It is Only a Story, Right?

"The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window." "Ugh. This story again?" My friend Amanda interrupts. The glow from the campfire lights up her face enough that I see her eyes roll. "Our new friends here haven't had the pleasure of hearing this one yet." I state. This is Amanda, Brad, and I's third year of summer camp together. We were lucky enough to find a group of kids about two or three years younger than we are gathered around this campfire. We want to have some fun and give them a spook tonight.

"Let her finish. I like this one, and it is a true story." Brad blurts out. "As I said, a candle burned in the window and caught my father's eye. You see, it was a scorching summer night, and my father was sent up that hill right there to evacuate the residents." I point to the dark hill just behind the camper's heads. The night sky is so dark that you cannot determine where the hill ends and the sky begins, only adding to the spooky ambiance. "He had only been a firefighter for eight months, so when the wildfire began to burn out of control, the chief decided he would do better getting the sleeping residents out and to safety while the experienced fighter's handled controlling the fire. He knew the land well, as he grew up on that hill. He also knew that that cabin had been abandoned for as long as he could remember. He never knew why but the state it was in, the roof caving, and the broken windows made it unlivable. He walked past that cabin multiple times that night as he knocked on doors and guided families safely down the hill away from the fire, but as he directed the last car down a narrow road that shortcuts to the bottom road, he noticed a small gleam coming from the window. He walked closer to the cabin, believing it must have been a trick of the eye. Pushing branches back to get a better look, he could not believe it. There was a light coming from that abandoned cabin. As he got closer, he saw it was a candle. He knocked on the door, thinking someone got lost during the evacuation, and came here for shelter, but there was no reply. He stood there looking at the rotting wooden door, wondering what he should do. It was his job to make sure he got everyone down safely. He could not just leave, knowing there was a possibility that someone was inside. He reached for the handle, and to his shock, the door was not locked, and the door squeaked open. The smell of must and rot blew strong in his face, but he shouted out, explaining he was there to evacuate the residents before the fire blew onto this side of the hill. There was no reply, so he decided to let himself in. The candle lit up the front half of the cabin, and he could see that nothing was inside, not even a small piece of furniture. He walked over to the candle and saw that there was not any wax melted around the bottom, so it had to have been recently lit. He turned on his headlamp and blew the candle out. He could not leave it lit, risking another fire, but as soon as the candle went out, he heard a loud bang coming from the back of the cabin. He called out again but no reply. He walked towards the sound, the carpet squished under his feet, and the moonlight from above shined down from the hole in the roof, and he began to get an eerie feeling that he could not explain. As he approached a backroom door, he felt overwhelmed that someone was watching him. His hand reached for the doorknob, but before turning it, he felt something cool touch his back." "Boo." Brad shouts and grabs one of the campers from behind. I see some of them jump, and everyone laughs. I cannot wait to see their reactions when we scare them at the cabin later tonight. "Jerk!" one of the campers shouts and playfully hits his arm. "It was just getting good. It is not over, right?" "Of course not." I reply with a mischievous smile, knowing this is just the start of our antics.

"My dad felt a cold sensation on his back and jumped around. To his shock, a young woman stood there staring back at him. His headlamp shone on her small figure. She was dressed in all black, and her dark hair matted to her pale face. Her eyes were unflinching as his leadlight shined straight into them, accenting how dark and hollow they were. His first thought was that she must be a runaway who had gotten herself into trouble. It was a common occurrence in these parts. His job was to evacuate everyone, and she was not an exception. He explained how he was only here to evacuate the hill. She did not say much, and her voice was quiet, but she explained that she did not have a vehicle and was unsure how she would get off the hill. He offered her a ride, but his car was down the road. She nods, and he begins to walk as she follows behind. The night was hot, and the moon shined brightly in the cloud-free sky. My dad tried to break the silence with some broad questions, but she ignored them and offered no replies. The job was over, and he felt pride in his success. He only had to get her off this hill, so the awkwardness did not bother him much. As they walked, my father noticed the sky darkening. If he did not have his headlamp, the ground in front of him might not be seen. The wind blew hard, giving him a chill. He turned around to check on the silent girl, but she was gone. In shock, he called out for her, but she appeared at his side before he could finish. She was staring at him with her sunken eyes. It was strange but dark, so it must be confusing his senses, he thought. They begin to walk again, with her in front, leading the way down the dirt road. He held his head high to light her path, but as quickly as he blinked, she was gone from his sight again. He stopped and began to look around in confusion, and there she was, she was standing, staring at him again, but behind him this time. He laughed nervously and apologized for his confusion, but he was getting creeped out at this point. He picks up his pace, ready to get this over with, and hears her footsteps behind him matching his. He quickly approached the ben that the car was around when the footsteps behind him stopped. He slowed down and wondered if he should even turn around. It was eerily quiet and dark. He felt his heart race as a heavy hand grabbed his shoulder from behind. He was frozen. His whole body was locked in place from the weight of the hand. Every hair on his body stood up. Hot, heavy breath began blowing on his neck, and a deep, dry voice crackled in his ear. "You should run." He bolted with every ounce of strength, jumped in his car, and sped off. He met up with his fellow firefighters and explained the story. They all laughed and assumed he was messing with them like always. He was known to be a jokester. Still, my dad refuses to step foot on that hill." Everyone is wide eye staring at me as I wrap the story up. A young camper laughs loudly, breaking the tension. "No way that's a true story!" he snickers. "Well, why don't we go to the cabin and find out for ourselves?" I question, feeling excited to give these kids a spook. "Yeah, let's go." a few campers agree. I pick up my flashlight. "I'll lead the way."

As we approach the cabin, Brad gives me a quick, sly nod reassuring me that our plan is on track. As we push through the trees, the candle lit by Brad becomes visible. Some of the campers giggle. I try to play it off and pretend to be spooked. Finally, I stop a few feet from the cabin. "Sorry guys, this is as far as I will go. My dad forbids me to be near this cabin." The same kid that laughed earlier is cracking up at this point. "If you think it's a joke, why don't you go in and blow it out?" I demand. He trails off in front of the group closer to the cabin. "Hmm, I think I will," he shouts as he walks straight to the cabin door. I will admit, this kid has some guts. At that age, I would have been scared senseless by this rotting cabin. Hopefully, Brad can give him a good fright. No one has noticed that Brad has slipped away from the group. The boy opens the door effortlessly and gives the group one more smirk before heading in.

We see his face dimly in the front window with the candle below his face. He sticks his tongue out to mock me as he takes a breath to blow it out. Then, as his face disappears into the darkness, we hear a loud blood-curling scream. It took some talent for me not to crack a smile as the boy ran out of the cabin, dust kicking up behind him. He barely shouts out as he dashes past us, "Something grabbed me. I am getting out of here." The campers exchanged looks of concern. "I tried to tell you guys!" I say, using my best acting skills.

Someone says, "Maybe we should get out of here too." They all begin running back to the camp. As soon as they are out of earshot, I let out a big laugh. Amanda joins me, "That was even better than last year. I cannot believe he went in all by himself." Brad came out of the cabin with a gleaming smile. "That was great. They will be talking about this for the rest of the week. I cannot wait until next year." "We need to head back before they become suspicious." I state as we laugh, heading down the hill. "Oh, wait." I jumped as I remembered. "We forgot the candle. It is my mom's. I will go back and grab it quickly. You guys keep going and cover for me." They nod as they continue laughing down to the camp. I run up to the cabin, trying to be quick. I have been in this place many times through the years, exploring and setting up scares for fellow campers each year. I know the cabin and area well and no longer find it creepy. Going in alone does not bother me. I grab the candle and begin on my way out, but it feels different from the other times I have been here. I notice as I step outside that the moonlight has disappeared, and it has now become strangely dark. "I better hurry." I thought to myself. I was not even a foot away from the cabin when I got a sense that I was not alone. I went to run, but I felt a weight holding me down, like something from above was pushing on my shoulders. I began to cry and tried to move my limbs, but it was no use. That is when I felt a warm, moist breath on my neck. A deep roar rose in my ear. "You should run." it creaked. I felt the weight release and began running with everything I had. The ground and trees were only a blur as I quickly approached the lights of the camp ahead of me. I thought it was only a story. Dad, you were telling the truth the whole time? It cannot be real, can it?