Why does conflict happen most often with those we’re the closest with? You would think that because we love our family, friends, and colleagues so much that we’d understand each other enough that conflict wouldn’t be necessary. But now I realize that because we show each other our vulnerabilities and flaws is why most major conflict occurs. With strangers, people are reluctant to open up to them and try to actively avoid conflict constantly, unlike with those we know all too well. When I was younger, I learned these lessons the hard way in many horrifying events that happened around that time…
My name is Aurelia, and I’m a young woman who recently graduated from college. I’m writing this memoir of sorts to finally come to terms with my traumatic experiences I went through in my childhood. I think that by expressing how I felt in writing honestly, I can finally put it past me and move on to the next stage of my life. While what follows are scary and threatening events, this is not a typical horror story, but rather the results of much unintended conflict and how the consequences of abuse can spread far beyond the lowly victim…
For most of my life up until I was eight years old, my childhood was pretty normal. I had loving parents, good friends, and a typical educational routine. But after my dad died of a stroke unexpectedly, my mother, Margaret, changed for the worse. She began to drink more and more until she became a full on alcoholic. She always had a drink in her hand of some sort, and was always perpetually drunk. I could never really tell when she was sober, if ever.
But sadly, her downward spiral didn’t stop there. Because she somehow saw my dad in me, she started to take her grief and frustrations out on me, like I was responsible for him being gone. It started with just yelling and being more strict than usual, before evolving into extreme verbal insults then beating my ass every time I did something she didn’t like… She’d constantly blame me for her problems and say awful things like: “I wish you were never born!” or “I hope you go to Hell and die!”
What’s even worse was that she always showed a favoritism towards my younger brother, Wyatt, even before everything started going downhill. She always liked how he was younger, cuter, smarter, and nicer than I apparently was, in her eyes. Once Dad died, however, she began to practically worship him, always thinking he could never do anything wrong or make me take the fall for his mistakes, or even do all of his chores and never allow him to help me. Despite this, I never resent him for it. He always looked scared of her and gave me faces of pity and worry. Plus, he’d sometimes help me out in secret when Mom was asleep, so it wasn’t all bad.
This went on for a few years, with each passing one increasingly in turmoil and abusive interactions. While it was very difficult for me, since I was young and trying to figure out my identity at the time, I managed to brave through it the best I could. I didn't want Wyatt to worry about me too much, as I was afraid Mom would shift her behavior onto him if he acted out too much. And with everything changing and little consistency in our lives, I tried to do my best, even at the cost of my happiness…
However, there was one thing in that period of my life that stayed the same. Ever since I was five, on every first day of winter break once school finished the current semester, we would all go as a family to stay at this obscure private campsite in the middle of vast woodlands that was a couple of hours out from where we lived. It was called Lake Foliage Resort (terrible name, I know) and we’d rent a cabin there for a week. It was a nice place, to be honest, with a relaxing nature vibe and plenty of outdoorsy activities to do. I always liked cabins and forests over beaches, so I kind of miss going there. Now, on to the main part of this story and where everything got much worse…
The last time we ever went there was when I was only eleven years old, and Wyatt was eight at the time. I remember this was in late 2013. It had been a particularly bad few months beforehand for me, so I was glad I could go to Lake Foliage Resort once again as the only thing I could use as a way to get away from my mom other than school. I never knew exactly why Mom kept going, though I guess it had something to do with remembering Dad and the fact that she could drink a lot more than usual and no one could bother her. I also remember Wyatt being glad he could hang out with his older sister some more, which made me feel better.
And so, we left to go there during our usual week in mid December. We got in our mom’s car and she drove us there like always. The drive there was almost completely a couple of hours across country highways through vast forests and sloped hills. Since we left in the mid afternoon, there weren’t many cars out on the road with us. This was a good thing, since we already live out in the middle of nowhere, so not many had to deal with my mother’s insane driving. She was unfortunately drunk when driving us and we couldn’t do anything about it due to our ages and lack of knowledge on cars, despite how dangerous and illegal it was. She passed cars when she wasn’t supposed to, swerved multiple times, went twenty over the speed limit regularly, and worst of all, she would scream various insults at the people who inconvenienced her even slightly, as if they could actually hear her. She would say terrible phrases such as: “Move it, goddammit!!” , “Fuck you, asshole!” , “The light’s green! GO…!!!” , and the word “Idiot!” about a hundred times. Looking back on it now, we were so young and she didn’t care about how uncomfortable we felt about it at all… It’s horrifying to think how she could’ve easily killed us dozens of times, and all we could do was bear with it and hope we didn’t get unlucky.
Putting aside the dangerous driving, we got there at our usual time, about 5 PM, when the sun was beginning to set. While Lake Foliage may have had “Resort” in its name, it's actually pretty obscure. Barely anyone knew about it, since no one lived around there for dozens of miles and it only got about maybe twenty visitors a year at most. A rotting wood sign down a pretty long gravel road marked where the property was. Turning on it led to a bumpy path that took about ten minutes of slow driving across before you finally reached a large clearing in the trees where the campsite was.
Much like the environment, there’s not a lot on the place itself. The biggest attraction is the titular Lake Foliage, a small lake of brown water that’s in the dead center of the property, with the rest of the clearing surrounding it. The lake thins into a creek that runs into the woods behind the cabin we stayed at. There were only two cabins, each having their own nickname. The “Lake Cabin”, which we always stayed at because it had the best view, sat on the north shore of the lake and its porch extended out into a pier where you could fish from, offering a nice view of the entire resort. The “Forest Cabin” was the only other one, its name coming from the fact that it’s nestled in the forest a few hundred feet away from the rest of the site behind the other cabin. We never chose to stay in that one because being isolated and surrounded by the woods felt a little too creepy. If I had to guess why it was like that, it was probably for anxious people that didn’t like to be seen, which I understand.
The only other locations were horse stables in the center next to the lake where you could ride horses (though the crappy website the place had said them and the Forest Cabin were closed due to repairs and budget cuts for some unknown reason), a hiking trail in the back that looped around the large forest, and the property owner’s house near the entrance which also had a shed for maintenance supplies. Like I said, there wasn’t much at all. Wyatt and I would fish, ride horses, hike in the woods, swim in the creek, and watch scary movies in the cabin late at night while Mom would drink until she passed out. And we’d leave and do it all again the next year. Dad used to do some of that stuff with us, and I missed it… With no horses to ride, we both had to make the most of our time there.
What was most interesting about Lake Foliage Resort, however, was that we were friends with and close with the property owner, a middle-aged farmer named Janice. She was very nice to us. She would help us with the horses personally, fish with us, and even chat with our parents at night in the cabin. She took pity on us and me especially after she noticed how Mom’s personality changed. She would often have a smile on her face and be very optimistic for her age. You could tell she loved her job and since we were the only constant visitors she ever had (we were always the only guests there at a time), she felt like family to us. Me and Wyatt always looked forward to seeing Janice, since she would make us feel even better about coming.
Stopping and parking by the clearing’s entrance, we all got out of the car and stretched our bodies after sitting for so long. Wyatt then ran ahead to Janice’s house, where guests had to pay and sign in a log book at the front desk in order to get the keys to the cabins. Not wanting to draw my mother’s wrath, I ran after him before she could yell at me about nothing. “Wait up, Wyatt!” , I remember saying. The house was nothing special, just a standard one story suburban home with no standout features. Still, I was anticipating seeing Janice’s nice personality again.
Me and my younger brother burst the door open in excitement. Janice looked up from her chair at the front desk in her living room of sorts and smiled upon seeing our faces. Wyatt waved at her and said, “Hiya, Janice!” , happily. I smiled and waved as well. “Well, well, well… It’s nice to see you two kiddos again.” , she responded eagerly, “It always puts a smile on my face to see my most valued guests every year around this time.” A moment later, Mom followed in after us, rudely shoving me aside to step closer to the desk, not bothering to ask if I could move politely. An uncomfortable and slightly annoyed look was on Janice’s face for a second before it gave way to another smile and she said: “And hello to you too, Margaret. Ready to sign in and relax at the Lake Cabin again?” My mom didn’t say anything at first. “S-Sure, let’sh get thish over with. May… be I can finally get shome peace and quiet…” , she answered after an awkwardly long pause, slurring her words from being drunk. She proceeded to pay and sign her name in the log book. The whole time, Janice was staring at her intensely, creating a very unusual tension between them I’ve never seen before. Perhaps she got tired of her behavior at last…?
While Mom was busy doing her grownup business, Wyatt tried to make conversation with Janice to keep the civility up. He reached up and rested his hand on the counter, asking: “So… Why did your website say that the other cabin and horses are no longer available? Did something big happen?” She answered immediately, like she was prepared to respond to that very inquiry. “The Forest Cabin’s under maintenance and renovations.” , she stated objectively while shrugging, “As for the horses, business has always been kinda low. I can’t afford to keep taking care of ‘em anymore, ya know. Too bad they went away so soon…” She looked frustrated and sad for a moment before following up with, “Doesn’t matter now. Your stay here this time will be full of interesting memories and eventful nights, I’m sure of it. It’ll still be a lotta fun!” , in an uplifting tone. This reassured him, and by extension, me as well.
My mother finished shortly after that exchange, and we said goodbye to Janice, feeling grateful for her hospitality. We got back in the car and she drove it up to our cabin after a few minutes, before parking it and we began to unload our luggage. The cabin itself was nice for the low price we were paying to stay at it for the week. It had two stories, a log-looking exterior, a pointed-sloped roof, a large front porch with a pair of wooden rocking chairs, a back door that led out into the woods, a pier that extended into the lake for fishing, a lot of windows that offered pleasant views, and a cute stone pathway that led up to the front door. It was a cozy little place I still feel nostalgic for, honestly.
We spent the next half hour moving our stuff, mostly snacks and camping/fishing gear, inside. The interior was just as nice as the outside of the cabin. A living room with a leather sofa and an old CRT TV with a DVD player was there, along with the back door and bathroom being there down a small hallway tucked away in a dark corner. The other side led to the kitchen area that had basic appliances like an oven, a microwave, and a toaster in there, as well as many cabinets. In the back of the kitchen, a door leading to the laundry room and basement was also present, but me and Wyatt never went down there because we thought it was too scary and dark. And in the center of the inside, a large staircase that was connected to the wall of the living room led up to the second story loft, where two king-sized beds were located for sleeping and a large window that offered a natural gaze outside. I was admittedly a little creeped out by that space in the pitch dark of night while trying to fall asleep, but sharing the loft with my brother helped. Mom used to sleep in the beds, but she then switched to the couch downstairs, where she could fall asleep after drinking more easily… Regardless, it was a fun little getaway house to temporarily live in.
It was dark by the time we finished unpacking and settling in, about 8 PM. It was difficult finding a place to safely rest our fishing gear, with no thanks to Mom, who just sat in the living room and did nothing to help us at all. Once it was done, we all just decided to go to bed earlier than usual, mainly due to us being tired from the trip. Besides, we had an entire week, so a little extra rest couldn’t hurt, could it?
We all slept the first night through without any issues and woke up later the next morning, feeling good about the full night of rest we didn’t usually get. Wyatt and I decided to spend our first day fishing at the pier right outside near the lake, while our mom mostly sat inside and watched the very limited selection of channels on the TV. It’s also important to note that due to the extremely far-out-from-civilization setting of our vacation spot and the lack of other people nearby, there was literally no real cell reception to speak of and we didn’t have cell phones at our ages, so we couldn’t call or text anyone or even be on the internet. So, playing outdoors with each other was all we could do. We caught a few small fish the whole day we sat out there, but not much. The lake didn’t have a lot of wildlife in it, due to it being so small. We always threw the fish we caught back into the water, as we didn’t like to hurt animals. Besides that, we just chatted and confided in each other about our lives. It was a good use of our time.
When evening came, we both went back inside and ate a few snacks before getting ready for bed, with Mom already passed out on the sofa, vodka bottle in hand. I took the right side loft bed facing the staircase, as I did the previous night. After a few minutes, Wyatt shut off the lamp that sat on the nightstand in between our beds, plunging the cabin in near pitch-black darkness, with only the moonlight from outside the windows providing any source of illumination. It didn’t take Wyatt long to fall asleep, his breathing slowing as a sign of unconsciousness.
Once a little while passed, I felt my eyes getting heavy and could feel myself starting to drift off. That's when I heard what I swear sounded like distant footsteps crunching on leaves a distance away from where we were, and it vaguely hinted at coming in my direction…
My eyes flew open upon noticing it and I listened intently, making sure I wasn’t imagining it. The sound continued on for what felt like a minute, getting ever so closer to the perimeter of the cabin’s walls. I wasn’t sure if they were a wild animal’s footsteps or not, as they were very quiet yet loud enough to be discerned by an active listener, like they were confused and cautious at the same time. I don’t know how to describe it exactly.
The eerie sound got closer and closer until it reached the outer walls down below and stopped suddenly. I waited for them to move away and lose interest, but the deafening silence persisted for an agonizing long moment. Just when I started to doubt my senses, what sounded like a knock or a tap on the wall outside the first floor’s kitchen exterior rang out.
My heart rate started to go up and my body tensed in anxiety. But before I could start to worry too much, my mind tried to rationalize it. I thought that maybe it was just house noises, since our normal home made similar noises from time to time. When I didn’t hear it again after a few minutes, I began to relax and curse myself for letting my sleepy state get the better of me. All was well, until I heard a light tapping on the front window downstairs…
I really started to feel scared after hearing that, and I knew then that whoever was out there, it was human. These deliberate sounds are not something a wild animal would make, and this person wanted their presence to be known, like they were… toying with me. As the reality of the sounds started to take over my frantic mind, I could faintly hear the footsteps again. This time, they sounded like they were walking away from here, growing quieter and quieter until they vanished completely.
While hearing them leave me alone made me feel a tiny bit of relief, it still didn’t put the scary idea of a stranger outside messing with us for no apparent reason to rest. I was always afraid of strangers stalking and hurting people. Things like serial killers and squatters scare me more than anything supernatural, as they are very real things that actually happen to people. And this whole horror movie/creepypasta thing that just occurred was really strange, which made me start to disbelieve it altogether. I thought that perhaps it was just a vivid nightmare that happened on the edge of sleep. No one else seemed to have heard it and this is too random to be true, right? I wrote it off as paranoia, which is why I didn’t tell anyone about it. It worked, as I was able to fall asleep a little while later. However, looking back, I now realize that denial is an easy way to escape from hardships…
The next day, I tried to put the previous night’s creepy events out of my mind and enjoy myself on this trip. For our second day, Wyatt and I decided to go play in the creek a little ways behind the cabin, only about 150 feet or so. The creek itself was freshwater and came from the thinning lake’s stream. It was located in a crevice of sorts, with numerous rocks surrounding the shores and in the water itself. And it was in a sunken elevation that had the treelines and ground level being up some short but steep slopes. Maybe it was once a large river, who knows? Nonetheless, it made for a decent swimming spot and skipping the pebbles was always fun.
Wanting to get out of the cabin before Mom woke up, we put on our swimsuits and quietly tip-toed out the back door and shut it slowly in the process. I was careful to not let Mom wake up and see my two-piece feminine swimwear, as she would have a fit over it. Still, I liked the way it looked and wanted to be true to myself. The creek awaited us, and I wanted to have some good memories there for once. We both loved going there, it was our favorite activity to relax on this annual vacation.
We arrived at the stream after a couple minutes of excited walking, eager to feel the cold water that would certainly refresh us. It didn’t disappoint, as the temperature wasn’t too cold, but still let our overheated bodies cool down. We both spent a little while dipping ourselves in the slow-moving current before then switching to light conversations about what activities we would do in the coming days. “Your swimsuit is pretty, Aurelia. It looks nice on you.” , Wyatt said. I felt a small warmth and smiled before responding with: “Thanks! I’m glad you see me for who I truly am.” It made me happy I could be open with him and he could respect me. Wyatt was pretty mature for his age, even though I was the older one.
We spent a few more minutes talking before we did some swimming exercises, Wyatt beating me like always. We also skipped stones (something I was better at), crafted makeshift little model boats out of twigs, and gazed at clouds while looking for images in them. It was what we always did, but that familiarity and good time spent was comforting, in its own way.
We headed back to the cabin when the sun was beginning to set. Wyatt went through the front door and distracted our half-dazed mother while I swiftly went through the back door and ran to the bathroom to get changed back into my typical casual wear. I didn’t feel like dealing with my mom’s judgmental insults, so I’m still so grateful my little brother was willing to help me in subtle ways like that.
The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent eating snacks and watching TV, which then led to an early sleep once more. On a long vacation like this, sleeping early is easier and more encouraged to do, since there’s not a whole lot to do at night. Wyatt said good night to me before turning off the lamp and falling asleep, with me attempting to do the same.
I had forgotten about the previous night’s incidents, until I heard the same footsteps again. My heart got filled with dread, remembering it all again and realizing that it’s not in my head if I heard it then. Just like before, the crunching got closer to the cabin before it stopped. I was anticipating the knocking, which did indeed come from the same window at the front porch. This answered a suspicion I had in the back of my mind: That the person out there watched the cabin for a while beforehand and waited until we turned the lights out to mess with us, knowing we’d still be awake enough to hear them.
I decided then that I had enough of whatever it was, and wanted to see if it really was real. And if so, who was harassing us. My rationale that I had two other people with me made me feel more courageous and less afraid than before. So, I got out of bed and silently went down the stairs, being careful not to wake anyone up. I did this just in case there was no one out there, as my mom would scream at me relentlessly if I woke her up for no good reason…
Seeing the porch window in question, I crept closer to it, unsure if whoever might be there could even see inside well enough to begin with. As I took each step, I stared outside the window’s view to see if I could see anyone. But it was so dark, I couldn’t even see where the moon was, making it nearly impossible to make out anything. When I got within just a few feet from the window, the tapping rang out again, this time louder.
I knew someone was out there now, and they could possibly see me. My breathing started to get heavier, the nerves really starting to kick in. Still, I had to see what was going on, and I didn't see any harm in trying. Taking the deepest breath I might’ve ever taken before, I sprinted fast to the light switch that turned on the porch lights and flicked it on. …Someone was out there after all.
The lights lit up the surroundings and for just a couple of seconds, I saw a mysterious figure standing in front of the window, staring directly at me. They were wearing a black cloak that concealed their entire body, paired with a blank white mask that covered their entire face with no human features except eye holes on it, a hood that covered the top and back of their head, black gloves and boots, and they were wearing what appeared to be night vision goggles over the mask, similar to the type hunters wear. It all looked like a cheap Halloween costume, save for the goggles, I knew those were real. How else would they see everything so well this late at night? I barely got a good look at them before they ran out of sight and off the porch swiftly, fleeing into the woods and its darkness within, and making a fast running sound in the process.
I could barely let out a scream. I was in disbelief, this felt like a trope out of those creepypasta stories I liked to read around that time. Nevertheless, I had to tell someone, which led to me running up the stairs, not caring about how much noise I made, to wake Wyatt. I called his name about ten times and I shook him until he woke up. He rubbed his eyes and groggily said, “...Huh…? What is it…?” , while yawning. “I saw someone outside!” , I nervously replied, “They had a mask on and they were knocking on the window, watching me!” This caused him to sit up straighter and he gave me a worried look as he turned the lamp on.
But before either of us could say anything else, I heard angry stomps coming up the stairs. I sighed in tension, knowing what was going to happen. “You just HAD to wake everyone up, you worthless little shit!! Why’re making all this racket so late at night!?”, Mom yelled. She stared me down with her typical immature and hate-filled face, still red from being hungover. I gasped in shock before answering: “...I-I saw someone outside! They were-!” “I don’t wanna fucking hear it!! You’re just making it up to get attention!”, she coldly interrupted, “You should be more like your perfect little brother, at least he doesn’t wake everyone up for such stupid reasons!! Now, go the fuck back to sleep…! I don’t wanna hear another word outta you for the rest of the night!” She pounded back downstairs and I heard her lay down on the couch again before I could protest further.
Dumbfounded and feeling unseen, I looked at Wyatt, his worry still being there. He got back under his covers and whispered, “Don’t worry about her, she’s just under the influence. Maybe you’re just tired from everything, I’m sure everything will be alright…” , quietly. Despite his sympathy, I was a little saddened he didn’t believe that I saw that person outside. I know what I saw, there’s no way it’s a simple nightmare or hallucination. But not wanting to cause any more arguments, I watched silently as he turned off the lamp and went back to sleep.
Eventually, I climbed back into my bed. I wanted to prove to them both that what I saw was real, but I didn’t have any evidence. I didn't even know if the intruder wanted to hurt me or not, I couldn’t figure out why they were stalking us. They seemed intent on only doing it at night for some reason, possibly because they could get away with it easier. Lacking many alternatives, I chose to wait and see what would happen. If it escalated, I would try to explain it to Wyatt or maybe Janice later. So, maybe because I thought that the trespasser had their fun and would back off after scaring me and being seen, I was able to fall asleep determined and ready to face whatever would happen next.
When morning came and I felt a little better, I decided I would go hiking on the forest trail for my activity on that day. I wanted to go alone that time, as I wished to get away from Mom and Wyatt so I could have some time to think to myself about what was going on. I put on some hiking shoes and warm clothes before sneaking out of the back door early that morning prior to either of them waking up. I wasn’t worried about being attacked by that intruder due to me being very cautious about my environment and doubtful that they would risk getting caught during the day.
I walked along the trail for what felt like half an hour, listening for anyone coming and gazing at the gorgeous autumn leaves and sloped hills that popped up the further I went out. The trail looped around the surrounding forest before it headed back to the start near the other cabin, forming a giant multi mile circle as the main path. It was a very enjoyable sight in nature, despite my anxiety about what happened last night.
As I neared the end of the trail loop after a couple of hours, I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard a sound that sent chills throughout my whole body: Footsteps approaching me from the opposite direction. My face froze in fear and my courage instantly dried up. Unsure of what to do next, I stood in place and waited to see who was walking towards me.
Relief entered my body when I saw Janice come into view from the trail’s bend. I sighed and put on a smile, happy to see her. I thought that I could tell her about the intruder right then and there, seeing that it was a good opportunity to do so. I waved to her and said: “Hey, Janice! I need to talk to you about something.” She perked up once she heard that, replying, “Oh, it’s you! Nice to see ya out here. I was just taking a stroll like you, I assume. What is it? You can talk to me ‘bout anything.” , with a wider smile than me.
I nodded and stepped closer to her. When I got beside her, I kept walking down the direction I was before and she silently changed her course to accommodate it and we both walked side by side to the end of the trail as we conversed further. “I saw this person in a creepy mask and costume stalking us late last night outside our cabin. It really freaked me out.” , I continued, “They kept knocking on the window, harassing us. But my mom and brother don’t believe me… Do you know anything about this? Could they be living out here somewhere?” She turned to look at me and gave a confused expression. “That’s pretty scary, I’m sorry that happened to you… But I’ve never seen this person you’ve mentioned. I don’t think they’d be hiding anywhere ‘round here, there’s nowhere to do so.” , she stated neutrally.
Internally, I felt a little disappointed. I detected a hint of disbelief in her voice, which made me feel stupid. I know what I saw sounds ridiculous to see in real life, but I still didn’t feel like I made it up in my head or something. The more I tried to rationally think about how the intruder could stay around here, the more I began to doubt myself. Maybe everyone was right? I mean, no one else saw them and I was tired.
We had just reached the tail end of the path then, right back at the entrance to the clearing. And that’s when I saw it, the Forest Cabin. It looked similar to the Lake Cabin, but it was only one story on small stilts that had a more typical front porch and lacked a stone path of any kind. It looked like it was in true disrepair after all, with what looked like all the windows and doors boarded up, mold covering the outer walls, and unswept leaves covering the roof that showed a lack of care to the building. It was about a few hundred feet from where we were standing.
I pointed at the rundown cabin and said: “What about there? Could a trespasser live there while it’s out of use and no one’s checking on it?” Janice gave a long and intense stare at the cabin, thinking to herself for a moment before responding. She put a hand on my shoulder and comfortingly said, “I highly doubt it. I boarded it and locked it up so tightly that nothing could get in or out. I did that as a precaution for that same worry you’re having now. Don’t worry, no one’s living around here and nothing bad will happen to you!” , in an uplifting tone. I thought about what she said and I suppose it made sense, she was the property owner after all. But deep down, I was grateful she was so nice to me and wanted to ease my concerns, even if she didn’t believe me.
We reached the end of the trail and we said our farewells as I headed back in the direction of the cabin, being late afternoon by then. Janice’s reassurance was starting to work, as I felt better and started to believe more and more that no one might have really been out there. Even if someone was following us, what could they possibly do? There’s nothing to steal and they would have to go somewhere else eventually… With this newfound encouragement, I felt like I could finally be at ease and sleep well that night.
That evening, I planned to do what I did the previous nights and wait for Wyatt to turn off the lamp and listen for any sounds to see if they would continue. When the cabin was plunged into darkness and Wyatt and Mom were fast asleep, I listened to the sounds outside to hear anything unusual. At about the usual time the footsteps occurred before, I heard… absolutely nothing, except the crickets chirping in the grass. This finally made me put my fears to rest. I remember feeling happy, thinking that if the person was real, they were scared off and gone for good then. I sighed in relief and fell asleep quickly, feeling good for the first time on this trip in a couple of days.
I woke up in the dead of night, possibly a few hours later, completely unsure of the exact time. I don’t know exactly why I was awake, but I felt very uneasy, like someone was watching me. I’m not sure how, I just SENSED someone besides Wyatt was in the loft with me. I sat up slowly and squinted into the darkness in front of me, trying to adjust my eyes to see better. I spent a few minutes doing this, still having trouble making out anything at first.
I saw them shortly after, two faint green circles hovering in front of my bed. I stopped breathing and my eyes widened in extreme fear. They just… stayed there, not moving or anything, like a painting on the wall. Wanting to confirm if this was real once and for all, I chose to do something that took all of my boldness and energy. My quivering hand reached for the lamp and I braced myself for what was to come, the night vision goggle lenses still not moving. A click of the light switch instantly brightened up the room, revealing the same figure from the previous night. They were standing right over the foot of my bed, staring directly at me and not reacting to anything at all, including the light that just turned on.
Once I processed what I was seeing after about a second, I screamed in panic as loud as I could. It was so loud it hurt my ears, likely the loudest sound I’ve ever made in my life. The intruder then burst into a sprint at the sound that led them to go down the stairs so quickly, they were out of sight in just a second. Light yet speedy footsteps echoed until they reached the ground floor, before then proceeding to go through the kitchen area and ended in a door opening and slamming shut. It all happened within five seconds. I knew where they went to hide, the basement. It had to be there, that was the direction where that sound came from…
By the time Wyatt sat up and looked at me in fear, the footsteps had stopped. I was hyperventilating, in shock at what I’d just seen. And just like last night, this was followed up with angry pounding on each step down below. “WHY THE HELL ARE YOU SCREAMING THIS LATE AT NIGHT…!!!??? This is the second motherfucking time in a row!! You always ruin everything with your overdramatic bullshit!!” , Mom screamed at me. This led me to breathe even harder and my body began to shake in anxiety. She got to the top of the steps and power walked over to me, red fury addoning her face. I tried to tell her what I saw, but only gasps and mumbling came out. I was too scared to form coherent sentences at that moment. “Blah blah blah! Meh meh meh! That’s what you sound like, you pathetic little burden!!” , she mockingly insulted, “Lemme guess, you saw that person that you MADE UP last night to harm me and your precious little brother into not sleeping so you could have your own damn fun!? You sick fuck, I hate you so much and I wish you were never born!!” I couldn’t believe she could say garbage like that in front of me, in front of Wyatt, drunk or not…
Tears forming in my eyes, I tried to explain by saying, “...T-That person… was standing right… in front of my bed… D-Did you… not hear them r-running… or slamming the basement door…? I think… they’re in there…” , while gasping for air. My mother just rolled her eyes and cruelly stated: “Shut up!! Quit crying like a little baby and just drop the fucking burglar act, goddamn weakling! If you’re so afraid, you can sleep on the couch down there with your mystery friend as punishment! No one interrupts MY damn sleep!!” Even though she was being a jerk like always, I didn’t mind this suggestion. After seeing all that, I knew I wasn’t going back to sleep and would be safer watching the basement door and making sure we were safe.
I got out of my bed unbearably slowly and began to head downstairs, fear still overtaking my movements. As I descended, I heard Wyatt trying to quietly take up for me. “I did hear some odd noises right after the screaming, but I was half-asleep, so I’m not sure.” , he negotiated. “You’re my favorite child, so I know you wouldn’t believe nonsense.” , Mom said half-heartedly, “Ignore that attention seeker and just let me go back to sleep.” I heard her climb into my bed and shut the lamp off as I sat on the sofa, once again making everything as dark as the night outside. My gaze then shifted to the kitchen doorway and I remained hyper fixated on it, listening for any sounds or sights.
My mind began to wander as the monotony of the dark cabin’s interior took hold of me. I used to not understand why Wyatt wouldn’t go against Mom very much, but then I understood that she was scary and trying to remain on her good side and help me out quietly was more effective for his situation. It’s hard to please a tyrant and help the oppressed at the same time, after all…
As for the squatter now in the basement, scary thoughts raced through my mind now that I had time to process the sequence of events. Like how did Wyatt and Mom not hear their racket when they heard my scream? I think it was because Mom was super drunk, so she couldn't focus on it well, and Wyatt was asleep for a few seconds after hearing it. Or how did they even get in the cabin without detection to begin with? There were no broken windows or doors. Maybe they picked the lock? Or worst of all: How did they know where the basement was so quickly? This implied that they’ve broken in while we were asleep before and memorized the cabin’s layout so they could hide better… This made me shiver in panic and focus more on waiting for any changes. Thoughts like these kept me up all night.
When the slow rising sun of morning came, I didn’t move an inch. I never took my eyes off that doorway once. And throughout the entire day, I still watched it. Sometimes I got up and looked into the kitchen itself to make sure the intruder wasn’t hiding or the basement door wasn’t messed with. But nothing happened, nor did I hear any noises whatsoever. It made me feel crazy, and Wyatt was concerned all the while.
All this introspection made me weigh my options, none of them being good. There’s no cell reception and Wyatt and I didn’t have cell phones, so calling with those was out of the question. Even if we used Mom’s, it wouldn't get through. The cabin did have a landline that could be used to call the police, but they wouldn't believe me. I’ve read too many horror stories to know that the person would either already be gone by the time they get there, or attack me in the meantime. It would take at least an hour before they got there, so it’s no good. There's not enough evidence, since not even Janice believes me…
Driving the car is out of the question, since I was only eleven and didn't know how to drive. And I couldn't run away, either. There’s nothing but woods for dozens of miles and I would just get lost, if that person didn’t catch up to me first. I would call Janice and tell her about it, but she didn’t believe me last time and I fear if I were to take my attention away from the basement, the intruder would attack me before I could do anything at all. So like I said, no good options. They all end in failure or have very high risk. Hell, I didn’t even know if they were still in the basement. I feared that if I went to check, they’d just kill me quietly. I spent the rest of the day pondering these possible outcomes before deciding to wait and see if anything changed, since I couldn’t do much else. Being a powerless kid sucked…
When it got dark outside, Wyatt offered to do the one activity we usually did on that trip that he hadn’t done with me yet as a sign of sympathy: Watch scary movies on the TV channels. I was glad he wanted to keep things safe, but I only agreed out of pity. He flipped through a TV guide and started to watch some low budget thriller I couldn’t remember the name of. But I obviously wasn’t really paying attention. I had a little routine I did to make it look like I was watching while keeping guard towards the basement. I would watch the TV for five seconds before then looking at the doorway for five seconds, keeping track of the time in my head for each one. I kept this up and it seemed to work, Wyatt probably thought I was doing it because I was scared of the movie. However, I was worried that it would lower my guard too much and something bad would happen…
About an hour into the movie, it was about 8 PM outside when I briefly looked at my watch. There were still no changes and I had just about had enough of the painful waiting game. Feeling my neck hurt from turning my head back and forth so much, I rested it for a little bit by looking back at the TV in the direction my body was facing. At that precise moment, I wasn’t worried about anything happening. I thought if they didn’t come out after all this time, what would looking away for a little longer do? Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Wyatt turn to face me, smiling.
But suddenly, the smile went away and he gave a blank stare in my general direction. He then tapped my shoulder and pointed to something behind me… Terrified of why he was doing that, I instantly snapped my gaze back over to the doorway to see the masked cloaked intruder with night vision goggles peeking their head around the corner, staring at us with no emotion or movement.
I screamed quite loudly once again, this time followed by Wyatt’s. At this, the intruder proceeded to bolt out from the doorway and make their way to the front porch door. They threw it open in two seconds, instantly undoing the locks. The door slammed on its own hinges as it opened and swung in such great force. The figure jumped over the wooden porch railings and fled into the nightly woods, the same way as a couple of days ago. It all happened so quickly that we both just sat in shock for about half a minute, unsure of how to react to such horrors.
The sound of our mother waking up furiously in my bed upstairs is what jolted us out of our reverie. I stood up and watched with mixed emotions as Wyatt sprang up from the couch and ran over to the wide open door, slamming and locking it tightly shut. I didn’t understand, how did they sneak up on us like that? I didn’t even hear the basement door open, and I knew they weren’t in that area when I last looked. I only looked away for maybe a minute at most, I knew I shouldn’t have done it… Perhaps I was too distracted after all? Thank goodness Wyatt noticed it, as I fear what would’ve happened if he didn’t… Regardless, it was nice that he saw them too and proved I didn’t make it up in my head, looking back.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs and turning on the lights, a very drunken and angry Mom stared at me with contempt and malice. Then, she looked briefly at Wyatt in the same way and yelled: “You’re BOTH screaming and waking everyone up now!? Wyatt, you should know better than this as my favorite!!” I didn’t want him to feel too bad, so I quickly said, “That intruder is back again! They were in the basement and they stared at us before running out of the house after we noticed them!” , as a bargaining statement to her. Mom just snarled in annoyance at this, clearly not taking me seriously, like she never did. Noticing this, Wyatt spoke up for me. “It’s true! I saw it all. It isn’t a lie!” , he said. She gave him a skeptical glare and he began to elaborate some more.
“They had this creepy costume on and they were very fast!” , he said haphazardly, “It makes sense why Aurelia was so scared! Why she-!” He covered his mouth with his hand out of reflex as he interrupted his own sentence. Right then, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. He accidentally outed me to our mother… I only told him and Janice about my new name and identity, as they were the only ones I could trust fully with it. And now, I was deathly terrified of how Mom might take it.
When she processed what Wyatt just revealed after a few seconds, she turned to look at me uncomfortably slowly and gravely asked: “What did you just call Aaron…? No… Don’t tell me…” Wyatt looked at me with extreme guilt on his face. I wasn’t mad at him; she would've found out eventually, with me growing out my hair and being more expressive with my fashion and feelings. She proceeded to raise her fist at me and angrily said, “...Your idiot brother thinks he’s a GIRL…!!?? That’s fucking insane, I won’t have any of it!” , as her face grew redder.
Now that my true self was unwillingly disclosed, I felt the need to go against her and stand up for myself, regardless of the consequences. “I don’t “think” I’m a girl, I AM one. My name is Aurelia, and this is who I am and always was and always will be! I’m still your daughter, but I know myself, I’m not insane. Like it or not, you have to accept it at some point! Wyatt and Janice already have, so how about you?” , I boldly declared. I mentally prepared myself as she started to shake violently, knowing that something awful was coming… “NO…!!! Your name is Aaron, not this “Aurelia” crap!! You’re my SON, my first born!!! I gave you that name and carried you for nine months…” , she screamed, “And now you plan to throw that all away for your mentally ill delusions and backstab your poor mother who fed and raised you!!?? Unacceptable, I KNEW you were a stupid mistake!! No child of mine will be a freak of nature…!!!”
In an instant, she lunged at me, leaving me no time to block or dodge her. First, she punched me in the stomach, then she slapped me in the face. It hurt so much on my tiny body, since she was a full-grown adult… I groaned in pain as she coldly said, “This is what you deserve, you gay cock-sucking fuckface!!” , before kicking me in the groin. I began to whimper and fell to the floor, before sobbing escaped my mouth… She gave a hard kick to my stomach again and again repeatedly as she yelled: “See!! You’re a BOY, otherwise your BALLS males naturally HAVE wouldn’t be hurting you so much right now!! Remember it well! And stop crying, real men don’t fucking cry like a little bitch!!” I didn’t know how much more I could take before I passed out.
Right before I could have another thought, she picked up and held my frail body in the air with such strength, strangling me at the same time… “And with that, I disown you!! You’re no longer my child or part of my family! I should’ve done it a long time ago, but this was the last fucking straw…!! I hope you’re happy with your pathetic, shitty little life, Aaron! Wyatt has always been my favorite, and you’ll never see him again! Serves you right, I’m just protecting him from your evil!!” , she ranted with an unhinged tone before throwing me to the floor, my body landing with a thud and sliding for a few inches…
I crawled around for a moment, trying to let the extreme soreness and pain I felt subside. By the time I could weakly stand up, my mother started to torment me again… “Get the fuck out of here, you’re sleeping outside for the rest of the trip!!” , she demanded, “And then I’m taking your infinitely superior little brother and leaving you here, to never be seen again! Don’t even think about tyring to resist it, little fucker…” That thought horrified me, I could never have imagined she would sink this low or react this violently, even with my low expectations of her…
Still too weak with pain to speak much, I shook my head that showed I declined her unreasonable command. I wouldn’t bow to her insane tyranny any longer! Of course, she definitely didn’t like that, so she reacted by walking over past me and Wyatt maddeningly to her suitcase by the back door. I looked at him for a moment, not sure why he hadn’t done anything. He just stared horrified at whatever Mom was doing, unable to say or do something. This made me sad that he wasn’t trying to help me while I was getting mercilessly beat up by my own mother of all people…
She spent about thirty seconds digging around in her suitcase before she stopped and pulled out something that nearly gave me a heart attack: A nine millimeter black pistol… This was something she wasn’t supposed to have, let alone there where it was against the rules. How long did she have it, and why? I didn’t have the answers… She made a show of loading it with ammunition, cocking it, and turning the safety off before then pointing it at me threateningly. She took a few steps closer to me while saying, “Do as I say for once! Get out. You don’t have much of a choice…” , still holding the gun towards me. I stepped backwards reflexively, wanting to deny what was happening as the tears rolling down my face continued.
This finally got Wyatt to snap out of his trance and hopelessly attempt to do something. He ran up and shielded me, saying: “Mom, please stop! This is too far! My big sister doesn’t deserve this…” This got her to lower the gun and stare at him blankly, before her angry face returned as she pointed it back at him. “You’ll shut up if you know what’s good for you, Wyatt! Now, get out of the way, or things will get ugly for BOTH of you!” , she ordered, “And I’ll make sure your big BROTHER leaves, taking his intruder bullcrap with him!” She was turning on Wyatt when he went against her too much, just like I feared… I was honored he tried to protect me, but I knew that I had to comply with her psychotic demands so no one would get hurt. And believe me, it was painful to do…
Without another word, I slowly stepped back towards the front door and put on my shoes lying next to it. I then unlocked and opened the door and took one last glance at the two of them. Mom was still holding the gun at me, face red and angry as a bull. And Wyatt was looking at the floor, feeling powerless and scared to stop her. I nodded at them before shutting the door and walking off the porch and onto the grass. I heard the click of the lock as I turned my head to see my mom at the door, still having the gun in hand. I frowned as I saw her move away and shut off the lights, leaving me unable to see inside. In a way, I was like the trespasser now, but with my own family…
Many thoughts raced into my mind as everything around me got quiet. It still makes me horrifyingly sad to this day that my mother hated the idea of my true identity so much, that she was willing to value her own ego more than my life… Or with Wyatt, being trapped between her and me, never seeming to have a will of his own. I doubted he would come out to check on me, since who knows how Mom would react with that gun and all. I was also too scared to get closer to the cabin, worrying she might use that weapon if I got too close… And worst of all, I had no idea if that masked stalker was out there somewhere on the property with me, and I had no way to protect myself. I couldn’t run anywhere or find anyone without likely being caught.
Seeing no other options, I went over to the edge of the fishing pier and sat down over the waters of Lake Foliage to rest my injured body and calm myself down. I gazed at my reflection in the water below where my feet dangled off the edge, seeing myself, Aurelia, staring back at me. At least my reflection understood my identity, I thought. I then shifted my view at the lake and the ambiance itself, absorbing the atmosphere.
Numerous stars were out in the sky, along with a nearly full moon that reflected off the murky water and provided tranquility to the environment. Tall trees stood in the distance all around the place, hiding whatever darkness they held within. Light bushes lined parts of the shore and provided life to the animals that lived off them. The water itself was still and mirrored the world above it, creating a looping natural painting of sorts. The only sounds were crickets and the extremely quiet sloshes of water that lapped at the pier’s stilts on the surface. And off in the distance on the opposite side, almost a straight line from where I was, I saw Janice’s house. It had faint light coming from inside, implying that she hadn’t gone to sleep yet.
I pondered how nice it would be to see her again when I then saw her familiar figure approaching where I was from a distance. She rounded the lake’s corner a few dozen feet from the cabin’s porch, before calmly strolling on the pier’s planks, each one creaking as they were stepped on. Even in the dark night, I could see a smile and an empathetic look on her face. She clearly saw me out there for a while, otherwise she wouldn’t have come so late at night and right to the odd spot I was at.
When she reached me, she sat down on the edge next to me without a word, a mutual silent understanding forming between us. “Everything alright? I saw you come out here and I thought I heard yelling. Your mom giving you a hard time again?” , Janice said after a few minutes. “Hard time” was the understatement of the century, but I didn’t want to tell her the full details. I feared if I did, my mom might go crazy and hurt somebody… So, I decided to make it purposefully vague. I looked at her and said, “I’m… fine. She’s just drunk again. When she’s like that, she’s hard to talk to. I came out here to get some time alone before I go to sleep…” , while trying to hide the sadness in my voice. I mean, it wasn’t technically a lie, since I just left out the details. She nodded and solemnly stated: “I see… Don’t worry, I’m sure it’ll all be over soon. You can talk to me about anything, Aurelia…”
Once again, seeing her so kind and nice to a stupid kid like me made me feel much better, like I wasn’t alone. I did want to mention that I saw the intruder in the cabin earlier, before I lost the chance to. “I saw that trespasser last night and today. They broke in and watched me while I was sleeping, then hid in the basement and tormented me and Wyatt.” , I explained, “Then, they fled outside here and I haven’t seen them since… Do you think you could do something about it? I don’t feel safe…” Janice looked shocked at this information, unsure of how to respond at first.
“If it’s getting that bad, it must be real… I’ll look into it first thing tomorrow, I promise. Make sure you stay safe and don’t answer to any strangers.” , she reassured me. This made me even more relieved than before, being glad I got it out of my system. Not wanting to be a burden anymore, I stood up and thanked her before she did the same. Then, she bid me a good evening and walked away in the direction of her house across the lake. I watched her vanish into the darkness and sat down again.
Thinking back to that event, I could’ve asked to stay with Janice for the night, but I didn’t want to bother someone as nice as her. Plus, I was only eleven and not in a good mindset. Don’t get me wrong, I was still worried about the intruder, though my fatigue had overridden my fears by that point. The spot on the pier I was sitting at felt more and more comfortable by the minute. And not sleeping for over a day was starting to catch up to my young mind. I tried hard to keep my eyes open, but it’s so hard to succeed. Besides, the crickets and other calming noises didn’t help. When I was on the edge of sleep, right before I slipped into unconscious mode, I swear I heard footsteps similar to the ones outside the window the previous nights… But it was too much for me to resist, and I blacked out at some unknown time in the middle of the night shortly after.
I awoke to what I assumed was the next day when the sun was beginning to set, oddly enough. I was still lying on the old boards of the pier where I was before I fell asleep, grateful I didn’t roll into the water and drown. I hastily checked my watch, the time read 5:30 PM. I slept through the whole night and day, basically. I stood up and gratitude for my safety came into my thoughts once I realized that I was unharmed and the masked person was nowhere in sight.
Next, I decided to take a risk and see if I was still locked out of the cabin. I thought that maybe Mom had calmed down and would be back to her normally passive and inattentive self again, I hoped… I spent the next few minutes calmly and quietly walking over to the porch, making sure to not be too loud or intense with how I moved. When I got to the front door, I gently tried to open it, only to find it still locked tightly. Discouraged, I huffed in frustration before deciding to try the back door.
As I made my way to the back, I looked briefly in each of the windows I passed by. I didn’t see anyone or anything unusual. Mom was probably resting and Wyatt might have been reading upstairs. It relieved me to see that nothing bad happened, at least. I got to the back door and tried to open it, but the same result happened. Seeing that it was locked, I speculated that Wyatt didn’t leave, since we always left the doors unlocked when we went outside. The silver lining is his safety, so I didn’t have to worry about that for now.
I didn’t want to risk it further, so I stepped away from the property and began to think about what to do next. I thought about it for a bit before I had a very risky, but worthwhile idea. I was getting tired of not knowing what was going on with my masked stalker, so I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I would go investigate the Forest Cabin and see if someone might have been in there after all, since I wasn’t convinced that no one could possibly live there. It couldn't be too hard to go in through a window, especially if the property owner wasn’t paying attention. At that point, it was the only way I could get answers quickly, as I didn’t know how long Janice’s investigation would take. And if I found evidence of someone living there, I would run out of there and tell Janice. Simple and safe as it could possibly be for a risky plan.
With that, I took a deep breath in mental preparation before setting off in the direction of the other cabin. It was getting darker as I made the short journey, the sky turning from orange to purple. The trees seemed to grow bigger with the shadows the coming evening casted upon them. The crunching of the leaves my feet made seemed to grow louder as I went further, like my fear was making it worse somehow. Even though the distance was only about a quarter of a mile from the cabin, it felt like forever due to the anticipation of what might happen.
After what was probably about twenty minutes, I finally saw the Forest Cabin in sight. It looked exactly the same as it did before, creepy disrepair and all. From what I could tell at that distance, none of the boarded up windows and doors had been tampered with. I knew I wouldn’t be able to pry those off, since I lacked a tool to do so and I wasn’t physically strong enough, so I tried looking for another way inside.
I got closer and started to walk around the cabin in a circle, looking to see if there were any openings I could see. After a couple of minutes of no results, I saw something odd. Facing the front door, one lone window on the right side of the cabin wasn’t boarded up, but instead simply closed shut, unlike all the others. Seizing this small chance, I walked up to it and examined it closely. The frame was dusty and moldy, with the glass pane itself being so old, I couldn't see inside at all.
I ran my hand across the frame’s base and saw what looked to be a latch that was meant to lock the entire window in place. Steeling myself, I unhooked it and lifted the window open after a few grunts and some force. I peered inside and squinted my eyes to see into the darkness, vaguely making out shapes of tables and cabinets of what appeared to be a kitchen area similar to the other cabin. Right before I could start to climb inside, a large pair of hands grabbed the base of the frame, making a slamming sound in the process.
I screamed at the top of my lungs and sprinted out of there as fast as I could when I saw them. I didn’t want to stick around to see whoever was there. My suspicions were confirmed, there was someone living there. As I made it to the cabin’s property edge near the treeline, I glanced back to see what appeared to be a tall, thin man climbing out of the window and staring at me. I was too far to see what his expression was, but I knew it probably wasn’t good. This only made me run faster, wanting to get back to the Lake Cabin. It would take me too long to get to Janice’s house, so I took my chances going back to where Mom and Wyatt were.
After about fifteen seconds of me running faster than I ever had before in my life, I heard the man start to run after me, many leaves crunching behind me a good distance away. This was what made me know that he was the figure stalking me, and he wanted to hurt me. Why else would he chase a child like me? Luckily, I was still a good distance away, so I was safe for a while, even if his chasing and frantic steps sounded desperate. It was almost completely dark out then, I would lose my ability to see well if I didn’t make it back in time. The chase felt like it went on forever, with nothing but endless trees and leaves everywhere, and my pursuer slowly catching up over time… I just hoped that I was almost there, since I was too frantic at that time to know how far I’d gone. I didn’t dare look back again, fearing that doing so would cause me to trip or slow down because of lost motivation.
In about a third of the time it took while walking there before, the Lake Cabin finally came into my sight. Being almost right at my destination made me run even faster, adrenaline kicking in. I practically jumped onto the porch and began hammering on the front door. Sharp banging of my fists hitting the wood rang out as I screamed: “Let me in! Open the door, please…! I’m in danger!!” An agonizing long ten seconds passed with no indication of a response. Mom might have been asleep, but it was also likely Wyatt was too scared to come to the door.
Not wanting to wait any longer, I decided to resort to desperate measures. I jumped over the porch railings and ran around to the back door. I knew it would be locked, but I thought the window next to it could be used to get inside. My hands frantically grabbed the window and tried to lift it open, to no avail. I knew I had to smash it open at that point, so I grabbed a nearby large rock the size of a baseball and started to bash it against the glass.
A quite loud bang erupted, with a large crack forming in the glass pane. I was lucky the glass was very cheap and fragile at that moment. I hit it again, even more cracks forming. Just before I was ready to swing the rock once more, I heard the footsteps finally start to reach the end of the treeline, he had almost caught up to me… With only about ten seconds left until he was there, I gave the window one final blow, and the entire thing smashed into little pieces that time. I then dove into the now open space and managed to squeeze my small body through without cutting myself on the broken glass shards in only a few seconds.
I landed on the floor and instantly got back up. I saw Wyatt right in front of me, staring in horrifying confusion at what I just did. Without hesitation, I yelled, “Help me barricade the window, now!! I’m being chased by the intruder!” , at him as I began to push the couch over to the broken window. He nodded and understood what was happening immediately. He then assisted me in pulling the couch over to the window, where we proceeded to tilt it against the opening at a 45 degree angle, its weight in that position would make it difficult to move. I also shoved the TV and chair on either side of the sofa to hold it in place.
The second after Wyatt and I both propped our backs against our makeshift barricade to fortify it further, loud pounding and screaming was heard muffled from outside. Each individual blow rocked the couch slightly, but it held strong in place otherwise. “Let me in! Let me in, now!!” , the man yelled angrily. I began to hyperventilate when I heard that and Wyatt shut his eyes in fear. All this commotion finally led to Mom coming down the stairs in anger once again. “What the FUCK is going on here…!!??” , she yelled at us, “You goddamn kids never shut up, I swear!! Do you not believe in a good night’s re-!?” She stopped mid speech upon seeing our barricade and hearing the man’s voice. Her mouth hung open in shock, finally believing the threat was real and we weren’t lying about it.
The intruder’s attempts at destroying the barricade then suddenly ceased and he went quiet, giving up. I took a deep breath and tension released from my body, only to hear exactly what I was afraid was going to happen next. Running footsteps were heard going around the cabin and towards the front door. Heavy knocking and then banging resumed on the door, sounding manic and desperate. The old wooden door shook repeatedly as the man outside said, “Open up! Open the damn door!! I need help! You’re in danger!!” , with a frustrated and loud voice. I didn't know what this guy was thinking, pretending to be someone hurt and asking for help. He chased me through the woods, broke into the cabin, stalked me, and was now trying to break down the door. It was obviously a trap, and I wasn’t going to fall for it…
The banging then turned into kicks, each one more powerful than the last. The door started to shake on its hinges and bulge outwards. I knew it wouldn’t hold for long, since it was old and the man seemed pretty strong… However, I was frozen in terror, I had no idea what to do and it seemed Wyatt didn’t, either. There wasn’t any time to move the barricade over and standing against the door would just injure us and put us within his grasp. Before we could all think anymore, a final kick hit the door that caused it to splinter and fly open in full force, and I prepared to run if anything dangerous happened.
In the now open doorway, the porch lights revealed the man in full detail to me at last without his costume. He was very tall and usually thin, like he was starving and hadn’t eaten in weeks. And he had old, worn-out baggy casual clothing that looked like he had been wearing for a long time. He also smelled awful, likely not bathing for who knows how long as well. He had a tired, vengeful-looking glare on his face full of facial hair that was unkempt and unshaven.
He took a single, determined stride forward and looked like he was going to say something, but was then interrupted by a loud popping sound that rang throughout the whole room. The gunshot pierced his left shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall backwards, his head hitting the floor as a result. A small amount of blood trickled out from the wound as he lay on the floor, not moving. However, I could still see him subtly breathing, so he wasn’t dead, just unconscious. I whipped my head around to see my mother holding the same illegal gun that she threatened me with last night, pointing it at the doorway for a few seconds before lowering it and giving off a blank expression to me.
Seeing the threat was over, I sprang into action and loudly said: “Wyatt, help me drag him into the basement so we can keep him there until help arrives! Call Janice afterwards, she can help with the aftermath!” He instantly ran over to the intruder’s body and I did the same. We each grabbed an arm and dragged him into the kitchen area, before I opened the door and we pulled him into the laundry room area near the basement door. Then, we carefully brought him down the steps in the dark basement, not wanting to hurt him too much and get in trouble. We left him in the middle of the floor down there and we raced back up the stairs before proceeding to barricade both the basement door itself and the door leading to the laundry room it was contained in with furniture and other objects, as neither of them had locks for some unexplained reason.
Afterwards, Mom and I took guard in the kitchen to watch the door and listen for sounds while Wyatt picked up the landline and began to call Janice. While he was talking on the phone in a panic, Mom finally started to talk to me for the first time since she basically threatened to disown, abandon, and murder me… “Why did you lead that fucking psycho here!? He could've killed us, you stupid dumbass!!” , she yelled. “He was trying to hurt me! I told you I wasn’t making it up!” , I retorted, “This was the only safe place I could get to! Do you not care that he could’ve killed me!? I can’t believe how heartless you are, as my own mother!!” She sneered and began to somehow pour herself another glass of whiskey despite the extreme situation, saying, “Honestly, it’d be better if you were dead… I don’t wanna have a confused freak like you as a son! You should’ve died, instead of your father! A monster like you doesn't deserve love or sympathy…” , before she downed it in just a few loud gulps.
I felt like crying after hearing that… She really thought she was in the right, and there was no convincing her otherwise. At least her true feelings about my dad’s death came out at last, putting the speculation to rest. While I was glad she helped take down the intruder, I still didn't like that she had a gun for that purpose. I feel like she’s used it before, but I couldn’t put my finger on it… Nonetheless, I lost all sympathy towards her in that moment, she was a lost cause to me.
After just five minutes, Janice arrived on the property, having run all the way from her house across the lake. She looked very worried and interested once she entered the cabin. Wyatt pointed in the direction of the kitchen, saying: “He’s in the basement. We barricaded it, just like I said over the phone.” Interested, she briefly stepped in there to take a look. She came back a few seconds later and turned to face our mother. “Have you been drinking again, Margaret?” , she asked harshly, “I saw the bottle on the counter there. You should really stop that, it’s hurt you and others before…” I then noticed her expression shift from worried and melancholic to blank and unusually calm, like she wasn’t worried about the man in the basement.
Mom seemed to get uncomfortable all of sudden and went speechless, which she almost never did. It was like she remembered something important she’d forgotten involving Janice. “It’s time for you to understand the weight of what you did, Margaret… This is for the horses that you murdered!” , she stoically said before slicing a large pocket knife across her throat… Blood poured from the wound as she gagged and fell on the floor, gasping and wheezing for air.
Both Wyatt and me screamed in horror as we watched our mom’s body writhe around in her own blood, life slowly fading from her eyes. Under a minute passed before her movements began to slow and she took one final look at us. And I swear, even with her losing consciousness quickly, she stared at me with contempt and hatred still, like she blamed me for what happened to end her life… And in the next moment, she was gone.
Janice stared down at her body with a small smirk of satisfaction on her face. Our stunned silence was broken by Wyatt, who asked, “...Why…? What did Mom do to upset you…?” , on the verge of crying. She smiled and nodded cruelly, like she had anticipated the question being asked. “Last year, on your previous trip here, your mother used her illegally bought gun to kill both of my horses in cold blood…” , she explained while getting angrier, “I think it’s because I told her about the no alcohol rule I have here and took away her booze as punishment when I visited this cabin to speak to her about it. I know it was her, I found a bottle of beer in the stables next to my beautiful horses’ bodies!”
Her face then twisted into a snarl of rage and grief. Cleaning the blood off her knife, she ranted: “I can’t believe she would do something so evil out of revenge! All just because of her stupid drinks she was addicted to!! And now, I must kill you and your sister, too!” I had no idea Mom did something so horrible… I did remember Janice visiting us in our cabin late at night the previous year. She didn’t ban us because we were such good friends with her. She forcefully took her alcohol and I think I can vaguely recall a drunken Mom screaming and going outside in the middle of the night while I was half-asleep. The gunshots must've been too far away to hear. She either kept it a secret or didn't really remember herself.
But I turned my attention back to the last sentence Janice had just said to us, there was still much I didn't understand. “Why kill us…? We didn’t do it… We’re innocent!” , I stated. She rolled her eyes and pointed the knife at us threateningly. “You’re related to her and you allowed her to hurt others, so you’re definitely not innocent! All of you already left by the time I found my horses dead, but I knew you’d come back the next year, you always do… It gave me plenty of time to prepare.” , she said in self-justification, “I’m willing to risk it all to avenge them! Of course, using that cheap Halloween costume and scaring you in the night was part of the fun. It’d be too easy to just quietly kill you! It’ll be a LONG time before anyone finds out what will happen to you, if ever, Aurelia…”
So… Janice was the intruder and the one behind it all… It was too much to take in at the time. Getting more horrified at her plans, I nervously asked her, “Then… What about the man in the basement? Was he in on it as well…?” , only half-expecting an answer. She stepped closer to us as she responded with: “Levi? No, he was a… red herring, you could say. Months ago, he was a guest staying in the Forest Cabin, a rare type, and I thought that holding him prisoner would be a perfect way to deceive you! He was the perfect candidate to let your guard down and blame, a drifting nobody that no one will miss or remember. After all, I couldn’t have you suspecting me and ruining my plan! Also, I told you about the cabin’s situation so you’d unlock the window I fed Levi from later when you got too curious… He’d follow you to get help and you’d predictably blame him, I knew it would happen! It was fun to see!”
It was hard to believe that Janice was really that cunning and sadistic in regards to that plan to hurt us. She’d been planning it for a year, and pretended to love us so she could trick us into killing everyone, it made me sick… My trust became fractured and my resolve began to waiver. I may have hated my mother, but I didn’t want her to die… In a way, I felt responsible for her death; if I just paid more attention, she might be alive right now. I couldn’t believe I didn't suspect Janice one bit, since it seems more obvious she was behind it all in retrospect. Her convenient appearances/conversations with me, her knowing the layouts of the cabin and having keys to get inside at night since she was the owner, the correlations with the appearances of her masked identity, the only unblocked window on the Forest Cabin having a lock on the outside, and the subtle directions that steered me to releasing Levi and being misled. I hated myself for not figuring it out sooner, but I can’t change the past…
Then, she stopped and stood still in front of Wyatt, who was shivering in fear. “Now, there’s only one last part of my plan… Let’s see if you can catch up to me and rescue your brother before I can kill you both!” , she said playfully. In the next instant, she swiftly snatched Wyatt up, covering his mouth and lifting his legs up. He kicked and squirmed, but her adult grip was too strong for an eight year old to resist. I tried to block her path as she began carrying him to the door, but she shoved me on the ground without much effort. I saw her put on her night vision goggles she took out from her jacket pocket as I lay on the floor, unable to get up. She then sprinted off with my little brother into the darkness, his muffled screams disappearing fast…
Knowing I didn’t have much time, I stood up and began to search around for anything to stop her with. That’s when I realized that she had forgotten something crucial: Mom’s gun. She put it back in her suitcase, the usual spot, after shooting Levi. I dove for it in the corner and practically ripped the zipper off, finding it in about ten seconds. I took it out and examined it, the safety was on and it had ammo, just how I needed it at that moment. I had to rescue my brother, there was no time to get help or run away. His life depended on me and I wasn’t going to let another family member die!
Realizing I also needed to see out there, I ran to the kitchen to search the drawers for a flashlight I knew was somewhere around there. Right as I found it, I heard a sound I didn’t expect to hear: The basement door opening and the barricade coming apart. I remembered that he was an innocent man that was shot, so I dismantled the other barricade quickly and opened the door. There was Levi, standing in the dark opening, clutching his arm in pain that was still bleeding. I felt bad seeing this, since he really did need help after all. And seeing his thin body and ragged appearance made more since that he was being held prisoner for months.
He stumbled out and said, “Thank you… That insane owner drugged me and I woke up a prisoner in my own cabin! She cut the electricity, water, and access outside completely. She stole my car, too! The only window unblocked was used to throw food scraps inside for a split second, and I was too weak to fight back. I couldn’t escape until now, when you opened it. I’m sorry I chased after you, I couldn’t risk getting caught by her and I was desperate… I should've explained things more clearly and not have been so impulsive…” , while looking at me and limping. I took pity on him and replied with: “It’s fine… I’m sorry you were shot, she deceived us all. Do you need help?”
Levi shook his head and took a deep breath to suppress the pain he felt. “I forgive you, I might’ve done the same… I heard all the arguing in there.” , he said encouragingly, “Go and save your brother! Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine! I’m gonna call the cops on the landline and wait here for help. Please, go!” I took a step back before nodding at him, quite glad he understood what was going on and was going to help. By the time I’d probably find Wyatt and Janice, the cops would be nearly there.
I grabbed the gun in one hand and the flashlight in the other before I ran out of the cabin and into the darkness, turning on the light at the same time. I spent longer talking to and helping Levi than I would’ve liked, so I couldn’t hear Janice or footsteps anywhere around me. But judging from the direction I heard them first run off while I was searching for the gun, they were headed towards the Forest Cabin. And it made sense, it was the middle of the night, so a dark house that had no electricity provided perfect hiding spots and tactical advantages for her to attack me. She obviously wanted me to go there, and I didn't have much of a choice… To say I was very afraid to go in there is a massive understatement, but I had to save Wyatt. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t.
I ran in a frenzy in the direction I remember it being in. The flashlight’s field of view bobbed rapidly as I sprinted faster than ever before, even faster than earlier that same day in the opposite direction. I was also careful not to trip and I held the gun steady, watching for anything strange. The adrenaline of fear and Wyatt being in danger fueled me to get there quite fast, in only five minutes.
The Forest Cabin’s door was wide open and the wooden planks that boarded it up were lying on the porch next to it, confirming my suspicions. Besides that, however, I didn’t see or hear any signs of human activity. It was still and looked somehow even more abandoned than before. My heart rate and heavy breathing were through the roof, but I still trudged closer anyway. I was careful to not call for Wyatt’s name or step too loudly, since Janice could be waiting to strike nearby and I didn’t want to give myself away too much. I knew my flashlight would be seen, but I had no choice at that time of the night.
I took one step across the front door’s threshold and was instantly hit with a disgusting smell, piss and shit. It reeked all across the inside of the cabin. I gagged and struggled to keep the flashlight facing forward. Being locked in there for months without a working toilet, going on the floor was inevitable and I pitied that foul place’s prisoner. Still, the stench was hard to ignore, so I switched to breathing from my mouth. That way, it wouldn’t be as strong. Focusing on the rest of the surroundings, I pointed my flashlight elsewhere.
When I took more steps inside, my circular light source came across what appeared to be a living room. However, besides a dusty sofa, it was completely empty. I then pointed the light straight ahead and saw three shut doors lining the living room wall. I assumed these were two bedrooms and the bathroom, if I was going off my comparisons with the Lake Cabin correctly. They didn’t look tampered with at the moment, so I turned right and went into the large doorway accompanying it. I saw a large table and many empty cabinets in there and knew I was in the kitchen I peered into earlier, and I even saw the unblocked window that was still wide open from before directly in front of me. It’s scary to think Levi was fed terrible scraps from it for months.
Then, I shined the light at the dark corner in the kitchen and saw what was most likely the door to the basement there, in the same place as the other cabin’s, and I just had a certain feeling that Janice and Wyatt were waiting for me there… I cast aside my fear and yanked open the door, revealing a small laundry room just like the other one. I moved past the useless washing machine and dryer, heading to the door that contained the stairs. Psyching myself up for potential danger, I pulled it ajar briskly and proceeded to go down the steps at quite a fast pace, as the longer I took to get down there, the more time the attacker could strike. The old wooden stairs led to a large concrete room that contained the power, water, and heating units of the cabin. At first, I didn’t see anyone at all in sight…
A slight flash of movement was then picked up by the light, and I pointed it towards the dark corner on the far wall. It was… Wyatt, who was peeking out from behind a large concrete column, and looked terrified. I didn’t see him before that, since he was hiding, like Janice was toying with him as well… “Wyatt!” , I instinctively said in reaction. I immediately regretted it when I heard something move behind me in the direction of the alcove under the staircase. I whipped around and saw Janice, in full costume that time, mask and goggles and everything.
Before I could aim the gun at her, she rushed at me and tackled me onto the ground. The flashlight and gun clattered to the floor, limiting my sight. Thank goodness the gun still had the safety on, or it would've accidentally fired. She pinned me down and stared into my face through the soulless lenses of the goggles, saying, “Looks like you caught up to us… But you're too late, you’re finished. You failed to rescue your brother. And for that, you shall now die to pay for your mother’s sins!” , in a muffled and threatening voice. She then pulled out her pocket knife she used to kill Mom with, and I shut my eyes in fear, bracing for the painful death I would surely endure…
Thankfully, it was interrupted by Wyatt’s screaming. Not scared screaming, but a rage-filled charging scream. He tilted his head down lower as he charged at her in full force, using his body as a battering ram. They both collided, with Janice falling to the floor, finally letting go of me. Wyatt knelt down briefly from the attack, before standing up and taunting: “Take that, psycho! Don’t hurt my big sis! Catch me if you can, coward!!” He proceeded to bolt up the stairs as she struggled to get up and reorient herself. About five seconds after he exited the basement, she started to chase after him, and I heard a very quiet grunting scoff as she ran past me.
She made a huge mistake ignoring me, as I reached for the gun and flashlight at the same time, picking them back up and chasing after her within a few seconds. I flew up the stairs as fast as I could, though I lost sight of the two. While going up, I turned the safety off the gun, which I knew how to do because of seeing my mother do it. When I reached the kitchen, I heard a door creak open. I knew they didn’t go outside, since I didn’t hear any leaves crunching out there. So, it could only be one of the three doors in the living room. I marched into the room with determination as I stared at each of the possible choices.
The door on the left was still shut, but judging from the horrible smell, it was the bathroom. I didn’t think anyone would willingly go in there, even to hide… The door in the middle was also shut, which made it unlikely, but not impossible. The door on the right was cracked open, which it wasn’t before. I knew this was the one, and Wyatt was likely in there, hopefully away from Janice. I moved towards it and felt a sudden rush of anger at that murderer. “You’re killing us because our mom killed your horses? That’s hypocritical, you’re literally worse than her!” , I said loudly, “We loved and trusted you so much, and you betrayed us! I’ll end this conflict and rescue my little brother, whether you like it or not, Janice!” I knew it might give away my position, but I was so fed up with her atrocious actions that I didn’t care. I had the gun and therefore the advantage, so I was less afraid than before. Someone had to stop her, and I had to repay Wyatt for rescuing me in the basement.
I reached the cracked open door in just a few seconds, then I carefully pushed it open, which resulted in a loud creaking sound emanating from its hinges as it swung open fully. Cautiously, I took a couple of light steps inside the room and saw that it was a bedroom. A messy unmade bed, a nightstand with a lamp, a boarded up window, a dresser, and a barren open closet were all that was inside. The state of the bed and stench of body odor in the room suggested this was the place Levi slept in, which was depressing to think about.
I scanned the room with the light, but didn’t see anyone in there. Then, I realized there was one hiding spot that was possible in the room: Under the bed. I got on my knees and bent down to look under it. I angled the flashlight correctly and saw Wyatt’s face right near the edge of the bed frame, eyes wide with terror. I smiled briefly, and he did too. But then, his face shifted to horror as he appeared to have seen something I didn’t. “Look out! Behind you!!” , he yelled while pointing over my shoulder.
I heard what sounded like a growl of anger as I turned to see the masked Janice in the doorway rushing at me, knife in hand. She likely hid somewhere else in the cabin while I went in the bedroom, knowing I’d have my back turned and be alone with Wyatt. But I was more prepared this time, so I cocked the firearm near instantly, aimed it, and pulled the trigger.
An ear-shattering bang echoed across the cabin, being the loudest sound I’d ever heard before. The bullet pierced through the mask and hit Janice square in the center of her forehead. When it struck, her lunge was halted mid stride by the force of the projectile, before she then fell face first onto the hardwood floor right in front of me, a small amount of blood seeping out of her wound. She dropped her knife and her body then became still, likely being killed instantly. Once I saw all this, I breathed a sigh of relief and set the gun and flashlight down, panting in anxiety as well. I had mixed feelings about what I’d just done. While I’m glad I was able to stop her from killing us, I felt a little guilty, having never killed a person before. It’s like I was just as bad as her for resorting to her methods and what my mother tried to do… Still, at least it was over. It really and truly was finally over.
Wyatt then crawled out from under the bed once he saw that it was safe to do so. He proceeded to throw his arms around me and put me in a death hug, crying while doing it. I held him tightly and calmly said, “It’s okay… It’s all over… We’re safe. And I’m so happy you’re alive, more than anything else.” , while stroking his hair. It truly felt good to be past the threat and bond together like that, nothing else could hurt us or tear us apart in that moment.
Once he let me go after a few minutes, we heard someone walking through the Forest Cabin’s front door. It was Levi, he came to check on us once he heard the gunshot on the way there. When he found us, he shook my hand with his injured arm that was now wrapped in bandages as a way to make peace with us, and he conclusively said: “The police are almost here. We’ll be safe soon. You kids are damn brave, I’ll tell ya that! Great job on stopping her, now she can’t hurt anyone ever again. I had enough of this place, I’m never coming back here!” Wyatt and I couldn’t agree more, that much was certain.
The police arrived about twenty minutes later. They gave all three of us a ride to the local police station, where we gave our testimonies, with Levi’s finally placing the blame on Janice that was unclear otherwise. Then, we were able to leave and go home. Our stuff was retrieved from the site by law enforcement a little while later. The police closed Lake Foliage Resort for good after their investigation was finished, to never be visited again. Also, both cabins, Janice’s house, the unused horse stables, the signs, and any other evidence of the property once existing was torn down and destroyed. No one wanted to buy the land, so it became untamed nature, which was a fitting end to the place, in my opinion, even if I somewhat missed it.
After the funeral for Mom, which I attended out of obligation even though it made me uncomfortable, me and my little brother were sent to live with our aunt and uncle on my dad’s side of the family. They were very nice and felt like proper parents, which led to us living with them for the rest of our childhoods in a warm and accepting environment. I still felt a little bad about killing Janice and liking my new guardians more than my dead mother, but I learned that it’s okay to choose who you love, since good relationships should be mutually beneficial. I may have killed somebody, but it was to save someone I love, and that’s a justifiable reason enough. And my mother hated me and didn’t love me anymore, so I don’t think she deserves my respect.
We also stayed in touch with Levi, who became a good friend to our family, his funny and warm personality winning people over left and right. He found a job at the nearby hardware store in my hometown, which worked well for his fulfillment. He also accepted my true identity openly and with great affirmation, making me respect him even more than I already did. He reminded me of my late father, which makes me think that he would also accept me for who I was today, if he were still around…
As for Wyatt, we stayed even closer than ever before since then. He and I fully trust each other even to this day, with us confiding in each other about our issues and we help each other out when the going gets tough. He got a career in engineering once he graduated high school, which likely came from his ingenuity in his encounters with peril on that trip so many years ago. I’m glad he’s my younger brother, and he’s glad I’m his older sister, a perfect exchange of equality.
It’s been ten years since everything happened at Lake Foliage Resort, and I finish writing this memoir with peace of mind. As a fresh college graduate in General Studies, I know a lot about many different topics, but writing about past abuse and trauma isn’t one of them. So, it’s so… euphoric to finally write this all down and move on from it. A lot of terrible stuff may have happened, but I’m proud of the person I am today. I have a great family now and people I can trust, things I lost for a while… And the things I learned about how abuse affects many others besides the direct targets and how most bad conflict is unintended with the ones we love the most are invaluable to both my current character and the point of this long story.
While most of the conflict with strangers is harmless, much of the conflict with the ones we are close with can be far more devastating. Because they’re not done on purpose a lot of the time, the effects can spread to other innocent and close relatives with much greater ease. When that happens, it’s best to get to the root of the conflict and figure out how to make sure it doesn’t happen again in the first place. The intentional and unintentional can mix up and affect each other, making them tricky to resolve. And even the intentional conflict can create unforeseen consequences that can create even larger unintentional conflict that hurts everyone. When that happens, it’s best to not hurt others and take accountability for the abusers. This advice and rhetoric may not be perfect, but if not taken seriously, it can destroy people’s lives, like it nearly did mine. Conflict is inevitable, though abuse is even more so.
Written by Singularity Sam
Content is available under CC BY-SA