A heavy raindrop fell on my eyelash, and I blinked to shake it off. It fell down my cheek like an unwanted tear catching both the brother’s attention. The rhythmic pitter-patter of rain landing on unsuspecting leaves fell around us. We looked above at what had otherwise been a beautiful sunny day. Within only a few passing heartbeats, the tempo increased, and soon the three of us bolted in the direction we were headed, towards a cave at the most western point of the Delaware Forest.
“Come on, Gem,” Lucas yelled over his shoulder reaching for my outstretched hand. Taking his, I used my free hand to shield the raindrops that felt more like sharp blades slicing our skin. The forest canopy grew sparse, exposing us to the violent weather. Like the desperate teens we were, we expertly dodged low hung branches, fallen logs and deep, injury-promising ditches. Mason led the way like the pack leader of a school marathon, bravely navigating the terrain with precision.
Mason was a few yards ahead when without warning, he came to a dead stop. I collided with Lucas’s back, his hands awkwardly reaching behind him to grab my waist and stop me from falling. Now standing side by side, ignorant to the heavy, sharp rain pelting down, the three of us stared at the sight before us.
“I didn’t know this was here,” Lucas said, not breaking his gaze.
“Neither did I,” Mason concurred.
“Who would live all the way out here?” I asked.
“Only one way to find out.” Mason, the risk taker, marched forward until Lucas gripped his forearm.
“You can’t just go in there!”
“Why not?”
“That could be someone’s home.”
Mason laughed, brows arched in disbelief. “Does it look like someone’s home to you?”
We stared ahead silently weighing the options. The old wooden log cabin was run down and by all appearances, looked abandoned. The overgrown vines creeping around the exterior had claimed their ownership. Thick cobwebs were laced over every window frame and awning. And most importantly, there was no sign of life.
“What if someone died in there and nobody found them?” I asked, taking a cautious step back.
“What’s the matter, Gem?” Mason snickered. “Worried the bogeyman might be hiding somewhere inside waiting for you?”
“Well, why would someone leave this place? It’s obvious it was lived in for quite some time. And yes, I may not believe in the bogeyman, but I do believe in ghosts!”
“Hold my hand, I’ll keep you safe,” Mason goaded with a wink. Lucas rolled his eyes, and inwardly I cringed. “Come on, you pussies.”
Sans the hand-holding, we edged closer to the cabin. The boys seemed more at peace with their decision, but my eyes darted nervously around praying for no unwanted surprises.
Mason reached the window first and dusted away the thick grey webs. Pressing his nose against the glass pane, he cupped his eyes and looked for any evidence to suggest the cabin was inhabited. “There’s no one inside,” Mason finally offered.
“They could be out for the day?” I suggested.
Without a second thought, the brothers were at the door twisting the old brass handle. It wasn’t locked, and with the slightest push, it slowly creaked open. We threw a questionable glance at each other before searching the darkness within. The light from the outside barely touched anything, but it was evident the place had been long abandoned. It had possibly been left in this state for years.
A thick layer of dust coated almost every inch of the cabin. A two-seater couch greeted us on entry that could, at one stage, have been a navy-blue color but was now an ash gray. A double bed, messily made, was against the far wall with picture frames above its headboard. A small, make-do kitchenette was to the right with a camp stove perched on the counter. A few other items like pots, pans, cutlery, salt and pepper shakers lay scattered. There was an old, moldy smell to the cabin that could be easily fixed with a good airing out.
“I don’t think anyone is coming back here in a hurry,” Lucas stated, eyes scanning around the room.
“I doubt anyone else knows of this place,” Mason concurred. “Otherwise, it would have been claimed by now.” He pulled a frame off the wall, and a thick sprinkling of dust was dislodged, falling like snow over the bed covers. Wiping the glass with the palm of his hand, Mason studied the photo. “This must be the owner.”
Looking over his shoulders, we studied the old man who had aged before his time. Having lived it rough, he looked like the type to steer clear of mainstream society. The hermit type. He was tall and gangly with leathery skin. The woman standing next to him was short and stout. With a large forehead and small beady eyes, she too looked much older than what she probably was.
“Do you think they’re both…” I couldn’t bring myself to finish.
“Dead?” Mason offered.
“Yes.”
“Long gone, I would say,” he confirmed.
The downpour of rain intensified and we all turned to watch it pelting against the windows.
“I think we’re stuck here for a while,” Lucas admitted. “We may not make it to the cave, so we may as well stay here.”
“Agreed,” Mason said, carelessly dropping the frame on the bedside table. When he walked to the kitchen, I returned the photo back to its rightful place on the wall.
“I still feel like we’re doing something wrong.”
“That’s because you never do anything wrong,” Mason quipped while digging through the small pantry cupboards. I took pride in myself by following the rules, but Mason was determined to mock wherever he could.
The brothers dropped their backpacks into the center of the room and continued their rummaging. It was evident nothing I said would change their minds about staying here, and with the weather only intensifying, it didn’t make sense to keep trekking to the cave. Dropping my pack with theirs, I realized this was a case of if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
~
It took a while to get the fire started. The wood that had been chopped however long ago was slightly damp, and wouldn’t catch straightaway. But the boys weren’t deterred and soon we had the fireplace burning at full force. We all fell into our own duties, having silently proclaimed the cabin as ours. While the brothers bantered back and forth about the fire, I set about dusting the furniture and sweeping the floors. Stripping the sheets off the mattress, I spread out a folded blanket I’d found in the cupboard that had mostly avoided the dust and layered our sleeping bags over the top. After a good hour and a half, the three of us stood back and observed our completely transformed cabin with pride.
“This could be the start of something great!” Mason smiled.
“A home away from home.”
Instead of adding my own sentiments, I turned and watched the brothers closely. My heart broke for them both. I could understand why finding this place had felt like striking gold. It would be the same for anyone whose home life had entered into as much turmoil as theirs had.
Chapter 10
We were all ravenous.
The day’s journey, plus our efforts in getting the cabin prepared, had left us hungry for more than what we’d brought. Four empty spaghetti cans sat on the counter, and half a loaf of bread remained.
“That was delicious,” Lucas smiled while scraping the leftover sauce from the plate with another slice of bread.
“Far from delicious. We were all so hungry I don’t think it would have mattered what we ate,” I said.
“What’s for dessert?” Mason asked, leaning against the sofa and stretching his long legs in front.
“We have my mom’s leftover peach sponge, and there’s a bag of—”
Thud.
Our eyes darted to the door where a quick, yet dull thump sounded. Having received quite the fright, we jumped over the scattered plates and sat facing the front of the cabin. With hearts pounding, and still with the fear of knowing we were trespassing, we watched through the windows for any sign of movement.
“What was—”
Thud
“Arghh!” We all screamed again, as yet another noise, identical to the previous one sounded against the door.
“Wh… what is it?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“I don’t know,” Lucas admitted, somewhat calmer than me. He placed a comforting hand on my arm to ease the shaking.