The Cabin in the Woods

It was a chilly, windy Autumn evening, the sky was veiled in darkness, and the moonlight was as dazzling as a beacon in the darkness. The four boys were out for a late-night stroll after a trick-or-trading session. The boys' ages ranged from eleven years old to nine years old, and they were all brothers. Chris, fifteen, was the oldest of the group, while James, ten, was the youngest. The boys were walking along the sidewalk, not far from their home.

Getting into the spirit of Halloween, Chris asks the group if they would like to play a Truth or Dare game. Chris is the oldest of the group and is the one who is most likely to get into trouble. Everyone looks at him, knowing this is not a good idea, as his ideas always end up getting us in trouble. James says, "I'd love to, but only if I can start." James is a bit of a worrier and is scared of everything, including butterflies. Chris says, "Look who's brave, okay then, let me go first, Mr. Tough Guy." Lucas says, "Yeah watch it, he's got a traumatic past so don't remind him, Chris," as they make their way home. As soon as they arrive, Riley runs into the bedroom, excited to play Truth or Dare. The others follow suit, and Chris sighs. "Okay, Lucas, truth or dare."

"Riley asked the question, "Who's your favorite brother amongst us?" There was no response, and the room fell silent. Chris then asked, "Okay, Riley, do you want to tell me the truth... or do you want to play a game of hide-and-seek with us in the woods? Mom says we're not allowed to go in, but I'm willing to try." With a huge smile, Riley looked at Chris, who was looking at him with a stern expression. Chris then said, "I got one!" and everyone looked at him in surprise.

James says, "You can't do this to him!" However, by the time he had finished, Riley had already moved away from the door. Chris remarked, "That sounds like fun, Rye." As Riley ran out of the door, they all followed, keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't get into trouble. Chris then called out, "Okay, Riley, I'm going to need you to hide and I'm going to count to 20. I hope you have a good hiding spot." Chris then walked inside. "You can't go after him like that, it's not cool!" Lucas says, "I'm going to go after him if you're gonna be such a prick." James says, "I'll come with you." Chris shakes his head in disbelief.

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Lucas and James walk into the woods, treading on dead leaves and making crunching sounds, angry at Chris' behavior towards Riley. They hear an echo and can hear their hearts beating, then there is a sound of crunching leaves and a dark figure running in the distance. James remarks, "I wonder where he is." They walk towards the direction in which they see him, but he is not there. They continue to walk until they come to a long trail that leads to an old cabin. The door is cracked open, revealing a dark room with cobwebs covering the walls. "This is a bit sketchy," James says. "You'll be okay, just stick with me." Lucas replies confidently, "We need to find Riley." They enter the cabin and James takes out his phone and lights up his flashlight. It appears to be very dusty as if it has not been used in years. "What is that smell?" James said aloud.

The two stealthily and carefully searched the area, trying to be quiet so that Riley would not be aware of their presence. It seemed like they had been searching for hours before James suddenly exclaimed, "AHHH! You should have seen your face! It was hilarious!" Lucas ran in to ask what was going on, only to find out it was Chris. The two looked at each other in alarm, and when they saw that Chris was also scared, they knew that something serious was going on. James asked, "Where's my boy Riley? We think we just saw him come in, but it was probably your footsteps." Chris said, "No, I thought they were yours." There was a moment of silence, then, "But if they weren't yours and Riley's not here, then they're not yours." Then the front door shut.

They moved closer together until Riley dropped from the ceiling, but it was not a normal fall; he was dead, his body mutilated. Chris exclaimed, "I'm out of here! I'm out of here!" They all attempted to escape through the front door, but it was blocked from the outside and there were no open windows due to the wood planks covering them. Chris, being a strong man, attempted to break the planks, but was unsuccessful and ended up with his hands covered in blood from the woods, leaving blisters on his palms. He then bangs his hands against the wall in frustration. James mumbles, "I-I don't like it! I don't want to die!"  Before the door slams shut. Chris looks around in panic, seeking a weapon to protect his younger brothers and a means of escape. His gaze catches sight of a rusting crowbar, lying in a shaded corner with cobwebs surrounding it. Chris says, "I'm going to get something quick, stay here, I'll be right back." and bolts to the crowbar. Upon his return, all but James are gone, James is staring at the ground, Chris says, "Where's J-James?" and James slowly turns around. "I saw him take them away," Chris says, glancing at the door as it sways open.

Chris bursts out of the door, periodically checking behind him to ensure that no one or anything is following him. James was running faster than he had ever been in his life, and he was not a particularly fast runner. His short, stubby legs could not keep up with the speed of Chris', who was much older and taller than him. In the background, a figure could be seen in the trees, and James was desperately trying to stay awake. Out of breath, he exclaimed, "Hey Chris! I think I saw Lucas over there! Come on over here, Lucas, we're here!" He heard a laugh, a strange sound, and then the figure emerged from the trees.

Chris hears the sound of leaves crunching in front of him, and his heart races as he hears James shout out for him. Chris jumps up and looks around, but James is nowhere to be seen. Chris calls out, "James! James! Where are you?!?" There was a moment of silence, then someone called out, "I'm here, Chris! I'm here, Chris!" The voice was distorted and did not sound like either of his brothers, but it seemed to be coming from the direction of the house. Chris runs toward the house, trying to avoid obstacles such as trees and roots, and falls to the ground. As he is recovering, he looks behind him to find his brothers, who are all disheveled and standing in the same spot, looking at him.

Are you prepared to join us?" asked Riley, with a slow smile. His expression gave Chris a chill; his smile was crooked or out of place, and there was something about it that Chris could not put his finger on. Then, from behind them, a figure began to crawl on the ground, and Chris saw a thing that he could not describe in words; a large, black creature with a disfigured face and torso, all of which were devouring his body. Chris began to struggle, squirming and thrashing, until he lay still, immobile, like a statue.