Lost Identities

The cabin in the woods has been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. This burning candle had been the topic of discussion among the groups of teens that frequented the woods since its discovery a few weeks back. The cabin that contained the candle had been the topic of discussions among teens a few decades back. At that time, the buzz was that the inhabitant, a very kind and helpful man named Todd, was arrested in connection to a slew of missing persons. The missing were always campers from far away places. And at the time, no bodies had been discovered. Just a few alleged sightings nearby. Rumors, really. And what if someone did see Todd nearby an alleged crime scene? He was probably collecting firewood for the elders nearby, or foraging for those berries the little kids loved but weren’t tall enough to reach, or checking traps, or any number of things that Todd had been known to do, as a resident of those woods. But, he was taken in and questioned. And held. For a few days. But there’s no proof of any crimes committed because some psychopath killed him when he was asleep in his bunk, the night before he was set to be released. It happened during a massive storm. The power grid to the entire town went out. And for some unknown reason, the jails generator didn’t kick on for over 6 minutes. Over 6 minutes with no lights, no cameras, and no locks on cells. Lots of people were injured in that short time, but only one was killed. As for how he was killed, it was said that someone had bitten their way through his neck. Right to his spine. The police never figured out who did it. With such a gruesome method, the guilty party would be covered with blood. But, once the power was restored, everyone was present and accounted for, and no one had enough blood on them to match the scene. There were those present with bloody noses, busted lips, and the like, but nothing near what'd be expected from a jugular rupture. Likewise, none of the contained had teeth that matched the indentations that were found on the body, although they were quite difficult to collect and what was collected was hardly reliable as evidence. Either way, it’s unknown who killed Todd, just as it was unknown what happened to those campers.

A few years after Todd’s horrific murder, there was a clog in the nearby dam and the stream that etched its way through those woods ran low. 11 bodies were found at the south of the basin, another dozen were found scattered along the stream bed. Only 17 heads were located. Unfortunately, no identification could be made because first, the bodies were submerged over years and the remaining flesh was considerably damaged, and there were no teeth left on any of the skulls. Every skull had been removed from the victim and cut through right below the nose. The scene was the stuff of nightmares and the worst of it was that none of the families of those folks would ever know what happened to their loved ones.

In the present, in the same town, the topic of interest was the peculiar candle in the window of that long abandoned cabin. On this night, at 9pm, we find Logan White standing at the entryway to said cabin. He is accompanied by his girlfriend, Rachel Allen. His friends, Ian, Danny, and Carter, sit out in the woods, not so far away, having decided to watch the unfolding of the dare they’ve put Logan up to.

The terms of the dare are that Logan is to remain in the cabin until 12:01am. He can bring one person to keep him company. He can bring normal camping equipment and a weapon of his choosing. If Logan is successful, he will receive $100 from each of his friends. If he’s unsuccessful, he has to devote one Saturday to each friend to be their errand boy and servant.

At 9pm, sleepwear clad Logan and Rachel entered the cabin. Aside from it being extremely musty, it was rather unremarkable. A studio style living space with a small bathroom. The furniture, assumed to be left by Todd, was sparse. There was no power. Just the candle and the small flashlights the two brought along. As for the odor of the cabin, what would first be described as the typical staleness of an uninhabited space, took on a more… acrid nature as they settled in. Logan said it smelled like a rotting tooth. Rachel said it smelled like cigarettes and rusted metal. After a spirited discussion on what exactly the smell was, and then unable to agree, they acclimated, and began unpacking for the night. They set up their sleeping bags near the entrance and spent their time together chatting, snacking, and watching shows they’d downloaded to an iPad. The night was uneventful and the two soon dozed off.

At 11:53pm, Logan was startled awake. He wasn’t sure why but his heart was racing and his hair was standing on end. It took him a few seconds to remember where he was and why. He surveyed the room, wondering what woke him so suddenly. He heard whispering. It was coming from Rachel. He shook her gently to try to wake her. He called her name. He patted her. He lifted her by the shoulders. She remained fast asleep as her mouth moved, whispering barely audible gibberish. He leaned in to try to make out what she was saying. But the nearer he got to her, the louder and more clearly the whispers sounded as if they were coming from behind him. It was a cacophony of hushed tones. He sat up and turned his head, trying to figure out where the sounds were coming from. He looked around the space. As he did, Rachel’s body rose to a seated position. Eyes closed, head lulled, mouth releasing a steady stream of whispers he couldn’t understand. Her voice grew louder. All the voices grew louder. Logan yelled Rachel’s name as he stood and backed away from her. Rachel’s body rose suddenly. Logan slowly inched his way towards the door, cooing out phrases meant to placate Rachel in the horrifying stupor she was seized by. In an instant, Rachel, eyes shut, closed the gap between them and forcefully shoved Logan backwards. He smashed against the wall and fell to the floor. Plaster rained down as the wall crumbled, and a putrid odor filled the space. Logan shook his head, trying to get his wits about himself. That blow knocked him dizzy. As his head cleared and vision focused, he looked up at Rachel. Her eyes still shut, mouth still babbling. But now he was able to hear her clearly. He was able to hear the voices all around him clearly. They were listing names, volume and fever growing with every one.

“Benny Carpenter. Hazel Reed. Lila Hammond. Rose Grey. Joshua Stevens. Francis O'Neill. Alonso Ruiz. Jacey Hyde…”

The list grew. Logan looked around to locate where the riot of sound was coming from. It was overwhelming. He stood and looked at the collapsed wall behind him. He was horrified at the sight. Shelves built into the faux wall, were lined with liquid filled jars, each containing the bottom half of a human face. And each of these mouths moved in unison with Rachel’s.

“…Rebecca Garber. Jameson Withers. Chase Robinson. Brittney Ford. Harold Smith…”

Logan hunched forward, clutching his hands over his ears to lessen the relentless boring of sound into his skull. Every syllable vibrated through him. It ached in a way he’d never experienced. And instantly, there was silence. The contrast was so jarring, Logan took an audible deep breath. Rachel did so simultaneously, and then let out an ear splitting scream. Every glass in the space cracked. Every jar shattered. And as Logan looked up at the spectacle, glass shards and chattering mouths rained down on him. He fell flat from the sheer terror. The mouths, gaping and snapping of their own accord. They hungrily descended on Logan. The great sound wave from Rachel’s scream blew out the candle. The space was plunged into an all consuming darkness.

Outside, not so far from the cabin. An alarm is heard. 12:01am. Ian, Danny, and Carter start back to meet Logan and Rachel at the cabin and pony up the agreed upon prize. A mere second later, the loud, guttural scream of a man rips through the night’s silence. The boys all run as fast as they can, concern etched into their young faces.

They arrive at the cabin moments later and find the candle has been extinguished. They hesitantly open the door in search of their friends and are met with an empty and dusty old cabin, and the faint smell of metal and rot.