I love nature. I always have, I’m a tree hugger, eco-friendly fanatic. So when I found a nice, quiet log cabin hidden in the forest, (Incredibly cheap) I was hooked. There weren’t many offers for it, though. Which I found strange. The price was low. It almost seemed too low, like someone wanted to get rid of it, quick. This felt different though, I’ve worked in the city for years now, barely scraping by, I needed to get out. Needed.
I drove up to meet the guy, the quiet woods felt so much like Home. It gave me an inner peace, but at the same time, it felt fake. It’s one of those feelings that you can’t describe, like for instance the universe. You can try to make examples or ideas of how it was made, but you really can’t explain it. You just don’t understand it.
I got to the cabin, and a car was out front. It was run down, to the point like you couldn’t tell if it was even… Working? I parked my car, and knocked on the door.
“Hello? Hey Patrick, you here?”
An old man opened the door, his face wrinkled, like your fingers after you’ve been in the bath for too long. He quickly hurried me inside, and shut the door hard.
“You okay dude? You look pretty freaked out.”
“Everything is good.” His yellow, rotting teeth infected the air. I could probably smell his breath from miles away. His smile, Jesus, his smile looked like if you tried to make the most unsettling, wide grin imaginable.
“So uh, I guess I’ll take the keys?” I motioned my hand out, waiting for him to drop me the keys. I had already paid for the cabin.
“Yeah, man. Here, just take it.” Frantically, he got the keys and dropped them into my hand. I didn’t get a chance to say thanks, or goodbye as he ran to the door. He took a quick glance at me, he had that weird smile again, but it almost looked like he was scared. Hiding behind a false face, one that wasn’t his.
For how the guy looked, the place seemed really nice. Everything was up to date. I got the stuff out of my truck, and started to unpack everything. Life was finally going my way.
Then my first Night there, and I was totally alone. The type where you just sit down, watch some TV, and think your thoughts. No matter how random they could be. Then as I was zoning out, I heard a rattle. It was quick, to the point where I was questioning if anything really happened. My body, frozen. Nobody was around me for miles. Why was my doorknob rattling.
I said, “Forget it, move on. Nothing happened, it was in your head.” Until it started moving again.
Now I was getting afraid. I got up to grab my shotgun, and I rushed out of the door.
“I’ll shoot! Get away!” I readied my gun, waiting for someone to jump out at me. Then I saw something in the corner of my left eye. It was a four-legged creature. Its neck was twisted, and the head was at a turn, like the thing you do when you’re confused. I stood frozen, its neck stooped even lower, then I heard it scream. It screamed like a person.
I quickly turned my head and fired the shotgun, then it wasn’t there. Am I going crazy? What. was. that. I shut my door and made sure all the locks were on. I stayed in the house for hours, my eyes were wide open the entire time. Anytime I heard a sound my head turned to that spot, I’m not going out of this house.
The noises got more aggressive through the night. To knocking on the house then to banging on the windows. It’s like it was toying with me, tempting me. Then, it stopped for a little bit. I hadn’t got an ounce of sleep, and my eyes were getting heavy. I got under the bed, put my shotgun next to me, and tried to just push through it. Then it busted through the door. Its bellowed screeching pierced my eardrums, I wanted to scream so loud, but I couldn’t. I just want to leave, I thought. I prayed, I’ve never believed in god, but I prayed. I decided it couldn’t hurt to give it a shot.
It was silent for a while, then it came into the bedroom. Its legs were like sharp blades, could cut you like butter. Then its head stooped lower, and lower, and turned to look at me. Its small eyes looked inside my soul. That half a second of it looking at me felt like an eternity. Then I aimed my shotgun and shot it once again. This time it hit, and the screaming got louder, and blew out my eardrums. I cried out. I got out from under the bed and rushed for the car, unlocked it, and as I got in, it caught my leg and was ripping my calf apart like it was paper. I kicked it off with all my strength and shut the door. It cut my tire and as I sped up, it ran almost like a dog for me. Except it was around 7-8 feet tall. I drove as fast as the car could go.
My calf was bleeding everywhere, the pain was nothing like I had ever felt, like most people had ever felt. I drove for so long, as I got to the hospital, I passed out. Falling out of my car, and near the entrance of the hospital. I was under for a while. When I finally woke up my best friend was there, and the doctors said I didn’t have a good chance of making it through surgery, but I did. It was a miracle. When the doctors went out and let me talk with my friend, I told him everything. He just stared at me blankly, and then walked out of the room. He came back soon after but was silent, didn’t speak a word.
I still own the cabin, but I’m never going there again. I’ll try to figure something out to get rid of it, demolish it. This has haunted me for so long. Anytime I drive in the woods I always feel an extra pair of eyes looking at me. I hate the woods, I hate going outside. This has scarred me for the rest of my life.
I go to church every time I get the chance. Is God real? I don’t know. I just want to feel safe. I’m just scared, it is still out there, and I don’t know where it is. I truly hope I never know.