The Lonely Cabin

• Sarah Wong, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2020

Some said that it was haunted, and that every hundred years, when the clock struck twelve at midnight, a dark figure would come out of the swamp and snatch people who were staying in the little wooden house. One by one, they were dragged from their beds while they were asleep, and were forced under the water of the swamp. Their lifeless bodies sunk to the swamp floors, never to be seen again. My name is Olivia Johnson. My friends Dani, Jess and I certainly didn’t believe this ridiculous myth.

The floorboards screamed under our feet as we walked across the rickety, ancient wooden planks. We were on an adventure, and decided to explore an abandoned forest. Just as I stepped foot on the first floorboard in the dark cabin, I heard an ear piercing screech coming from behind me. In a panicked state, I quickly wrapped my hands around my ears to drown out the haunting sounds and held them there, not daring to let go, and feeling terrified as I closed my eyes firmly.
Finally, the noise stopped just as abruptly as it started. It felt like the noise was coming from right next to me. But how could it be? After all, my friends and I were the only ones here.
“OLIVIA!” shrieked a terrified voice that sounded like Dani’s. Without thinking twice, I saw my best friend, looking as white as a fresh sheet of paper. She whispered “She’s gone...”
“Dani, what do you mean?” I asked, panic rising in my voice.
“Th- They took her. They took Jess.” muttered Dani in a daze.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHERE IS JESS?” I screamed in a panic.
Horrified and dazed, I felt something cold tap my shoulder, followed by a sharp sensation.
I reached for my neck. My hand felt something damp and I looked down to see what it was. A thick, crimson coloured liquid covered my hand. Blood. I felt weak and fell to the hard, splintered floor.
“DANI!” I looked up, and all I could see were a pair of gleaming ruby red eyes that had taken the place of Dani’s own, and then I plunged into a world of darkness, slowly losing my breath.