A campfire story by Erika M Szabo
The Legend of the Mysterious Cabin
The fire
crackled and sparks flew in the dim light, casting a warm glow over the faces
of the group huddling around it. The flames reached for the sky, providing
much-needed heat against the chilly night air. Jack, Peter, twin brothers Sam
and Charlie, all in their late sixties, sat together by the fire with beers in
their hands.
They had grown
up in the same small town near the woods. After graduating, three of them moved
away to start their adult lives in different states. Only Jack remained,
marrying his high school sweetheart and starting his own construction business.
“Tell us a
story, Jack,” Sam said. “Like in the good old times when we were young.”
“Yes, those
were good times,” Jack sighed. “We were young and carefree. We all thought we
could change the world.”
They sat deep
in their thoughts for a while. The fire continued to crackle and pop as Jack's
deep voice filled the silence. The group leaned in closer anticipating a good
story. "My grandfather told me about the cabin after the Witherby brothers
disappeared.”
“I remember!”
Peter said. “The whole town was looking for them for weeks.”
“And they were
never found,” Jack replied, poking at the fire with a stick. “That’s when my grandpa
told me about the legend. He said that deep in these woods, there is a cabin. A
cabin that holds secrets and mysteries beyond our understanding."
Sam's eyes
widened with curiosity. "What kind of secrets?" he asked.
Jack's lips
curved into a sad smile before continuing, "The legends say that anyone
who finds this cabin and dares to enter will never return."
The group fell
silent, the air seemed to chill with each passing moment and Jack's
words hung in the air like a heavy fog.
"But...but
that can't be true," Charlie stammered, breaking the tension. "People
go hiking in these woods all the time and come back just fine."
Jack's
expression displayed anxiety as he slowly replied, "That may be so, but those hikers
didn’t search for the cabin."
Peter leaned
forward, his hands gripping his knees tightly. "So, what happens to those
who find it? Do they just disappear into thin air?"
Jack's gaze
seemed to intensify as he spoke again. "Some say the cabin is a portal to another
dimension, that’s why no bodies were ever found."
A chill ran
down Sam's spine as he imagined himself stumbling upon this mysterious cabin
and being trapped somewhere forever.
"Do you
know where this cabin is?" Peter asked eagerly.
Jack's
expression darkened at the question. "I do...and I have seen it with my
own eyes. But I didn’t go inside," he paused for a moment before adding
quietly. "And I will never lead anyone there."
"Why
not?" Charlie asked.
"Because if the legend is true, once you enter that cabin, there is no turning back," Jack responded
gravely.
The crackle of
the fire seemed to intensify at this statement as if emphasizing the danger and
mystery surrounding the mysterious cabin. The group sat in silence, each lost
in their own thoughts, and a sense of unease settled over them.
Sam shivered
and wondered if there was any truth to this legend and what secrets may lay
hidden within the depths of the forest. His mind raced with questions and
couldn't shake the feeling that they were not alone in these woods, that something
was watching them from the shadows.
Suddenly, a
loud crack echoed through the forest, causing all of them to jump. "What
was that?" Charlie whispered, his voice trembling with fear.
"Probably
just a fallen tree branch or an animal," Jack reassured them gruffly. But
even he seemed a little on edge.
As if on cue,
another loud noise rang out, followed by rustling in the bushes nearby. The
group huddled closer to the fire, their eyes darting around.
Sam's heart
pounded in his chest as he scanned the darkness for any glimpse of movement.
"Maybe we should head back to town," he suggested nervously.
But before they
could move, dark figures emerged from the shadows. As they got closer to the fire, the
group saw them clearly. Just two old guys. Sam thought, releaved. The men's faces were weathered and wrinkled with age, their
clothes tattered, and their long grey hair hung loosely around their shoulders.
The group was
surprised by the sight of the disheveled old men, unsure of what to do or say.
"Are you
lost?" Jack finally managed to ask, his voice shaking.
One of the old
men let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down Jack's spine. “Nope, we know
these woods, we live here, just like you.”
“I’ve never
seen you before,” Jack said, frantically searching his mind.
"You kiddin' old man?” the taller man snorted, his voice sounding irritated. “Of course you know
us. I’m Paul Witherby, and this is my brother, Joe," he said in a raspy
voice.
“You can’t be!”
Jack shouted, his voice trembling, and he shrunk back in shock. Thoughts began
to swirl in his mind. Could it be… nah, it’s impossible! Could these
old men be… Jack swallowed the nervous lump in his throat and asked as if
he was talking to teenage boys, “What are you doing in the woods so late,
boys?”
The man, who
said he was Paul Witherby, gave him a sheepish look. “We… we went to find the
cabin.”
“And did you
find it?”
“We did,” Paul
confessed. “We searched for the treasure, but there was nothing in there but
dusty old junk, so we left.”
“Who are these men, Jack,” Sam whispered tugging at Jack's shirt.
“I’m not sure yet,” Jack whispered back, keeping an eye on the brothers.
The brothers
looked at Jack, astonished. “Can’t you recognize us?” Paul shouted.
“Do you know me?”
asked Jack, forcing himself to stay calm.
“Of course I know you! You’re Jack’s father,” Paul shouted and leaned closer to his brother while keeping an eye on Jack. "Senile old fool." he whispered.
Joe snickered and glancing at the old twins, he said, "Paul, I didn't know Sam and Charlie had twin dads, did you?"
"What?" Paul stammered and turned his head to look at his brother. Suddenly, he took a deep breath and shouted, “Dad, when did you get here?” then he frantically looked around. “Joe, where are you?”
Joe turned his head,
and his jaw dropped. “I’m here, but where is Paul?”
Sam's eyes fixed on the brothers who stood there stunned, staring at each other with bewildered expression on their faces. Sam tugged at Jack's shirt and whispered, “What the hell is going on, Jack?”
Jack sighed and whispered back, “My grandfather said those who enter the cabin never return. But these two must've been trapped in there for decades and somehow found their way back."
"So, you mean those..." Sam's shaky fingers pointed at the brothers.
Jack nodded. "Those men are the Witherby brothers. They were trapped in another dimension for fifty years, and they didn’t age until they left the cabin just a short time ago.”
Erika M Szabo
Erika loves to dance
to her own tunes and follow her dreams, introducing her story-writing skills
and her books that are based on creative imagination with themes such as
magical realism, alternate history, urban fantasy, cozy mystery, sweet romance,
and supernatural stories. Her children’s stories are informative and
educational and deliver moral values in a non-preachy way.
