guilt. Not only had he lied to his best friend about trying to kill him, he actually wanted to do it. He pictured the whole scene and how good it would feel to hold the candle over his friend’s dead body.

D shook the thought from his mind. They were in a disturbing basement inside a terrifying old cabin. He needed to be focused. Something didn’t feel right, and he wanted to be ready.

The basement was like any other old basement. Eerie furnace in the center, wet concrete walls, towers of junk, and a plethora of all things creepy and crawly. Dust clung to all the surfaces, and the room smelled like decay and mildew.

D was surprised by how normal the room looked and panned the camera to try and get a glimpse at something that would explain the room's normalcy. It seemed odd that a cabin with strange rooms filled with things from different time periods had such a mediocre basement.

While D was trying to figure out why the room was so normal, Carter was rummaging through boxes. During his efforts, one of the towers fell, and a group of brown rats scurried passed D’s feet. The camera man jumped out of the way, squealing.

Carter laughed and said, “And I was the wuss for jumping at the spider? At least spiders are creepy. Those rats look more like pets than monsters.”

D gave his friend a look and said, “Well, like you, I was just startled. What are you looking for anyway? Who knows what else you might disturb rummaging through all that crap?”

“I’m looking for more candlesticks.”

“So, you can hoard them all for yourself?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

D was shocked. He didn’t think he had said that out loud. “Oh, nothing. I’m just irritable, man. Can we get out of here now? Clearly, there are no ghosts here. We debunked another mystery. Yay us! Now let’s head out before one of us loses our mind.”

“We haven’t solved anything. We came here to see why the candle is in the window sill and who put it there. Sure, there are no ghosts, but there are still too many mysteries to be solved to leave now.”

“Alright, but hurry it up. I’m tired of being here. This place is making me insane.”

“Well, if you helped look, maybe we’d get out of here quicker. Go check out those boxes over there. If you find anything, let me know.”

D did as he was told but mumbled the entire way over there. “I don’t see why you are the one who gets to make all of the demands. Sure, you're the face of the channel, but that doesn't mean you can just boss people around. I'm just as important as you are.”

D kicked one of the nearby cans, and the aluminum cylinder rattled deeper into the darkness.

“Easy D,” shouted Carter, “You scared the living piss out of me.”

“Good,” breathed D, “It’s about time you were scared."

…

As time passed, neither D nor Carter found anything useful. Everything was either covered in mold or trash. The two were so engrossed by their work that they didn't hear the grandfather clock chime.

As the clock rang, the cement walls around the two YouTubers transformed into slabs of cyst-filled flesh. The furnace was gone. In its place stood a large, muscle-covered column with a strange being fused to its center. The creature’s eye fluttered open, and the monster stared at the two men poking around its home.

One man was digging around the large pimple-like sac. Inside the sac sat a woman wearing a golden crown. The creature could feel the woman’s heart slowly beat in time with its own.

The other man, holding the camera, was sitting on a different pod made out of flesh. Sleeping in this pod was a man wearing a cowboy hat.

The creature glanced at the other sac in its collection and smiled. The man inside this one was a chef. The creature hoped the two intruders would taste half as good as the chef does.

The one-eyed monster was getting ahead of itself. It had to catch the intruders to eat them, and the creature couldn't do it while they were both there. It needed to separate them if it wanted to grow its collection.

…

Once the clock stopped ringing, the flesh-covered room returned to its cold, damp state. D shivered. It felt like something was watching him. He turned the camera towards the furnace and felt the quiver intensify. D opened his mouth to ask Carter if he felt someone staring at him too, but got distracted.

Flickering on one of the boxes was a single candle. He wasn’t sure how the box wasn’t on fire, but he didn’t care. He was about to get his own candle! But as D made his way closer to the flickering light, the candle disappeared, and D felt like he was freezing.

D Put the camera down and rubbed his arms. He rubbed harder and harder, but it didn't matter. The cold grew stronger. D was positive he would freeze when a raspy, almost pained voice, entered his mind and said,

“I know how you can get warm.”

“How,” asked D.

“The other man with you has two candles.”

“Two!? He said he couldn’t find anymore.”

“He lied. He wanted all the warmth and protection for himself.”

“What do I do?”

“Do you see that ax propped on the wall,” asked the voice

D couldn't see the ax, but his head started to move without his consent. It was as if the raspy voice was turning his head for him. Within a few moments, he was staring at the correct spot.

The ax called to him. He knew that if he wrapped his hand around its handle, all of his problems would be solved.

“I won’t kill Carter,” murmured D.

“Of course not. You merely need it to feel heard. A man always listens to the person with the bigger stick.”

“Yeah. I’ll just scare Carter. I'll show him that it’s unfair to have two.”

“Precisely. Now go. Take it.”

D walked over to the wall and wrapped his hand around the ax’s handle. The weight of the tool filled him with strength and assurance.

“This feels good.”

“Not as good as that candle will. Go. Take it.”

D crept towards his friend, who was still rummaging through the tower full of boxes. D felt something tug the back of his head and stopped.

“Why do you stop? Swing. The candle is only inches away.”

“Something doesn’t feel right.”

“Nonsense. That’s just weakness talking. Take what you deserve.”

“I can’t. Carter is my friend.”

“A friend that has been bossing you around. A friend who cares more about himself and his channel than his best friend.”

D shook his head, “How do you know that?”

“Enough, D. Slide the ax through your friend's skull.”

“No!”

Carter, transfixed by his task, snapped from his trance and turned to face his ax-wielding friend.

“Dude, what the hell? First the knife, now an ax?”

D couldn’t hear him. The only thing that mattered to D at that moment was the glowing candle Carter had left on the ground. Without thinking, D pushed his friend into the tower of boxes and grabbed the candle, giggling while he took it.

Once the giddiness passed, fear replaced it. If D didn’t get away from Carter, his friend would try to take the candle back. Not wanting that, D sprinted up the stairs. Leaving Carter and his camera behind.

…

Carter could hear D’s footsteps above him.

Damn you selfish prick, thought Carter. When I get my hands on you, you’ll wish you had never been born.

Carter tried to pull himself out of the box he had fallen into, but he discovered that he couldn’t. He placed his hands over the brim of the box and pulled with all his might, but he couldn’t get out.

At that moment, the grandfather clock rang, and Carter could see the basement for what it really was.

Standing in the center of the room was a column made of muscle. Forged into its center was a humanoid figure. Its single, yellow eye stared into his, and Carter screamed.

The creature blinked, and a thin film of skin grew over Carter. Once the skin covered the screaming man, his shouting ceased.

…

Meanwhile, D was back in the living room. He tried to escape by going out the front door, but it wouldn't budge.

When the grandfather clock rang out, he jumped and held the ax above his head, waiting to defend himself. D was alone.

Once the clock stopped chiming, everything was as it should be. At least almost everything. The mantle was no longer empty. Hanging on the wall was a flat-screen tv. D didn’t remember seeing the tv when he first arrived, but He figured that was because he didn’t have the candle’s warm light to help him see it.

D marveled at the flickering candle and pulled it closer to his chest. Heat washed over him, and he smiled. D had never felt such bliss in his entire life, but something was still off. He wanted to leave.

He tried the door again, but it wouldn’t budge.

The window, Thought D, I’ll just climb out the window and use the candle to help me get back to the car. Then I’m home free!

D entered the castle-style room and made his way to where he had sworn the window was.

That’s weird, I know there was a window here. Carter got the candle from the window in this room, after all.

“Are you sure,” asked the raspy voice from the basement.

“Absolutely. I'd never forget where I first saw the candle.”

“Of course not, but do you remember Carter?”

“Carter? He does sound familiar.” D looked to his candle for comfort. Then shook his head. “Oh shit, Carter. Where is he?”

“Downstairs. Hurry, he’s in trouble.”

Dropping his candle, D rushed downstairs. Sitting on a throne surrounded by hundreds of candles was Carter.

“Join us, D.”

“Us?”

At that moment, three more thrones appeared. Sitting on the first chair was a man dressed as a cowboy. Something about the cowboy looked familiar to D, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

The other seat had a man in all white wearing a toque, while the third chair belonged to a woman wearing a crown made of gold.

“Who are these people, Carter?”

“Friends. Take a seat, D. Join us. The light feels so nice.”

A fifth throne emerged from the floor, and D could feel it calling him. He shuffled closer but shook his head. “This is weird. None of this was here before. The voice said you were in danger.”

“Voice? Fear cripples you, D. Join the light. No one will hurt you here.”

“I don’t know.”

“We know,” exclaimed the four people surrounded by candles.

“I just need some fresh air. That will clear my head,” replied D.

“No. Sit.” Demanded the raspy voice.

D walked toward the empty throne, “I don’t want to do this,” screamed D.

“It’s too late,” replied the raspy voice, “You are one of us.

Once D took his seat, the grandfather clock chimed three times. The moon was high over the cabin, and the monster was alone with its collection.

A camera blinked inside the flesh-covered basement, and the monster smiled. A small, fleshy bubble formed around the camera, and the feed went dark.

…

A single woman wearing pajamas sat in her bed. The lights were off, and the only thing that was on was the glowing phone that she held. A man wearing camo pants, a black t-shirt, and a beige bomber jacket stood in her screen.

The man was in the middle of the woods. He stood next to a large cabin overgrown with moss and vines. Sitting on the cabin’s window sill was a single candle, burning in the night. The man looked at the candle, then looked directly into the camera and said,

“As you can see, that candle still burns. Legends claim that the candle has never gone out nor been replaced. How did it get there? Why was the cabin built out here in seclusion? Will the candle mystery be nothing more than a childhood prank? Discover this and more on Carter’s Crypt.”

Engrossed by the two men, the woman watched Carter and D walk through the strange cabin’s rooms.

At one moment, a ball of light dashed across the screen. She thought this was the ghost that finally stumped them, but it didn’t. The two ghost hunters got out of the cabin and went home. As the credits began to fade, Carter appeared sitting on a throne.

The woman gasped.

Carter never ends his videos like this, she thought, what's going on?

Carter held a single candle and said, “Come experience the cabin in the woods, D and I survived. Will you?”