Wick

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

Bleak wooden walls stand tall towards the ceiling. The window was frosted over. The candle was depleted, only lit at its base. A sound of wailing crawled through the rotting walls and out into the open night air. A shutter rolls over my body. "It's just the cold," a whisper meant to ease me from this horrible nightmare. 

Squinting through the candlelit window shows more than I asked for.

"Are you okay?" I was trying to yell over the reverberating cry from the women I see inside. This is a cry I would wish upon no one. How did I get here? This candle should be out any minute. "HELP ME PLEASE!" The loud voice came from within, presumably from the young lady, but that means...She was not the cause of the wailing. Quick, which way in- I don't know, I don't know. "PLEASE!" enough, taking off to the left. I keep my eyes about me while running around the dark cabin. Soon I am back where I started. Maybe I missed it. AGAIN. 

My heavy breath shoots colour into the air; the wailing is still running rampant. There is still no door, so I am left with only one option. Slowly walking backwards, my ears picked up a small crunch. Okay, I hope this doesn't hurt too much. 

Smashing into the rotting wood, I swiftly toppled onto the timber of the floor. Looking up, the young lady was sitting there in the fetal position with no shoes. I hear a slight hum from the outer breeze, only to be muffled by the sound of the continuing lament. "Are you okay?" The woman nods her head. "Take my hand," but where is the light? The candle light must have been taken out by the wind. "Here, come with me." "No, please! When the noises stop, that means it's coming! " It's coming? What is it?

But, she was right. The screaming had stopped.

A harrowing silence fell upon the black room. I whispered. "Who is coming?" "Not who... what?" As soon as she said it, a warmth surrounded me. The shiver that had previously taken hold of my body began to fade. The burning light shines into my eyes as I look behind me. Someone is standing just beyond the recent hole. If only I could see around the edge. It's as if someone is just outside, waiting. Looking back at the woman, I can see the dim light in her eyes. She shutters, quickly standing to her feet, mumbling under her breath. " It's here."

Looking to my left and right, there are no other rooms in this place. This isn't a cabin. I can't tell what it is. A wooden box in the middle of nowhere? To my horror, looking back at the woman turned out to be a death sentence. I watch as she begins to float into the air. Her mouth gaped open, unable to close. 

The candle, it's in her mouth. 

The wax seeps from her eyes and ears. the wailing, its back and unhinged. The sound bursts from her mouth, louder than before. I have made a grave error. At full tilt, I turn around and head towards the door. The woman, now half covered in wax, hovers in my direction as I head for whence I came. What the hell is going on here? I run into the light and come to an immediate stop. Looking up into something monstrous, something terrifying, something not even a mother could love. The wailing persists, banging around in my ear, echoing in the barren winter landscape. 

Where were the trees that once gave this place hiding?

"Get out of my head." The wailing bouncing around in my brain makes me feel like mush. The snow sticking to my boots as I run away from the cabin. The two Fiends follow behind me, their lights shining on my back, burning a hole into my skull. Looking back, I tripped and landed on the hard snow surface. This isn't snow, this is wax, and it's melting. As I struggle to climb to my feet, I see the sun rising in the distance; the light is just hitting my eyes. I have to get to the top of this hill. Freedom awaits. 

Once there, I can take a look around and find out where I am. The two creatures are nearly upon me now. Looking back, I can't tell who the woman is any more. Both look the same. A tall statured wax, covering the body, creating something that resembles the human mold. Wicks come out of the eyes and ears, arms and hands. The light was lit within what you would call a mouth. The burning melts the sides, causing wax to drool from every nook and cranny that stretches; and that sound, that unruly sound.

As I reach the destination, at the top of the hill, I can feel the heat of the sun touching me.

I move forward. The closer I get, the more difficult it is to move, the wax sticking to my feet more and more with every step. Finally, the top. If only. I stare into the sun and I watch the flame flicker in front of me, I feel the wax melting below me. My feet are stuck. This is the end.

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