The Cabin in the Woods

So they are on the run now. Yippie.

 

“Hey look! What’s that? I think it’s a house! Come on!”

                I followed Romeo through the thick vegetation, fighting hard to push back the heavy branches and vines. They wrapped around me, eating at my skin. A sudden flash back to the day I ran from Draco’s death burned in my mind, causing me to hesitate, which allowed a giant branch to swing back and knock me in the face. I cradled my scratched cheek and mumbled a curse, trying to catch up with Romeo.

                “Wait!” I shouted. “Someone might recognize you!”

                Ignoring my warning, he plastered his face against the muggy window of the old run-down log cabin. It looked as if it hadn’t seen a human face in thirty years or so. Pitch black ravens had perched upon the caved in roof, watching for the insects and small mammals that crawled out of the rotten wood. It gave off such an ominous feeling…especially with it almost being dark. I sighed and began questioning why I had come along. But what choice did I have?

                “It’s empty!” I heard Romeo call from inside the house. I muttered something that wasn’t in the dictionary and pushed open the rickety door, which barely hung on its hinges. The scrape of wood against rocky earth broke the silence that had worked hard to remain undisturbed. The forest surrounding the cabin had shown obvious yet effective attempts at distorting itself to an unnatural state, in what I assumed was a goal to dishearten humans to settle in the area.

                “Sorry,” I whispered allowed as I ran my hands along the old wood. “But we’re desperate.”

                “What?” Romeo called.

                “Nothing. Just talking to myself.”

                “Weirdo.”

                I smiled in response, refusing to neither confirm nor deny his accusation. He rolled his eyes and continued to examine the cabin. It looked just as pitiful on the inside as it did the out. Everything was overturned and covered in dust…broken and tossed aside. The very definition of abandonment. I placed my small bag of provisions-which consisted of a weeks worth of food, a map, a compass, a pocket knife, and a first aid kit, all borrowed from Dusty-next to a broken frame. The glass had shattered and cut into the old black and white picture that hung lifelessly from the wreckage. An woman and a man-both appearing to be at least in their 40’s-were holding hands and looking up at each other, the cabin standing proud in the background. They must have built this thing and lived together…

                I placed the photo on top of a wobbly dining table that sat square in the middle of what looked like the living room and quickly began thinking up a game plan. If the map and compass were correct, we should’ve been near the West Virginia-Kentucky line. Just another three or four days and we should be able to make it. We had already lost three days getting to where we were right now.

                “It’s quaint,” I remarked sarcastically. “But it’ll do. We need to stay here for the night. The clouds are starting to get dark, so it’s going to storm soon. Maybe we can manage a fire before it starts to rain.” I motioned towards the ash-filled fireplace. A small cauldron used for cooking hung above it, as if it were waiting for someone to put it to use. Sorry. Not tonight, little dude.

                “I’ll go get some wood. Stay here and see what else you can find, ok?” I turned to leave, but the sudden sharpness in Romeo’s voice froze me into place.

                “Why’d you come with me?”

                I tried ignoring the question and took a step out the doorway. Maybe he’s just talking to himself, too…No such luck.

                “Say?” He demanded, edging closer. “Why did you come? Why didn’t you just stay home?”

                I sighed irritably and turned on my heels to face him. I was exhausted and ready to get the day over with; I didn’t much care for explaining myself to him. But I knew he wouldn’t drop the matter until I told him.  “Because Draco’s death is just as much my fault as it is yours! Besides, I’m already an accessory to murder, so I had no choice!”

                He pressed his lips into a thin line, fighting hard to fight back any comment he had to make. Satisfied that he’d leave me be, I began to push open the door again.

                “Wait. I’ll get the wood. You stay here. There’s a bed in the backroom if you want to sleep. If you see anyone, run. Don’t look back or try to warn me. Just run.”

                “Romeo, I-”

Without allowing me time to finish, he slammed the door and took of towards the woods. Well…it wasn’t exactly a slam. A slam would have completely knocked the door off the hinges. But whatever it was, it was enough to prove his point. A*****e! I thought bitterly, but suddenly regretting that harsh comment. He had just killed another human being only a few days ago. I shouldn’t be so cross with him. He was having a hard enough time; he didn’t need me pestering him. Then…why had I come along?

                Regret at ever joining him flared to life inside me, eating away what little adrenaline I had left over. I collapsed to the ground, my legs no longer able to bare my weight. I was just a burden…just making things worse for him. I couldn’t believe I was so selfish as to come along and weigh him down! D****t! I can’t go home now…so I’ll just stay out of his way. I won’t talk unless he asks me a question…I won’t go against his authority. I’ll follow him wherever he wants to go. Just please! Please help me to not be such a nuisance! I thought, folding my hands in a prayer. I didn’t want him to hate me.

                “Why did I come along?” I repeated his question, hoping I would make since of it all. Easy. I didn’t want to go to jail. It was my fault, too. I had to own up…and run. Right? The more I thought, the more I realized that wasn’t the only reason. “S**t.”

                Allowing myself to become consumed by thought, my body began to shut down due to the exhaustion and I completely blacked out. I wasn’t sure if it was sleep or what it was…unlike sleep, I didn’t feel as if I could wake up at anytime I chose. Oh well. It was peaceful. I allowed whatever darkness was present to overcome me and drift off into…well…whatever it was. Perhaps If I was awake I would have noticed the tall figure picking me up and toting me away from the cabin. Away from the cabin...and away from Romeo.