Chapter 5 The Cabin in the Woods

Charlie's car moved along the windy path that led to the outskirts of Evermore, her headlights cutting through the dense forest like a knife through fog. The air was thick with the smell of pine, and the only sound was the crunch of gravel under her tires. As she neared the cabin, her heart beat faster. Every instinct screamed for her to turn back, but she didn't. She just couldn't bring herself to.

The cabin stood, just as it appeared in the photo. Weathered wood, with vines creeping up its sides, and a roof that looked like it might collapse at any moment. It was as if time had forgotten this place.

She parked her car and stepped out, the gravel beneath her boots made sounds not suitable for that time. A cold breeze stirred the branches of the trees above her. The cabin loomed in front of her, a dark silhouette against the fading twilight.

With one last breath, Charlie walked toward it, now than ever before, the photograph heavy in her hand. The door creaked as she pushed it open, the old wood groaning under her touch. Inside, the air was thick with dust, and the smell of rot was all over the air.

The dim light from the fading sun barely had its way through the grimy windows. Charlie's eyes scanned the interior, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The floorboards creaked beneath her, but she didn't stop.

It didn't take long for her to find them. Symbols-carved deep into the walls, ancient and jagged. They matched the drawings she had seen in Elias's journal. Celestial patterns, dark rituals. The same symbols that had been referenced but never explained.

Her fingers traced the marks, feeling the cold wood beneath her touch. Each symbol felt like a warning, a message from someone who had come before her. And then she saw it-a door, half hidden behind a rotting bookcase. It was old, the wood splintering and warped.

She moved towards it and pulled the door open. It creaked loudly, and a gust of cold air escaped from the crack. She hesitated for a moment before stepping inside.

The room below was even darker, but as her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she could see what laid hidden in the shadows. There were candles-dozens of them-arranged in a circle and on the floor. The walls were lined with shelves, cluttered with books, strange artifacts, and things she couldn't even begin to identify. And then there were the photographs.

She picked one up from the dusty floor. The image was old, the edges yellowed with time. And there, in the center, was a face she knew too well.

Emily Carter. Elias's sister. The girl who had disappeared ten years ago.

The realization hit Charlie like a punch to the stomach. These weren't just random pictures-these were photographs of the missing people. And they were all connected to this place.

She dropped the photo as her mind began to race. Was this what Elias had been hiding? What his sister had stumbled upon before she vanished? And why hadn't anyone ever talked about it yet?

Her hands trembled as she moved further into the room, scanning the shelves, the floor, the walls. There was a sense of desperation in the air, like whoever had been here before her had left in a hurry, as though they'd been chased out.

Suddenly, a noise upstairs broke her concentration. A creak of wood, then a faint shuffle.

Charlie froze.

Someone was definitely here.

She stood motionless, listening to the sounds above her. The shuffle grew louder, closer. She could feel her pulse in her ears, the air was thick with tension. She hadn't expected anyone to be here-not this late at night, and not after all these years. But someone was.

Was it Elias? Or someone else?

Her mind raced. She needed to get out of the room, out of the cabin. But now her feet felt like they were glued to the floor. The sound above continued, slow and deliberate, as if the person knew she was down there.

Charlie grabbed the nearest thing she could-an old iron candleholder-and held it tightly in her hand. She didn't know who was upstairs, or what their intentions were, but she wasn't going to allow herself to be caught off guard.

She turned toward the narrow staircase that led back up to the main floor. The noise had stopped, but the sense of being watched grew stronger.

Slowly, Charlie ascended the stairs, each step creaking under her weight. Her breath was shallow, her body tense, every muscle ready to spring into action. The cabin felt alive, as though the walls themselves were watching her.

As she reached the top, she paused, waiting for any movement. Nothing. The cabin was silent again, except for the wind rustling outside.

But Charlie knew she wasn't alone.