Nightfall Hollow

“The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night,

a candle burned in the window....”

It can be said that there is no such thing as there being a haunted house by those that had never fully experienced there being such a thing. It has been said that there is a cabin in the woods, said to be haunted. Based in legend, one would soon learn the real nature of how powerful hauntings can be. And how deadly!

Mark is an 18 year old male, along with his girlfriend who wanted to go on a camping trip just three weeks after graduation. They thought of it as a graduation party, and a much relief from all the headache of the world. As they got onto the old road Mark’s girlfriend Jill was feeling uneasy. She kept wondering if it was wise to be going to the old cabin. The cabin, Mark had gotten from a deceased relative a few years back. Not sure why, he didn’t care. All that he cared about was he got the money, and he saw the cabin as a bonus.

Mark had always thought that he had been a good son, ever grateful of what he got. In reality he was bitter. He didn’t care one way or another of how he got whatever he wanted. All that he knew was that he got what he wanted out of life, and he was happy for it. However, his girlfriend never saw it that way. She always thought she could change him. That she could make him a better man.

On the morning of July 6th, the two were setting out to the cabin, by now, the cabin was old, in need of repairs, and much more. Mark didn’t care. If the cabin kept standing that’s all he cared about. That’s all he wanted. He was oddly abscessed with the cabin. For there was a reason why. The cabin held a very dark secret. Mark’s ancestors’ were reportedly Satanic Worshippers. Hell bent on pleasing the Dark Lord of theirs, only to suffer a fate worse than death that only made them wish that they had gotten death, rather than enduring what they had gotten in the end.

Mark and his girlfriend had pulled into the old woods off the main road that they had just been traveling on. Down the long driveway they could see old torches that were still lit oddly as though someone had been there welcoming them. Mark’s girlfriend wondered if Mark had done it ahead of time to frighten her or excite heron their trip. Mark had denied coming down early and lighting them so the way that they were. She laughed, but wished that Mark didn’t give her the answer that he did.

Mark and his girlfriend Sara finally came up to the cabin door. The door was unlocked and slowly came open as to bid them a welcome back. Mark barely touched the door while looking at Sara and signaled to her that she could go in first. Sara wondered if there was someone else still in the house as though it had looked like someone had been there. She kept insisting that Mark had it all planned, again, Mark said no. He wondered himself of who might have been at the cabin while he was away. The door quickly slammed shut. They both looked at the door, then at each other. Mark said to Sara that it was probably the wind that slammed the door shut. Mark said that he would get dinner ready. Sara looked at her cellphone and wondered how she would get by with just one bar on her phone. Mark told her that if she wanted to make a phone call, she would have to go to the top of the hill, climb the tallest tree, and hold the phone up in the air. Only then would she get a full signal. The dense woods prevented any calls going in, or out.

As nightfall came they both had their dinner, settled for bed, and could hear the wind echo and slam the shutters. Barely able to sleep, Sara went over to the window to close the curtains hoping it would offer some comfort from the moonlight coming in and keep the wind from slamming the shutters. She was sadly mistaken. What she saw next chilled her to the bone! As she looked out the window she noticed a figure standing outside. She tried to awaken Mark thinking they were not alone after all. She would not forget the night.

She shut the curtain as tight as she could after trying to awaken Mark. Mark told her to go back to bed. Sara looked at the curtain. A hand was trying to penetrate through the curtain as though it was trying to get to Sara! Sara jumped back and ran toward the bed for her flashlight that was on her phone. Sara pointed the flashlight toward the curtain. The hand was gone! She was wondering where it went as she cuddled up to Mark under the covers as tight as she could scared out of her mind! She found it a hard time sleeping the rest of the night.

As morning came, Sara had asked Mark if he had heard anything during the night. Mark had shook his head no, and wondered what had happened that night to Sara to make her so jumpy as she was. She didn’t want to talk as though she was afraid she would greatly provoke something that she didn’t want to make upset. But she feared that it might have been too late for that. As though just by them being there they were already making something upset. Sara didn’t want to stay another night. She wanted to leave right away. As she started to pack up, the two heard a knock at the door! It sounded like a loud knock that the door was going to come off of it’s rusted hinges! Mark asked whom it was at the door. The voice said, “It’s I, the caretaker!”

Mark knew whom the caretaker was. His grandfather had hired him many years ago. The caretaker turned and looked at Sara and asked for apologies and said that he was sorry for frightening her last night. He stated that he had seen a car in the drive and he wanted to see for himself whom was staying the night in the family owned estate. Sara said that it was okay, and Mark could do nothing but to laugh as though he thought that Sara thought the place was actually haunted. The caretaker looked at a door off into the distance. He demanded the two not go into the old room. For it was off limits! Mark and Sara looked at each other and they told the old man that they would obey him and never step foot into the room. As though anyone could go into the room anyways. It was dead bolted shut!

The caretaker slammed his shovel down. The shovel was covered with blood. He asked them what they were looking at as though they had never seen animal blood before. The caretaker said that he had been cleaning the road of dead animals that morning and that he had to get back to work. He gave them both a friendly handshake and went about his way. Sara shut the door and asked Mark if he knew of any caretaker that took care of the property. Mark said that he was unaware of any caretaker. And hi grandfather never mentioned such a man. He wondered “Who would want to take care of an old cabin?”

Mark said to Sara that he was going into town for a few supplies and would be back as soon as he could. While the car was pulling away Sara’s curiocity was getting the best of her! She took an old screwdriver and walked towards the old room that was locked. She tried to pick the lock as hard and skillfully as she could, but it was of no use. She was going to need something better to try and find her way inside. She had an eerie feeling that the caretaker may have been hiding something, and she had to find out what. She tried her hairpin after the screwdriver had failed. Then she remembered her lockpicks. She just about got into the room when her phone rang. It was Mark asking her if she wanted anything. He had forgotten to ask he said before he had left. She said that she was okay and that she didn’t need anything. Sara hung up the phone as fast as she could. She felt the door give way, and she kicked it the rest of the way open! When the door came open she found the room was filled with writing that she had not seen before. Writing that had pictures, symbols, and in the corner of it all stood a little chest. Inside was all sorts of dust, and one book! One book which she was sure probably was the last owners journal! She bent down and picked up the book. She unlocked it with her pin that broke, it was long enough to fit into the books locking mechanism. It was what she had thought to be. A journal. But it was a journal of what had been going on at the cabin. Inside the last entry was dated 1958. That Mark’s dad had come up with his father to the cabin. What it continued to say was what they had done in the cabin. Sara was in shock!

Sara continued to read. Suddenly she heard a knock at the front door! She could hear the sound of the caretaker as he was shouting for her to come out. She was unsure why. She packed up what she had found and placed it back inside the trunk. She shut the door and place the lock back on it. She went to the front door and opened it up. The caretaker said that he was sorry if he startled her. He wanted to make sure that the candle had stayed lit. She was wondering what he had meant. He old her that one of his tasks as caretaker was to make sure that the candle in the attic stayed lit at all times. Sara was wondering why. The caretaker said that if the candle in the attic window did not stay lit, then a great evil would come back. A evil not seen in seventy years!

Sara knew that she had to ask but she was afraid to ask. The caretaker told her anyways...

He said to her that one night many years ago there were groups of devil worshippers at this place. He was aware of what they were doing because he was the one who received word from the church of the evil doings going on in the home. Once the devil worshippers were gone, he placed a protection candle in the window of the attic to ensure whatever evil they had conjured never returned. He said that he was happy to take up the churches charge of watching over the cabin home. For many years things stayed silent, until last night!

Sara said: “Last night?”

The caretaker said that last night he saw that the candle had gone out, and that he was trying to warn them. He was afraid that he may have been too late. He only hoped that by coming up there that he could relight the candle and hopefully keep anything evil at bay. Sara was hoping the same thing. She was afraid now that something may have been freed due to what she saw last night. She asked the caretaker if he was the one who made a handprint last night in the window.

The caretaker replied: “No, it was not I.”

Sara and the caretaker looked at each other in shock. For they felt something was very wrong. Sara remembered that Mark was still at the store. She wondered if he was going to be okay making the trip home. Unable to call him, all she could do was pray. The caretaker said he would do the same, and watch over them that night incase anything were to happen. Sara was now wondering what was taking Mark so long to get back. Mark had just been coming back from the store when his car’s engine suddenly stopped. Smoke billowing out, he was able to take the rest of the groceries and walk back to the cabin of Nightfall Hollow. Tired and exhausted both Mark and Sara sat down to what dinner they could have that night. Sara wanted to tell Mark about what she had found in the room. She felt that with what she knew she would not be able to keep it from him any longer.

Sara told him about what she had found inside of the room. She was looking at him as though to say please don’t be upset with me. But Mark had told her not to worry, that he was planning on breaking into the room anyways tonight. He wanted to know more about the cabin. He just wanted to wait for the right time. Sara told him of what else had happened today with the caretaker stopping by. She said that she was worried that something bad was going to happen that night because of what had happened with the candle. Mark wondered the same thing.

They both went into the room together. Sara showed him the book she had uncovered. Inside was the journal entry of Mark’s father. In his handwriting, Mark’s father, Thomas wrote that strange things were happening in the cabin, and that thanks to his father screaming at night that he wanted Satan to curse the land and do evil to all whom dwell upon it, that he feared that he would be next. Thomas knew that he had to get out. He said that he was going to sneak out. That was the end of the entry. Why leave the journal though? Nothing was making any sense. Why? Unless... said Sara.

Mark wondered for a minute. He said.... Unless what?

Sara said... Unless... your grandfather knew what your dad was up to and kept the journal and your father got away.

Mark wondered for a minute. His father never said anything of this happening. Of course, his father or grandfather ever mentioned anything hardly about the cabin. Mark felt as though there was more to the story. Him and Sara decided it would be best to burn the remaining book and artifacts. Maybe that would cleanse the house of evil. They hoped.

Mark and Sara went outside, lit a small bonfire, and tossed in all they could. Watching it all burn, Mark was wondering if he was doing the right thing. He didn’t know. All that he knew was that he wanted a peaceful life. As him and his girlfriend watched everything they gathered burn to ash they thought they were going to have an easy night. They were wrong!

As night time came, a strange chill entered the home and filled the air. Noises of what sounded like hooves could be heard tattering on the roof. Claws scratching on the doors, and walls could be heard, and demonic growling grew ever louder as the night went on. Mark started to pray, and praylike he never prayed before. He was finally terrified out of his mind. Now, he knew that burning the items were not a good idea after all!

The clawing got louder as he prayed louder, and stronger. Sara kept close to Mark as she could feel her flesh feel like it was being ripped from her bones. Sara felt like she was on fire! Mark was feeling the same way as well. They knew they were cornered, and there was nothing they could do but pray for it to all soon be over. Mark looked at Sara again while he was praying. Blood trails were showing up on her white shirt as she was keeping huddled close to Mark like someone, or something was digging her skin. Mark was experiencing the same thing. It was an unseen force that wanted them scared, trapped, and helpless!

“As the night went on things got suddenly quieter. Like the passing of a storm. It was strange, but eerie. We were not sure fully what to expect. Mark and I knew one thing that we had to just get out of the house as soon as we could. But we were afraid to go anywhere. What if they were still out there? Whoever, or whatever they were.

Mark and I eventually made it out, but when we did we could not start the car. The battery cables looked like they had been bitten off. So, we got out of the car and ran to the nearest pub. We asked to use the telephone, and now we are still sitting here waiting for some bloke to get off the bloody phone.” Said Sara, after talking to the bar tender.

The bar tender looked at them and wondered if there was anything he could get them. Mark replied, “A new phone ,a new car, and a one way out of thi crazy town.” The bar tender laughed and said that he wished he could be of more help. Mark and Sara looked over at the shelf over on the wall. There was a picture of the cabin, Nightfall Hollow. Named after the town, being one of the first homes built, it reportedly had many deaths, many families, and one caretaker.

The bar tender in the pub told Mark and Sara that of all the many deaths there at Nightfall Hollow, there was only one caretaker death, and that was two years ago. Poor man reportedly was hung in the attic when it happened. Mark and Sara asked how it happened.

The bar tender told them: “Some punks came in one night while the caretaker was lighting the candle for the old homestead. They hung him on the rafters, placed the hanging rope over the candle that he lit, and watched him hang just for fun. They were never caught by police. I still do feel sorry for the old man too. Some say at night when people light a bonfire near the old house it gives off a signal to the caretaker and he goes on a rampage attacking those he believes to have evil hearts. Poor Bill McGaelic. He will be missed. Thankfully I keep a family picture of him right here next to me great grandmother. He was me brother after all.”

Mark and Sara looked at the picture in shock! It was the picture of the caretaker they had met at the cabin! Under the picture it said his full name, year he was born, and... the year he died!

In Memory of:

(Bill McGaelic 1943-2020)

Father, Friend, and Caretaker