A Weekend In Appalachia

Who doesn't like a good road trip right? The sights, the people, the experience as a whole is just amazing, or maybe that's just me.

I've dedicated the last month to driving across the country. I'm luckily able to, as my job allows me to work from anywhere that has an internet connection, cyber security to be exact. I started in Florida and worked my way through the southeast region of the U.S. After moving through both of the Carolinas I decided to swing by Tennessee while I was around. 

And I've got to say, the place was beautiful, the large metropolitan areas meshing with the deep forest was an amazing experience to be a part of. However it wasn't always good, for example, in some of the more densely forested areas I found it difficult to find coffee shops and other places with free wifi to work at.

Luckily however, GPS exists and it's usually not too long until I find one, and if I can't then I'll find somewhere where I can rent out for the night while I work. Well, one day after having very bad luck finding any establishments with free Wi-Fi so deep in the mountains, 

I got very lucky and was able to find a very nice 3 bedroom Airbnb cabin in the mountains for just 50$ a night. After confirming payment for one night, I head to the area where the house is at. 

As I'm driving to the cabin, I can't help but feel uneasy, this place is really deep into the forest, I must've been driving for at least 30 minutes straight just going deeper into the forested mountain range, all the while the road keeps thinning and lowering in quality all the way. 

What had started as a strong, well-made two-lane asphalt road eventually turned into a decrepit, one-lane, dirt road that barely even had a clear path, mostly thanks to the massive trees on either side accompanied by the brush occasionally having grown on the road. 

“Why in the hell would someone live this far out?” I ask myself, frustrated with the condition of the area. Even this far into the road trip I haven't gone down a road this bad yet. First time for everything, I guess.

Eventually after a few minutes of driving down the run-down road, if you can call it that, and I finally see it, the cabin. And I won't lie, this place was definitely worth the drive. It looked to be about 2000 square feet, made of very fine, finished wood logs and gorgeous windows giving an amazing look into the forest. Walking into the house I'm surprised with how homey it looks. 

The first room is the living room lit by a familiar and warming orange glow, looking straight past the living room is the kitchen, sizable but not large, and nothing really notable about it. The living room however, had a very elevated roof and a fireplace to the right wall, A few taxidermied animal heads lay about it, as well as the skull of an animal I don't think I've ever seen, looking left of the living room, I see a sectioned couch with a very large mounted tv on a stand on the other side of the room.

Looking left I see the rest of the living room which wasn't really anything special, just a dining table and a few other pieces of furniture you'd expect to see in any house.

Past the living room to the left was a sizable hallway, which is where my host told me the bathrooms and master bedroom were. I walked down the hall to the door at the very end, which led to the master bedroom. And again upon walking in I'm blown away by the interior. It had a huge and very soft bed with enough pillows to smother a giant, and in front of the bed on the wall was another huge plasma TV. walking to the right I enter the bathroom and of course its lavish, large granite countertops and a marble bathtub as well as a huge walk-in shower. “There's no way this place is just 50$ a night.” I say to myself, blown away by the sheer luxury of a house so far away from civilization. 

I sit my stuff down and head to the back door, just past the kitchen to get a look at the backyard. 

and it’s even better than the front, there is a sizable pond that drains to a large stream flowing through the mountain. And of course, a well kept lawn all the way up until the tree line about 50 feet away. I stand there for a moment, impressed by the amazing area I've found myself in. It almost feels too good to be true.

Walking back inside the lavish cabin I go to the room to get my laptop so I can start working, and luckily, despite the GPS shenanigans, this place does have a stable internet connection. And so, I begin my work.

The hours fly by, and I don't even realize how long I've been working until my app for work closes abruptly. I look at the wifi icon at the bottom of my laptop and sure enough, it's dark, indicating my wifi connection has stopped working for some odd reason. glancing at the time I see it's 8 PM, looking out of the living room window I also see the sun beginning to lower in the sky. 

But that isn't my biggest concern. My boss told me if I'm not done with this project by next week I won't hold my position much longer, so getting this Wi-Fi back on is my biggest focus.

Walking outside with my phone flashlight, I go around the house looking for cables that might've gotten unhooked or unplugged in some way. Eventually I find the internet cable running down the side of the house and into the ground, but I'm dumbstruck as I realize the cable and the wall it's running along has massive and deep claw-looking incisions on it. “Damnit, you live in the forest and don’t have protected lines!?” I yell out in frustration.

 knowing that there's no way I can finish my work like this, I send a message to the host that I'm leaving early and of course let him know something shredded his cables.

But when I get to the front door, I see there’s pieces of paper hanging on it, at the top above a page full of writing is bold underlined letters that read; “VIEW ASAP” 

Taking the curious looking papers off the door, I take it inside and begin to read it.

To whomever is reading, I am sorry for what you are going to go through these next 48 hours, as it is likely you will not be alive by the end of them. However, if you read this carefully and take it seriously, you might make it out of this alive, so keep reading and TAKE.THIS.SERIOUS.

This house was built for people like you, unsuspecting travelers, to be part of a game. Not a game like the ones you see on TV. You are now a new toy for an ancient evil. No matter how skeptical or superstitious that sounds, it's the truth. Many years ago, miners uncovered something deep in the mountainside they never should have, just a couple miles from where you are now. Every year it demands someone to take part in its demented games, and if they survive 48 hours, they get to live free, but in the past 6 years nobody has survived and I doubt you will be any different. This thing is good at what it does.

But there is hope, there are rules you can follow that will greatly increase the chances of you surviving, these rules are a major part of whether or not you are still alive by the end of the next two days. 

Now this entity is clever, and likes to play with its food. It will likely attempt to break your mental before ever physically harming you. However,  its highly unpredictable nature makes it impossible to know its intention, it is likely it will do something neither you or I can plan for so always be on your toes.

Now that you know the entity and the situation, here are the rules for you.

1. Do not go outside after dark unless you have to, and be alert when it is, this is when it is most aggressive and active.

2. Prioritize lights, it thrives in the dark, if the power goes out at some point you need to go outside to the backyard and get them back on via resetting the Powerbox just past the treeline. If the Powerbox fails to reset, hide somewhere in the house and pray it doesn't know where you're at.

3. Barricade the windows. The windows are the easiest place of entry and they won't protect you for even a second once it arrives. There are supplies in the basement for you, open the trapdoor in the master bedroom closet behind the suitcases.

4. 10PM-12PM are the only two hours each day where it will not attack you. I highly suggest you use these hours for sleep.

5. It will come for you after 2-3 hours of you reading this, prepare as soon as possible.

6. Lock the doors but do not barricade yourself inside, the doors will hold and you may need to go on foot, although if you do your pretty much already dead, you can't outrun this thing in its own backyard. 

Again, I'm sorry, and good luck.

After I finish the papers I just stand there for a moment analyzing the words on the page for a few moments, dumbstruck not knowing what to think. Was this a prank by the locals? No, I'm too deep in the forest for that. Hell, I don't know, there's no way this is real, this is something you'd write in a book!

I go back to my room, balling up and tossing the fake paper into the empty fireplace for the next resident to ash.

Grabbing my belongings I still had barely gotten unpacked, I rushed out of the house heading straight for my truck. I had just thrown my stuff in the backseat when I noticed something was off. My back right wheel looks weird, like maybe it was going flat. A closer look around my truck reveals something terrifying.

All my tires had been slashed.

It takes me a moment to fully understand the gravity of the situation.

Before I'm even able to let it, I hear a terrifying sound from deep in the forest. It sounded like a person, screaming like they'd just had every bone in their body broken, but it wasn't right. It had some sort of distortion in it, like a cross between man and beast. Like it wanted something.

I don't care how dangerous or stupid it is to drive on slashed tires on a mountain, I am getting out of here.

I jump into the driver's seat, practically slam the keys into the ignition, turn, and nothing happens. The engine doesn't even stutter. There is nothing but silence.

I get out of my truck and rush to the front hood and swing it open.

What I see inside shakes me to my core.

My entire engine block had claw marks, destroying it entirely, a mess of slashed wires and bolt pieces lay scattered, spilled oil strewn across unevenly. Fresh oil.

This was recent.

I don't know why but I just stood there, staring. My mind was broken by the unbelievable horror of the situation. My deep thinking is broken again by the inhuman howl again, this time seeming angrier, or maybe closer.

This brings me to my bearings, and I begin sprinting back to the cabin, my eyes continually locking onto the tree line all the way.

I swing open the door and instinctually lock it between my fingers, almost autonomously.

Now rapidly breathing trying to make sense of everything, I notice something in the fireplace, the papers. I ran toward them and frantically pulled them out and unfurled them from the crumpled ball I'd left them in.

I begin scanning the paper, looking for anything it might have told me to do first. The rules! Rules 3 and 5 catch my eyes first, they seem to be the first things I should prioritize. I guess it's time to find this “trap door”, the third rule mentioned.

Walking back to the master bedroom with haste I can almost feel the sweat collecting on my brow, as I slowly realize whoever wrote those papers weren't lying, and I may very well be dead in the next few hours.

Arriving at the master bedroom’s closet I open the slide door and analyze my surroundings, clothes, shoes, suits, suitcases!

Kneeling before them I reach to the back and pull at least half sloppily to the side. And it reveals the top of the trapdoor, an old, dry, dull colored slab of wood with rusted hinges and a crooked doorknob.

Throwing the rest of the suitcases carelessly to the side I reach for the knob and twist, having to use my whole arm to get the knob to move. And as it does the door pops forward for a moment before eerily creaking its way open. Looking down all I can make out is a set of stairs that look like they might collapse with every step, plunging you into the void of darkness in the basement.

I guess the luxury ends here.

Pulling my phone out of my pocket I turn on the flashlight, the beam of light penetrating the veil of darkness instantly.

The white light reveals a medium-sized concrete-walled room covered in cobwebs and at least 50 planks of wood. The kind you always smell before you see at appliance stores.

I hunch my back and twist my hips at the waist, trying not to get stuck in the tiny door frame. As soon as my shoe hits the first plank of the stairs I hear a loud creak echo through the silence. I'm also hit with a putrid stench, a cross between roadkill and stuffy, century-old air.

 Regardless I push through, each stair wailing at me as I make my way down. The final step I can move my flashlight around the right corner to see a workbench with various tools and nails on it, but I don't think you could set anything more on it before it collapses, because of course its condition is highly sub-par. I push my light further right and nearly drop it when the light makes out the decomposing body of someone. their stomach has massive slashes in it and they seem to be missing an arm.

Before I can even make out more of the figure on the ground I bolt around and up the screaming stairs, not caring if one of them snapped. Once I'm back in the master bedroom I can finally think rationally. Why did I run? Sure, there was a literal dead body down there, but there wasn't any present danger but God, that was horrifying.

I now know for sure nothing in that letter was a lie, this was probably one of the earlier victims of this evil entity or whatever the hell it is.

Regardless, I don't want to be ended in the same way they or any of the others met their demise. I make my way back down there to take stock of the materials, trying not to think about the rotted corpses stench.

After a very fast evaluation and knowing my time is limited, I make my way back up to the room and dump all of my belongings out of my massive travel bag and trek back to the basement to stock up on some very well needed supplies.

I stuff the bag with anything that looks like it can be used, from saws to small bolts, anything will help.

The planks were hard to fit in my bag but I was luckily able to position them semi-vertical in a way that allowed me to lug them with me, completely convinced in my mind the extra weight is surely going to destroy one, if not all, of the planks. 

Luckily it doesn't and I make it to the top and immediately begin working tirelessly, boarding any window I see, hastily slamming each nail and sawing each board to fit the right dimensions, making multiple trips back and forth for more supplies. Out of respect I also grabbed the rug from the living room and covered the body in the basement. As little as it is, It's the best I can do for now.

After around an hour and a half of tireless labor, I finally nailed the last board into place over the living room window. I'm not done working however, I also go into the kitchen and grab all the knives I see and place a few scattered around each room in case I need to grab one in a hurry, placing a smaller pocket knife into my shoe, just in case. Judging by the paper it won't do much but something is better than nothing and right now I need all the comfort I can get.

After truly finishing my work I grab the papers off the ground and continue to read, looking for the next thing I should do. It doesn't seem like there's anything more I need to do, other than plug up my phone, then sit and wait until it's time.

Pacing around the living room, I find myself compulsively checking the time, counting down each minute, and it's been about two hours. So the game should be beginning at any moment, and lucky for me, it's night time! Just 46 more hours**. I think to myself, not feeling any more at ease.**

A few more anxious minutes pass, and I hear a familiar sound. 

I hear those same inhuman cries coming from the front of the house.

It sounds terrifyingly close this time, just past the tree line if I had to guess. 

The game has begun.

Almost instantly I reach for the nearest knife and hold it tight, waiting for something to happen, although for at least a minute there's nothing.

But then the silence is broken by a loud slam on the front door. 

It makes me jump, hard. But luckily I managed to keep myself quiet.

Then comes another, and another.

The slamming on the door becomes more and more frantic and aggressive. The slamming became so hard I was certain the door would come down at any second, as I could see with each impact the door shakes and trembles. large impacts on thick wood became a ringing in my ears as the unrelenting slams continued. 

The sound of whatever this was so desperately attempting to get in puts fear so potent into my body I can only put my back to a wall and slide down, pointing my knife toward the door, tears rolling down my face.

Thankfully after many agonizing moments the pounding at the door pauses. I can hear a muffled low growl come from outside before heavy footsteps tread off somewhere in the forest.

Now I'm left on the floor, back to the wall in the fetal position, adrenaline coursing through every ounce of my being. 

Cops aren't going to save me, it's me against whatever this thing is.

But what can I do other than wait this thing out?

It's clear by the slamming on the door that this thing is far stronger than me or anybody I know, a knife isn't going to do anything to this thing.

I sit there for a moment, racking my brain for any kind of solution that might give me an edge. Then I'm hit with a stroke of genius.

There were taxidermied animal heads on the fireplace wall, there is a chance there could be a gun laying around here somewhere the note did not detail. And maybe if I'm lucky, ammo as well.

Where to look I think to myself, racking my head for ideas. 

Let's start with the closets. I say to myself, hoping there is at least something I can make use of.

Now walking out of the master bedroom into the unnervingly quiet hallway, hearing every wooden board settle under my weight.

I go to the closet to the right of the hall and twist the knob, opening the door, I'm met with a veil of darkness. 

I look up and see a cord coming down from the ceiling, and pulling it gives light to the darkness, revealing something that fills me with unmatched hope.

A box of .223 Remington rounds.                

This has got to be one of the best things I've seen in a long time.

I scan the rest of the closet, and to my surprise, there is no gun of any kind, but I'm not worried. Where there is ammo there is a gun.

Hastily, I grab the ammo box and I'm once again disappointed, the box feels very light.

I pop open the flap of cardboard on the top and to my horror, there are only 2 rounds in the box.

I yell and throw the box at the wall, the rounds flying out and loudly clinking against the solid wood floor. Right at that moment I realize my mistake, as I hear a shriek come from outside, followed by those same thumping footsteps.

I hear the steps clamber onto the porch followed by heavy scratching going down the front door, soon after this creature begins slowly walking around the perimeter of the house, going from the door toward the right of the house. 

Just when it sounds like it's going to pass the area outside in front of me, it stops for a moment.

For a second, there is nothing but me in the silence of the hallway, hearing my heart thud against my chest rapidly.

Then I hear the wood exterior of the house begin to splinter, the sound starting at ground level, but eventually it goes higher and higher until I hear the roof above me creak heavily, dust and settled cobwebs being knocked loose under the immense weight. 

It's climbed onto the house.

Now paralyzed in fear I stand in the middle of the hallway, watching the dust falling, getting closer and closer to where I'm standing. It isn't long until it's right above me, and just when I think the situation couldn't possibly get worse, the lights flicker, and everything goes dark.

Shit. 

This is not good. I need to reset the power box as soon as I can, but there's no way in hell I'm going out there with this thing literally right above me!

Instead, I decided to take a very big risk, albeit still less risky than going outside. I take my phone out of my pocket and hit the flashlight icon, the rest of the hallway and part of the living room is instantly illuminated by the penetrating light. Before I can make a move, however, I hear a loud thud above me. Followed by another and another as I'm showered by falling dust and god knows what else.

I don't have time to think before my legs jump into action and I quickly make a mad dash to nowhere in particular, just anywhere away from here. So I scour the floor plan quickly trying to find a suitable place to hide before this thing is all over me.

Fireplace? No. Cabinets? No. Pantry? Yes.

Instantly I dash towards the double doors and swing them open and shut myself inside.

Now in oppressive darkness, I can only look through the crack that separates the two doors and listen. Eventually the slamming on the roof stopped, I guess it was strong enough to hold.

But the peaceful silence doesn't last long. I hear a piercing shriek followed by thunderous footsteps going off of the roof quickly followed by a hard shake as this thing hits ground level again.

The pounding footsteps go all the way to the back of the house. 

For about a minute, I can hear this thing walking around and on the house, trying to find a way in, occasionally scratching and banging on different areas of the house.

And for a long moment there is a pause, no noise, no footsteps, nothing but me, the dark, and my booming heart.

But after maybe 30 seconds of the loudest silence of my life, I hear a sound that makes my heart drop, I hear glass shatter. 

Quickly after this I hear the unmistakable sound of wood planks splintering and their hollow thuds bouncing off the wooden floor.

Given the distance of the sound, I can assume it's somewhere on the other side of the house, maybe the guest bedroom?

Regardless, this thing has made its way into the house.

There's nothing I can do now besides sit and pray it doesn't know where I'm at. 

After what feels like a lifetime passes I hear another noise.

It's more wood splintering, but this time it's at the master bedroom door. I peek through the tiny slit in the pantry door and try to see as much as I can, and through the deep darkness I can make out a faint orange glow, accompanied by a deep guttural growl somewhere down the hallway. Not long after slow heavy footsteps begin making their way closer to the living room.

I can hear my heartbeat get heavier than it already was, hearing the boards creak and wail under the weight of whatever this thing was.

Still looking through the slit with heavy anticipation, I watch as the faint orange glow gets brighter and brighter until the entire living room is casted in the warm color.

It's just when I try to get a better look into the living room when my arm hits something on a shelf, knocking it over and sending it crashing to the ground with a sharp thud.

Almost immediately the orange glow snaps to the kitchen accompanied by that same deep growl.

If I hadn't already given myself away, my heartbeat surely would as I could feel it pounding against my ribs, loud as a drum.

I see the glow get brighter and the thunderous footsteps get so close I feel the vibration in the floor with each movement this thing made.

And eventually, I see it. 

It's so unlike anything I've ever seen, its body was huge, easily towering at 8 feet at the least. It seemed to have Fur soaked in tar wrapped around its unusually muscular frame. It walked on all fours, its front, clawed arms much stronger than the smaller and shorter hind legs. Its head was of a worn deer skull adorned with cracked and broken antlers. 

It's now when I realize where the orange glow was coming from. Looking into its eyes I see two fiery glowing orbs.

Just then it slowly twists its head to me, the orbs illuminating me through the door.

No doubt this thing saw me. But it didn't attack, it just released a deep guttural laugh, turned, and left on the same path it had entered.

Once I hear the pounding steps leave into the tree line, I slide down the wall of the pantry and just sit there, still trying to make sense of everything. 

Even though I’d heard the pounding on the front door, seen the body in the basement and now even having seen the creature, it was all so hard to believe. None of this was grounded in reality anymore 

After a few moments of baffled thought I finally remembered. The power’s out. 

I needed to go outside and reset the power box before that thing came back, because if it does, I don't think it'll be here to toy with me again.

So, I manage to bring myself to my feet and exit the pantry, Turning on my flashlight, the vision of the house's kitchen coming quickly into view. I began walking to the back door past the kitchen, luckily it had a glass top so I could look into the backyard for a moment to ensure I didn't see even the slightest orange glow.

After grabbing the doorknob and hesitating for a moment, I throw the door open and begin sprinting across the large, unusually kept lawn.

It's hard to tell with just my flashlight but it seems like there is a large metal box with wiring strewn about, and I'm willing to bet that's the power box.

After making it across the large backyard I go into the tree line right up to the metal plated box.

For a moment I don't see anything, just the smooth grey surface of metal.

I looked around the box quickly, seeing a blue button on the back of the box that read; “RESET”.

Instantly I mash the button which causes the box to make a loud pop before humming to life, across the lawn I can see the warm orange glow of the house's lights. It's such a relieving sight that I almost didn't notice the pair of orange eyes on the roof, piercing through the night. Looking at me. 

Instantly my body locks in place, ice encapsulating every inch of my skin.

Though it's nighttime and dark, I can still make out the large muscular build of this creature, Large heaving breaths exiting in a thin smoke through the nostrils of the deer skull.

For what felt like ages neither of us made a move.

I felt like I was staring at this thing for so long I had thought maybe it hadn't seen me.

Maybe it was just curious about the noise the power box made.

Maybe I was right, or maybe I had been blessed, but either way, the beast made one last deep growl in my direction before sluggishly disappearing behind the other half of the house's roof, disappearing into the deep inky night.

The moment I can no longer hear the thunderous footsteps my legs kick into gear and begin throwing me across the yard to the house.

I make it inside, slamming and locking the door behind me in a frantic panic.

“I have to fix that window” I think to myself.                                       

I hated having to go into that basement, but this was survival, and so I did, getting the boards I needed and hastily fixing the window, and as i'm fixing it, I see the smallest amount of light start to peek over the mountaintop, signaling hope, and a reprieve, I've made it through the first night.

As I'm leaving the guest bedroom after boarding the window, I turn to close the door behind me, but I see something strange under the bed, some kind of cloth?

I go towards it and kneel down, pulling a dark green strap. And as I pull my arm back I'm blessed with the sight of a bolt-action rifle.

It's old and dusty, but it seems like it was stable enough to shoot.

I spent what little time was left of the night to take apart and clean the weapon, as best as I could anyway.

When I'm done I load the two rounds into it and push the bolt forward, making it ready to fire.

I hadn't noticed but outside I could hear the faint sounds of birds chirping, glancing out of the window I could see faint slits of blue through the wood boards. Hopefully this thing will back off a little with it being daytime now.

I take my phone out of my pocket and see that it's 9 in the morning, one hour until I can finally sleep safely. Even if it's just a few hours, it's enough to keep me alert.

The time seems to go by at a crawling pace, I was mostly hoping this creature wouldn't try some last trick on me before letting me get some shut eye. And to my surprise nothing happened.

So, when 10’clock struck I immediately set an alarm, so I didn't oversleep, and promptly passed out on the couch.

It almost feels like no time passes before a loud crash sends me flying to my feet, chest heaving and my senses clocking into overdrive as I try to gather my surroundings.

At first, I see and hear nothing, but my skin feels slightly cold, and the air around me seems.. Cleaner in a way.

As my eyes adjust I can see a faint glow of moonlight casted on a forest of large pine trees.

I'm somewhere in the mountains no doubt, but how? I vividly remember collapsing onto the couch.

Just then something breaks the silence.

I hear a sound I'm very familiar with. A loud thud shakes the earth beneath my feet as multiple twigs snap just a few yards away

My blood runs cold as I slowly turn around, and sure enough, my gaze meets that same creature that has been haunting me these past few hours, a mere 10 feet away.

Its entire body is ink black, that same tar-like substance matting its fur glows under the moonlight with the only other light being the fiery orange glow of its dead eyes. The beast is staring daggers right through me, a thin mist escapes from under the deer skull with each heaving breath it makes.

Then the creature leaps toward me, its huge arms fully extended outward.

Then my eyes fly open.

 and I'm back in the cabin.

For a moment everything is still, the air is warm and I can hear a cacophony of birds chirping amongst themselves.

Despite the terrifying nature of the dream I just had, I'm surprisingly calm.

I flip my phone over and check the time, 11:59.

Well, that couldn't have been timed better**. I think to myself, bringing myself to my feet.**

It wasn't a long sleep by any means, I'm definitely still tired but it's manageable, I'll be able to make it to the next break.

For a while nothing happens, I've searched the whole house multiple times over looking for anything else of use, but nothing is uncovered.

It feels as though I'm just on a regular vacation sometimes, nothing happens for 30 minutes to an hour and everything feels normal. 

I can hear the birds outside, the random call of the mountain animals, even the occasional plane overhead.

I can see the morning light shining through the small cracks in between the boards on the windows. It's oddly calming considering the situation, maybe I'm just happy it's not night, and one day closer to making it out of this hell.

Around 40 more minutes pass with nothing, deafening silence only broken by the occasional settling of the house that sends me flying to my feet each time. I've noticed I’m so much more jumpy now, for good reason of course.

For so long the silence dragged on, despite being so on edge, the lack of any stimulation eventually reached me, and I began to feel my eyes grow heavier as time passed.

And so I began to pace around the house to make sure I didn't pass out.

I also decided to go into the master bedroom bathroom to see if there could be anything of use, but despite looking to the best of my ability I can't seem to find anything. I figure even though I've looked already, if I keep searching the rest of the house I might find something.

So I leave the bathroom and open the door to enter the hallway, where I'm stopped dead in my tracks.

Right there at the entrance of the hallway, stood the beast, with the corpse from the basement hanging lifeless in its jaws. And right behind it was the bolt action rifle, my only hope, leaning on the living room couch; right where I'd left it.

How? How could it have made it inside without making a noise? How did it even get to the corpse?

I don't have time to think about the reality of the situation, as the beast releases its jaws, dropping the body to the floor with a solid thud. Massive tooth marks sunken deep into its rotted flesh.

I should've ran, hidden, closed the door, anything. But I just couldn't bring myself to move. 

I could only sit still and stare at the creature, a mix of blood and saliva dripping from its gaping maw.

Finally fully realizing the horror of the sight in front of me, I snap into action, slamming the door and bolting to the closet to hide in the basement. Maybe I'll be lucky and it wont fit past the trap door.

Frantically I swung into the closet, running to the trap door.

I make it to the tiny, dried wood door and try to swing it open, but it doesn't budge, I pull again, harder this time, but it doesn't move an inch.

Now the creature is at the room door, and I can hear it slam its fist into it as the sound of wood splintering cracks through the air.

Now I begin frantically pulling on the door, trying desperately to get it open but it simply will not budge.

A second impact rocks the door. This time I hear it tear off the hinges and crash to the floor.

In a desperate panic, I lean back and begin slamming my heel into the door as a last-ditch attempt. And finally, the door splinters and pops open.

Just as it does however, the closet is illuminated in the same orange glow I'd seen so many times before. I try to throw myself down into the darkness of the basement but I'm too late.

Just as I leap I feel the creature's massive hand grab my body tightly and pull me backwards. Its hand is so massive it wraps around my entire chest, so tight I can't draw a breath.

And as it turns me around, I'm face to face with the beast that is about to kill me.

But for a moment it just holds me there, turning me side to side, examining me, tightening its grip so hard I feel my ribs begin to cave inward, threatening to snap at any moment. The pain is blinding and I can feel myself about to pass out from the lack of oxygen.

Just as the darkness reaches the edges of my eyes, just as I feel my bones giving out from the immense pressure, an epiphany hits me. I remembered so many hours ago I had put a knife into my shoe!

With time limited and my life on the line, I lift my leg up and grab the knife out of my shoe holding it high in the air above the beast.

I see it tilt its head upwards, seeing what I'm doing.

Before it can do anything, I plunge the knife deep into its right eye.

The creature lets out a shrill shriek and drops me to the ground, its hand clawing at the knife, still plunged handle-deep into its socket.

The beast looks up to me, still on the ground, ears ringing, trying to catch my breath. It releases a guttural roar that resonates pure hate.

Just then its eye releases a bright flash before a hard shockwave sends me flying backwards. Directly into the basement.

The first thing I feel is an intense pulsating pain in my head. I can feel a cold sensation on my body and something wet on my face.

I move my arms to pick myself up and I feel a cold, smooth surface that feels like it has a layer of either dirt or dust. As my senses begin slowly coming back to me I notice I'm surrounded by darkness. And I'd assume it was silent but the ringing in my ears makes it hard to tell.

For a moment I can't make sense of anything, with the intense head pain and ringing ears my mind is too clouded to think clearly.

It's then I begin looking around where I'm at, stumbling trying to keep from falling over as it feels like my head is spinning. At first it's the same darkness in all directions. 

But I eventually see a small light. Focusing my eyes I can tell it's a small doorway with a warm yellow light flooding through the darkness.

 looking down at my feet I can see a puddle of what seems to be water. But upon closer inspection I can notice a slight red hue to it.

To confirm my suspicions I lift my hand to the back of my head and sure enough, I feel a warm, slimy sensation,  and when I pull my hand back, it's covered in blood. 

Just then all the dots connect and it hits me. The cabin, the creature, the basement. 

I can now remember how I got here and the events that transpired.

What had I done? What was that flash after I injured the creature? Did it actually hurt it? Is it over? So many questions flood my aching head, it's too much.

I have to sit down and close my eyes for a moment. The small light from the doorway was making my head pulsate with even more waves of agonizing pain.

I take my phone out of my pocket and turn on the flashlight, making sure to squint eyes so the light doesn't unleash another barrage of aching pains in my head.

I turn the light to my left and I see a ripped and tattered mat where I had left the body.

It just doesn't make sense to me, how could that thing make it down here? But then again how has this thing doing anything it’s been doing. How the hell is this thing even real??

I finally have enough of my bearings to pick myself up off the floor. Approaching the stairs and ascending up, the familiar sound of old wood crying out all the way.

And at the top my heart drops for a moment, as I see the beast at the closet door. But it’s not the foreboding monster it once was. 

Now it’s slumped on the ground, its arms sprawled, and its jaw hung open, a large black tongue resting on the carpet. And where bright, orange orbs once were now two black holes in the deer skull. 

Cautiously I walk to the massive corpse, kicking its head as I reach it. Confirming its death. 

There’s no celebration, no confetti or party. I don’t jump or yell. I simply look at the body on the ground and make my way to the front door. 

Stepping outside, I see its now noon, with the sun settling just under the mountain tops. I sit on the porch for a moment, just taking it all in. Happy to be alive.

 Woozy but lucid. 

“I think I’m gonna stick to hotels from now on” I say to myself. Glad to see a sunset. Even if it’s just one more time.