My name is Sarah and I am writing this story to share my experience with others who are considering renting a cabin in the woods. My husband, Rick, and I thought it would be great to rent a cabin for a weekend getaway. We found a beautiful cabin in the woods that was surrounded by trees and wildlife. It was exactly what we were looking for.
We arrived at the cabin on a Friday evening, eager to start our relaxing weekend. The cabin was beautiful and looked just like the pictures online. But as soon as we walked in, we felt a strange energy. The air was cold and felt heavy like it was trying to suffocate us. Rick told me to ignore it and said it was just our imaginations, but I knew something was wrong.
That night, we went to bed early, hoping to get a good night’s sleep. But as soon as we turned off the lights, strange things started happening. We heard whispers, footsteps, and doors opening and closing. I was so scared that I couldn’t move from my spot in the bed. Rick tried to calm me down and reassure me everything was okay, but I could tell he was scared too.
The next morning, we woke up to find that our belongings had been moved. Rick’s shoes were in the fireplace, and my purse was wedged into one of the floorboards in the bathroom. We hadn’t seen anyone or anything but it did feel like we were being watched.
We didn’t know what to do and this was just too weird so, decided to leave the cabin and find a hotel to stay in.
As we were packing our bags, we heard a woman’s voice say, “Don’t leave, I need your help.” We were both scared stiff and didn’t want to move or even make a sound. But the voice continued to speak, asking us to stay and help. I thought her voice was strangely familiar but Rick said he didn’t think so.
She told us she needed our help to solve a mystery that was keeping her trapped in the cabin.
“I’m sorry I can’t show you my face,” she began. “It’s against the rules, and if I break them, I’ll never be able to come back home again. I have been stuck here for many years, unable to escape. I am cursed, and no one but you can break it!”
She told us there was a secret passageway that led to a hidden area beneath the cabin. She wanted us to go down into it and find an old trunk. Inside the trunk, we would find notes from an old journal that contained the answers we needed. If we opened the journal, we would learn how to release her from the curse.
So, as scared and confused as we were, something about her just seemed trust worthy and we stayed and tried to help the ghost solve her mystery.
We started by looking for the secret passage. She said it was hidden under the floorboards of the bathroom. As soon as we pried out the boards and lifted up the floor, we found a trap door.
We pulled it open and climbed down into pitch black. When we got to the bottom Rick pulled out his lighter and held it in the air so we could see.
It was a cavern-like space that must have been at least 20 feet long and 10 feet high. It reminded me of a prison cell, with bars hanging over our heads. It was freezing and dark, but we moved slowly through the tunnel to the end where we found a door, unlocked, so we entered.
The walls were covered in graffiti, which was oddly reassuring as it ment that someone had been there before us. The floor was covered with blood and bones. Blood dripped from the ceiling and ran along the walls. We followed the trail of blood until we reached a wooden chest.
As I opened the lid, I saw that it was full of old letters. As soon as I read them, my heart sank, I recognised my mothers handwriting.
They weren’t letters, they were notes—notes written by my mother as she learned about magic.
The last note said, “When your soul is hers, you will understand these words: ‘Lightning strikes twice but fire burns thrice.’”
After reading the note, I realized it was a riddle. Lightning doesn’t strike twice though, and Fire only burns once. So, what did the ghost mean? We gathered up all the notes and returned to the main room, I called out to the ghost.
“Mum, is that you!?”
The ghost spoke again, “Yes, Josephine, its me!” It was my mother, she was the ghost trapped in the cabin!
“Mum, I can’t believe it’s you, we thought you ran off and left us, what happened!?” I cried.
“My mother’s ghost was sobbing now too, “I’m so sorry my love, but there is no time to explain. You must go back into the cavern and look for the other half of the puzzle.”
So, without hesitation we went back down into the pitch-black cavern, this time, it was different.
We noticed that as we walked, the blood grew thicker and the walls were coated in more blood. It was like the cavern was a living organism, breathing…bleeding.
Once we got to the end, we found a different door, locked this time. Rick pushed it to try and open it and stone slab fell away from the surrounding wall revealing a second chamber.
Inside there was a large table and chairs, all carved from what appeared to be bone. A large book sat on top of the table, it looked very much like a book my mum used to used to study witchcraft.
On the cover of the book was written, “Phases of Magic.”
I opened the book and found the first page. It said:
‘The phases of magic are not always easy to follow. The first phase, which some call The Veil, is when the magician attempts to manipulate the elements that lie beyond our world. This is a difficult process to master because it requires tremendous mental strength and a firm belief in the power of magic.’
“I remembered this! My mother taught me this as a child” I said out loud. “I think she was trying to help me become powerful enough to overcome the curse that was placed upon her. Somehow she knew this day would come.”
“Mum, how do we complete the ritual?” I asked.
“You must find the other half of the puzzle, then it will be revealed to you.” Mum replied.
Rick picked up the book and flipped through the pages. He stopped at the very last page.
“‘Fulfillment of the spell requires the proper ingredients. These include: a pinch of the earth, a drop of blood, and a small piece of skin from each sacrifice.’” Rick turned to me and said, “Sacrifice!?”
I nodded and said, “This is where we get the blood and flesh!”
“Shit Josey!” Rick said as he pulled his Swiss army knife from his pocket.
He quickly sliced off the tip of his finger and tossed it onto the book. Then, he took my hand and did the same.
Blood poured out of our fingertips and across the pages of the book.
I knelt down and grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it across the book and instantly it burst into flames and two bolts of lightning shot out from it and hit both me and Rick in the chest.
I could hear voices screaming in my head and I could see my mum tied to a steak and being burned like a witch in Salem, then it all went silent and black.
When I finally regained my senses, I was standing outside the secret chamber, the lights were on in the living room and paramedics, police and firefighters were all over the cabin.
I walked into the living room in a daze. Rick was unconscious and badly burned on the floor with paramedics surrounding him.
“We need to re-suss, be careful, he’s suffered 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns” I heard one of them shouting.
That’s when I saw her; standing by the front door, calm and collected in a long, black velvet and lace dress, my mother!
“Oh my God, Mom!” I screamed as I ran towards her and hugged her tight. Oh my God, Rick! I cried as I knelt down to tend to him.
“What happened to him!?”
My mum held me back
“Leave him my child, he has paid the ultimate price tonight. Ours is a long and complicated story but for now, let us take comfort in the fact that we are reunited and leave this cursed place and as we journey together I shall reveal the tragedy of my fate and the importance of your destiny.
At that moment all I could hear in my mind was the beginning of the riddle I had found earlier, ‘When your soul is hers, you will understand these words’…