It happened in March 2020… when everyone was staying home.
I’ve never told anyone this story.
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It was a chilly, but not terribly cold day in Innsbrook, Missouri.
I was chopping wood when I received a notification on my Airbnb app that a family of three was trying to book my cabin for the weekend. All I had to do was hit accept. But I was actually temporarily living at my cabin. I had decided to get away from things in the city with Henry, my Great Dane, since we didn’t have much going on. My work had shut down for two weeks… just like the rest of the world. I declined their request and sent a note explaining the situation.
I felt a little bad about declining it, to be honest. They seemed like a pleasant bunch, with a cute profile picture of the kid and parents smiling in front of a scenic landscape. Almost instantly, the dad sent a follow-up message, asking if they could stay in the spare bedroom. I found it odd they knew I had a spare bedroom… but realized I was being paranoid. The whole place was listed in great detail on the app, with lots of pictures showing all of the rooms.
I looked at Henry, who was chasing squirrels around the outdoor fire pit. What the heck, I thought, so I hit accept. Little did I know, my peaceful weekend was about to take an unexpected turn.
The family arrived Friday evening, in a green pickup truck. They were friendly and polite, and I gave them a quick tour of the cabin, pointing out the key features and amenities. They seemed pleased with the place and expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and flexibility of booking the room.
“What brought you guys out here?” I finally asked the dad.
“Hunting. Suppose that’s alright with you. We have our license and everything,” he replied.
Hunting? I found it odd, but I didn’t want to come across rudely. But the truth is I had always known Innsbrook to be a safe and quiet part of Missouri. Fishing? Sure. But nobody hunted.
“Sure, yeah, as long as your guys are careful,” I finally said to him.
“Always,” the dad said.
As the night set in, I settled down in bed with a book and Henry, enjoying the peace and quiet of the woods. The truth is the family was super quiet. I almost couldn’t remember they were in the cabin with me. After an hour or so of reading, I began hearing strange noises coming from outside. At first, I thought it was just the wind rustling the leaves, but the noises grew louder and more intense. It almost sounded like a howling.
I cautiously made my way to the window, peering outside into the darkness. To my shock, I could see three figures running through the woods in the far distance. They were moving with incredible speed, leaping over obstacles and chasing after something. Maybe I’m dreaming, I thought to myself. But it only took a moment before Henry was rustling awake and stretching in bed, excited to see me and ready to play. Maybe something is going on… I didn’t know what to think or do. I looked at Henry again, who was fully awake now. I was worried he may have to go pee outside.
I told him to stay in bed and went to make sure no one left the house with three big animals out in the woods. But when I got to the spare bedroom where the family was staying, the door was ajar. So I pushed the door open and peered in… the family was gone. A shiver went through my body, one so deep, signaling to me I was in trouble. I quickly went back to my bedroom and locked the door. I gently pet Henry and got him to fall back asleep.
I stayed up until morning, watching outside secretly. Trying to confirm my suspicions. And around 5 am, the three figures emerged from the woods and came back into the cabin. I could hear their voices, saying to stay quiet to each other. I thought about calling the police, but I chose not to. It’s only until Sunday morning, I thought.
The next day, I kept a close eye on the family, observing their behavior and movements. Well, at least I tried to. They didn’t come out of their bedroom all day. Then Saturday night, the same thing occurred. The noises. The howling. I tried my best to sleep through the night. I didn’t want any trouble. After all, maybe I was going crazy.
But around 3 am, I heard a new noise. It woke me up, but Henry slept through it.
It was some sort of singing. Almost a lullaby in a different language, with more noises and fewer words. I carefully got up and looked out the window. The three figures were standing around the firepit, swaying in rhythm with each other, burning something. It looked like some sort of animal carcass. I watched for a while as they loaded more and more of them into the fire. Dozens. I don’t remember going to bed that night, but I must have. The next thing I remember is Sunday morning and how quickly it arrived. And how awkward it was.
Henry and I went for a walk outside. I couldn’t help but take a detour to look at the firepit. As Henry chased a squirrel or two, I investigated the remnants of the pit. But it was clean, completely spotless as if it had been scrubbed with cleaning chemicals. I couldn’t believe it. The family slept in, finally emerging from their room just after 2 pm, fully packed.
“We had the most amazing time. And our daughter has officially become a woman,” the father said to me, breaking the odd day and a half of silence between us.
“That’s great,” I gulped. “I’m glad you guys enjoyed it.”
“You have something special here in these woods,” the mom chimed in. “I don’t believe you’d believe it if we told you how special it is.”
“Amazing,” I said. “You’ll have to come again!”
I was just trying to bring this odd weekend to a close. But the three of them all nodded enthusiastically. They thanked me again for the lovely stay and left a generous tip, which I was grateful for. But as I watched their pickup truck disappear into the distance, I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets they were hiding. And what was so special in the woods around my cabin.
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They just reached back out to me last night. They want to rent the same bedroom over the same weekend in March. It will have been three years since that weekend. I don’t know what to say.
Should I let them come back?