Cabin 18

• Zoe Currie, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2013

The number eighteen was nailed to the wooden door. But to the campers, it was known as the girl’s cabin. A man of great build knocked on the door to be then replied with shrieking girls. The reaction startled him as much as it did confuse him. He entered the darkened room. The carpet became alit of the harsh yellow light that emitted from his torch. No sign of anyone. Then the patter of feet ran behind him. Three of the four girls were hiding behind his stocky build. His curiosity was only growing more and more. “What on Earth is going on here?!” he questioned. A tone of authority ran through his voice. None of them answered. They all stood quietly trembling within their pyjamas, but all their eyes were fixed on one spot. The back right-hand corner. The only corner of the room alit from the moonlight. “I said, what on Earth is going on here?” his voice suddenly became sterner. Again, the girls remained quiet but this time only for a few moments. A girl, shorter than all the rest spoke softly, as if trying to remain unheard. “… There’s something wrong with her…” her nimble arm rose until horizontal. It shook violently as her index finger extended pointing in the direction of the back right hand corner. The man looked in the direction of her finger. Through the moonlight a small lump could be seen under the covers. Instantly, he thought it was a joke, but the girls all played the part so well that he just shrugged that thought off. He let his torch guide him to the bed, leaving the three girls huddling together at the door. His hand extended and nudged the lump several times. “Hey… Are you okay?” The lump rolled over to reveal a girl’s face. She too seemed tired, but manage to keep his eyes open just for him. “Yeah… I’m fine.” She replied. He gave a small smile to her and turned to the face the girls. Just at that moment a loud ruffling noise caught his attention. He looked at the girl, she wasn’t moving, seemingly back to sleep even. He stopped and stayed quiet looking at the girls as they edged their way out of the door. There it was again. A ruffling noise, distinctly coming from under the bed. He sunk to his knees, then to his hands and shined the torch under the bed. He jumped immediately after seeing a face peer back at him. Now he was confused. Both girls looked alike, identical even. “…Sir…” a soft voice escaped her “…. There’s someone in my bed…” Screams of the girls at the doors echoed the cabin and through the night as they ran into the woods. And in their spot was half the eight that had fallen from the door. When he looked up, the door now read thirteen.