Run from Father

The cabin in the woods had been abandoned for years, but one night, a candle burned in the window. I turned my eyes away to focus on my studies, my English paper was due in two days and yet I had barely begun. I couldn't help but divert my look towards the candle burning... no one lives in that cabin, it was left abandoned years before I was born. I wonder who was in there? I went to ask Momma about it. I found her sitting in fathers rocking chair knitting yet another green jumper for winter "Momma there is a candle burning from the cabin? Placing her knitting down she rose to have a look. But when she got to the window it was out... "where is this candle burning" she asks. I pointed to where the cabin was... "you must need glasses" Momma said. I quickly looked over and Momma was right. The candle was out.

I went to bed thinking who lit the candle and who blew it out.

Before school I snuck over through the woods towards the cabin. I hid behind a tree looking and listening for any trace of activity. Silence. I went closer, I could see the door slowly blowing in the breeze, the window above the kitchen was cracked, I tip toed around the cabin, there was no sign of life. I walked up the two rotten steps calling "hello... good morning". Again I was met with silence. I took a step inside the door and I could see the candle from where I saw it burning last night. I walked up to the candle to feel the wick, to feel if it was still warm in case it burnt again during the night. Cold. I turned round to wander into what would of been the living room. Musty blue curtains still hung, the couch with springs poking out were still there. No sign of anyone moving anything. I went into the bedroom, the old bed was rotting away. I heard the front door close, I froze listening, yet nothing.... my body trembled with fear, I turned round seeing nothing, slowly and as quietly as I could I walked out of the bedroom, back through the dining room, opening the door to leave. Taking the steps down from the cabin I could see something white flapping ahead of me. I tried to run as fast as possible... but I was unable to catch up to see what or who it was.

I got told off at school as I failed to complete my maths homework. I wonder how is it possible to get assignments done on top of daily homework. Do people think I got nothing to do when I get home?

I stayed up late working on my English assignment. I couldn't wait until my school days would be over. I was beginning to drift off to sleep so decided to turn off my light and get ready for bed. Everyone else was already fast asleep. I glanced over towards the cabin where it was dark wondering who was there last night. There it was! A glow! Someone had just lit the candle, I ran back to my bed thinking about my next move. Was I brave enough to venture out?

Lying in bed thinking about my two options. Firstly go to sleep pretending nothing happened, secondly do I sneak out to see who is in there? I decided I was too scared to visit there on my own. But I would set a trap.

The next day the cabin was again empty. The person staying in here knows how to keep a low profile. I dropped Mommas phone in the kitchen sink by "accident" so I could wag the day without the school phoning asking where I was. I pretended to set off for school and instead went to the cabin, I waited for Momma to leave for work before heading back to the house to gather the supplies needed for my trap. I was determined to catch this person! I spent a few hours constructing a piece of thin nylon string to the floor, when touched it would release a net that I had fixed to the ceiling, along the bottom of the net I had placed electric prods so each time the person tried to escape they would get a huge electric shock. So long as the person didn't look up, my plan would work.

After school I pretended I was feeling unwell as I wanted to sneak off to hide in the cabin to see who it was. I left a note on my bed in case something bad happened to me so Momma would know the first place to look. In the cabin I hid in the bedroom by the window which I could jump out of fast to run back home. I didn't have to wait long until I heard footsteps walk up. "Dont push me Mary Jane" said a voice, it sounded like a childs. "Shut up" replied the other voice. I heard a thud in the living room, and listened to a drink been poured into a cup. "What did you get us to eat?" I heard one child say. "Oranges and some bread" the other one said. It was silent while they ate. Whose kids are these? As night fell one child started crying complaining about the dark. "I'll light the candle soon Heavenly, we must wait until everyone in the house is asleep, you don't want to end up being a ward of the state do you?"

I decided to leave the children to it, before Momma found me missing from my bed. I jumped out of the window and quietly returned to the house thinking about how I could help these kids. I forgot about my set trap.

In the morning Momma was setting up her new phone, giving me the death stare. She must still be fuming over yesterdays phone accident. I hurried out the door, I decided to check on the cabin. I could hear crying. I dropped my school bag outside and went up the stairs. I could see one child crying helplessly on the floor while the other was stuck under my net. The look of horror of getting caught. "please don't hurt us said the child under the net". I turned off the switch which kept the electric probes working. Lifting up the end of the net for the child to crawl out of... "What are your names I asked?" The child crawling out from under the net said her name was Mary Jane and pointed to her sister whose name was Heavenly. They stood side by side and I recognised them as the twins in the junior class at school.

I had so many questions to ask... Common lets get to school and you can tell me all about why you are sleeping in here on the way. Mary Jane said they needed to leave home after finding their mother's body in the freezer. "Father is always drunk and says we will be next" said Heavenly.

I looked at these twins who were the complete opposite of each other, one with blonde hair and dark brown eyes. While the other was dark haired with bright blue eyes. They couldn't be more than seven years old and facing this. "We need to go to the police", I said. The twins appeared scared to the bone. "After school you will come home with me, Momma will know how to deal with this"?

When we arrived at the school gates, the twins grabbed each other hiding behind me as they saw their father standing looking out for them. I stopped before anyone saw us, turned round placing the twins in front of me. "Normally walk back the way we came" I told them. We returned to the cabin. I left the twins inside the cabin while I went to the house to get them some food and something to drink. I heard a scream. Running back towards the cabin, I saw that their father has seen us and followed. I ran to the window to see what he was doing, peeking in I saw he had a knife and was wavering it at the girls while describing how he killed his wife and how he was going to butcher them. I had to think fast. I found a sharp rock lying on the ground. I was about to throw it through the window when I saw a ghostly white figure walking past me, up the steps and inside. I heard the father scream, and begin pleading with who ever else was inside. I ran round calling "come girls"....

The girls ran out of the cabin and into my arms. All color had drained from their faces. "Who went inside" I asked. "Mother ghost" replied Mary Jane....