Unfamiliar

I slid my phone into its holder, jutting out of the center console as my car’s engine hummed to
life. Nerves buzzed at the periphery of my consciousness like some distant swarm. I sucked in a breath, willing my mind to quiet, before opening my messages to send another text.
I tapped the most recent conversation, swallowing hard as I looked at the string of messages I’d sent before, all unanswered, before punching in another.
‘Hey B, I’m heading out rn, you otw?’
I fought the urge to call, hands gripping the steering wheel tight as I backed out of my driveway,
and began following the GPS instructions towards the cabin.
I glanced at the ETA, it would be a little over two hours to get there, driving from my family’s
house in Evanston, Illinois to the cabin we’d rented near Matthiessen State Park all the way in
Oglesby. The trip was rocky before it had even begun, with two of the four who’d planned out the
weekend getaway having to cancel for various reasons.
As I made my way out of my neighborhood, and onto the main road, I couldn’t help but worry
that Beatriz’s relative radio silence was a sign that yet another kink had entered our plans, and
that I might be alone for the weekend, hours away from home.
After how that night would unfold, I can only imagine that was the best-case scenario.
The drive out of the city was an uneventful one. Though I usually found the trek out of the
exurbs of the city and through the rolling fields and farmland of central Illinois a calming one, a
time that allows my mind to wander and dwell on things that daily life hardly left the space for,
this time I found the drive to be an anxious one.
My eyes fell on my phone once every few minutes, hoping to find a confirmation of Beatriz’
approach that never came.
With every glance, the pit in my gut grew deeper, and by the time I was pulling up to the location
in my GPS, I was all but certain I would be spending the weekend alone. As I passed the sign
welcoming me to Oglesby, marking the final leg of my journey, I’d all but accepted that this
would be a solo trip.
“So be it, Jenn, I guess it’s a weekend retreat for one at a discount,” I chirped aloud, trying to stir
up some measure of optimism.
“Thanks guys.” I couldn’t help but let some of the irritated sarcasm seep into my voice.
I resolved to stop peeking at my phone for anything but the GPS for the rest of the drive and
made my way on to the sounds of one of my favorite local band’s latest album.
The vast open farmland interspersed with truck stops and off-ramps to sleepy little towns soon
gave way to dense tree cover, the view quickly going from farm to forest.
As the GPS led me to a small, sparsely populated neighborhood within the forest-covered
outskirts of one of the towns near the state park, the ETA reading three minutes I began to truly
consider the prospect of a weekend alone here.
I moved slowly down the winding road, lined with trees and thick brush, through which only the
odd house was visible at the ends gravel driveways.
“Christ, Justine has me out here in the fucking sticks.” I spoke under my breath, as if worried
one of the locals might hear me through my car, peering like a nervous tourist out my windows,
as I searched for the house we’d rented.
My eyes snapped forward, a flash of motion from the brush in front of me caught my attention
just in time to feel my heart plummeting. I slammed the breaks, making the vehicle squeal in
protest and sending my body jerking forward. My head nearly collided with the steering wheel as
something flew forth from the woods to the right of the road, darting into the forest opposite.
I caught only the tail end, legs bent and covered in a matted brown fur that I imagined must
belong to a deer or something like it.
I huffed in a breath, my heart pounding almost painfully, and tried to gather my faculties as the
sudden burst of adrenaline faded.
As I did so, a sour, coppery sort of scent began to drift on the air, an awful sort of reek that
made my face screw and stomach turn. Despite my still racing heart, I continued forward, the
smell far too overpowering to remain in place.
As I continued forth on the final minute of my drive, I felt the air of optimism I’d tried to maintain
waver, as the strange, putrid scent slowly faded from the air.
“*Truly, a lovely start to my weekend.”*
The sun was dipping low beneath the treeline, painting the sky a watercolor canvas of oranges
and blues, a sight I couldn’t help but feel a bit of wonder at. For all that had happened, the sight
of that Illinois sky in dusk reminded me just why I was coming out here, getting out into nature
and away from the city.
As I rounded another bend in the road, at the end of a long, gravel driveway, dotted with spots of
grass and other stubborn greenery growing through it as though it hadn’t been adequately
maintained for a while – the house came into view.
Any sense of relief I felt at finally arriving at the end of my journey, was tainted by the immediate
irritation I felt as I got a look at my abode for the weekend. Just to be sure I’d arrived at the right
location, I opened my phone and found the reservation I’d been sent. It was the house alright,
except the house in picture looked about a decade newer, driveway spick and span, wood
almost gleaming with a new finish, whereas now?
Now it appeared all but forgotten. The wooden sign on the house that read out the number of
the address hung lopsided haphazardly over the door, the roof was missing more than a few
shingles, and the exterior walls as well as the porch were all chipped and covered in a thick
sheet of dust, dirt, and leaves.
I had half a mind to turn back at that moment. Inconvenience after inconvenience had tipped me
past the point of patience, and the last thing I could imagine wanting to do was spend a week
alone in a dump.
Yet as I sat with my thoughts, confronting the idea of another several hours on the
exhaustion-inducing, farm-lined roads, I determined to at least see the inside before I made a
decision.
I grabbed my phone, swiping through the messages once more to no avail, before stepping out
the car, hauling my bag out with the other arm.
A chill tingled beneath my skin as I stepped into the cool fall air, a gust sending leaves
scattering past.
I made my way to the door, pushing open the top of the light fixture as advised in our
reservation, reaching inside.
I stifled a yelp as I felt cobwebs breaking beneath my hand as I felt for, and eventually found the
key, quickly drawing it back and wiping my hand across my pants.
The key clicked in the door, and I pushed inside.
My eyes widened, and I almost dropped my bag in shock as I took in the interior. It was…nice. A
far cry from the exterior, the living room I stepped into was every bit the homey cabin vibe I had
hoped.
I stepped inside, suddenly feeling the excitement of before rekindled as I hurried about the
house. The kitchen was just as impressive, decorated in a cute floral wallpaper that spoke of an
older taste, and were adorned with the pictures of an elderly couple who I assumed must own
the home, confirming the theory.
I made my way to the master bedroom, placing my bag on the bed after taking a glance at the
other two, settling on the biggest. Pulling out my phone, I was ready to record a video to send to
my friends, rubbing it in a bit for their flakiness when I saw the notification for a text. Seeing
Beatriz’ name, I hurried to open it, fully expecting an apology for leaving me alone this week.
I felt a surge of excitement as I read the message. It had come ten minutes before, a little after
I’d arrived while I’d been taking stock of the house.
*Hey, sorry, overslept like a mf. I’m getting ready and I’ll be on my way in ten, should be there
around 9ish, traffic sucks rn.*
I nearly leapt in celebration, the fact that I wouldn’t have to confront the next few nights alone
immediately making the prospect of the weekend ahead all the more exciting. A glance at the
time told me it was 5:54.
I quickly sent my reply, including a brief description of the house as if to sweeten the deal and
ensure no last minute backing out, and before long, I had settled into the bed in the master
bedroom, as music playing from my phone on the end table beside the bed.
At some point the exhaustion of the drive took its toll, lulling me into a deep sleep.
I awoke in confusion hours later, to a room pitch black, the air thick heavy with an awful scent.
My heart began to race as my eyes scanned the heavy darkness, struggling to use what little
light came in through the window to orient myself.
It was open, just a few inches but enough so that the room had taken the same biting chill of the
air outside. In my sleep-dazed mind the temperature was all I noticed at first, hardly stopping to
think just why it was open..
A digital clock glared at me in the darkness from the shelf across from the bed, its red glow
offering little more than the ability to read it.
*12:42.*
*I overslept.* It was the first thought my bleary mind conjured, a vague sense of panic forming.
*Krrrrk.*
The sound of groaning wood from weight against a floorboard rang out amidst the blackness.
My every hair stood on end, skin prickling as sudden panic bubbled in my gut. I scanned the
darkness desperately, searching for what made the noise, fully expecting to find some masked
maniac standing overhead.
As my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of the shape of someone in the doorway, and for a moment,
I felt a scream rising in my throat.
It was only as I began to realize that my potential attacker was 5’3, and rather familiar, that I felt
comfortable reaching for the bedside lamp, flicking it on. As the person came into view, I felt
both a surge of relief and irritation, as well as a faint, but pounding ache in my head.
“Beatriz, what the *hell*?”
She stood just past the doorway, her hair hanging at either side, errant leaves and streaks of dirt
visible on her clothing. My vision seemed to swim with an odd, surreal sort of effect, the light
around her appearing streaky and hazy for a moment.
“You…okay?” I asked, trying to rub the latent effects of sleep from my eyes.
My words seemed to shake her free of whatever spell she was under, her head rising, eyes
locking on mine with a hazy gleam of recognition and something else unfamiliar.
She sighed, shuddering for a moment as if caught by some breeze only she could feel, before
nodding slowly.
“I’m…okay.” She moved her jaw, for a moment, as if it was injured and required some practice
before proper use, before stepping into the room.
I sat up fully, the final wisps of sleep dissipating from amidst my thoughts, as Beatriz made her
way into the light of the room.
My eyes shot open wide as I got a good look at the state of her. I sprang up from bed.
“Oh my god, what the fuck happened?!”
Her clothes were tattered, the brown sweater she was wearing was ripped in several places,
with leaves knotting themselves into the material, and dirt smeared in several places.
The tights she wore were hardly in better condition, even her skin bore cuts and scratches, and
all the signs of some violent incident. It was as though she’d run a country mile through the
woods.
She looked down at herself as if my question had reminded her of something, the look in her
eyes still…hazy and unrecognizable as she did so.
In an instance, any semblance of fear I’d felt before was gone, replaced only by concern and
worry for my friend. I made my way over to her, crossing the room without a thought, raising my
hand to her face.
As my hand met her skin, I felt a chill rippled down my back. Her cheek was *icy* cold, as if
she’d been out in the frigid night for so long her very flesh and blood had frozen, and I drew my
hand away instinctively.
“Jesus Christ, you’re freezing!”
I hurried to the side of the bed, snatching off the comforter, and throwing it around her in an
instant. I tried to usher her forward, towards the bed, and for a moment she stood firm, her body
so stiff it seemed impossible to move, before she relented, trudging forward with me.
“Do I need to call an ambulance?” I started, as I got her settled on the bed.
She shook her head, staring up at me, a look in her eyes I couldn’t begin to understand and
yet,, made me feel somehow deeply uneasy. That distant pounding in my head swelled steadily,
the faint thud now an aching drumbeat.
“What – what happened?”
She watched me for a moment longer, and I felt a cold chill prickle at the back of my neck as I
waited for a response. The wind picked up outside, making the house groan under its weight.
My stomach twisted, for reasons I couldn’t understand as I waited in silence for her to speak.
After seconds that seemed to stretch into uneasy minutes, she spoke, voice hoarse at first.
“I’m – okay. My car broke down. Just down the road. Had to walk.”
She sounded…odd. Like she was reciting a practiced line.
My eyes widened at that.
“You – walked here? From – where? Chrissake, B, why wouldn’t you just call me?”
I sat beside her, almost recoiling as our skin met, her’s cold and clammy.
As I did so, I began to realize that the stench, that acrid smell like burning rubber, seemed to roll
off of her. It was so strong, too strong and too…metallic to be made by her body surely, and I
assumed it must be from whatever happened to her car.
Still, it felt wrong in a way I couldn’t quite peg, a smell like an electrical fire seeming to pour forth
from her with no reasonable source.
“My phone – it’s dead. I left it in the car. It’s okay. It’s fine.”
She smiled, a quick, unfriendly twitch of an expression, though something in her eyes didn’t
quite match.
Her eyes appeared…glassy almost, focused but unfamiliar twin pools of oil, beneath which
something else seemed to linger just below the surface. There was something odd, I couldn’t
quite put to words about her face, as though there were things in plain sight I was missing.
The harder I tried to make sense of it though, the more my head began to pound, until the pain
was splitting, and I tried no longer.
I felt unsure of what to do. Like I was watching a movie I’d started halfway through, I knew
something was going on, but couldn’t tell what.
For what she was telling me she seemed far too…calm, which contrasted with her bedraggled
appearance only served to make me feel uneasy.
“How did you get in?” I asked, rising as a chill rippled through me on an errant breeze that came
through the window.
I made my way around the bed and over to the window, pulling it shut with much exertion as the
old wood seemed to fight against me.
“The door. It was unlocked.”
That puzzled me. I quickly tried to rack my brain to remember if, on arrival, I had indeed
forgotten to lock the front door. I could find no certain answer, as my mind began
second-guessing what fragmented memory I might have of doing so, and with little reason to be
disbelieving, I accepted.
“Well shit,” I breathed, exhaling as if to relieve the mental pressure that the night, and her story
seemed to convey.
I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, there was something *off*. It was like the feeling when you’re
in a dream and can tell something is wrong but not exactly *what*. I wondered if perhaps it was
the lingering sleep still clouding my mind with its faint haze and putting me on edge.
A part of me wanted to press further, but for what, I wasn’t sure, and it was clear to me that
Beatriz probably needed a shower and some sleep. With that thought, I realized I was still
exhausted, the initial shock of Beatriz’ appearance all but fully faded, the waning adrenaline
leaving weariness in its place.
“Well if you’re sure you’re okay then, I can show you to the guest bedrooms, and the bathroom.”
I finally spoke after a moment.
“The one down the hall is the nicest of the three.”
I stood from the bed, making my way to the door and waiting for her to follow. She watched me,
eyes following me to the doorway as I did so. I turned, reaching into the hallway and feeling
around until I felt the lightswitch, flicking it on and abating the thick darkness that filled the hall.
“Do you -” I sucked in a breath, jumped back, and collided into the wall with one motion.
Beatriz stood behind me, watching with those eyes that seemed so…empty. I hadn’t even heard
her get up, despite both the creakiness of the old bed and floorboards, nothing. To my mind, it
was like she’d practically teleported.
“You scared me, girl,” I breathed, feeling the faint nausea left in place of a sudden shock, as I
gripped my chest.
“Sorry,” she sighed, her breath seemed to crackle and hiss with the speech, “I’m right behind
you.”
I nodded, turning to lead her to the other rooms, but in doing so, I couldn’t ignore the hair
standing up on my back now, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with my friend behind me.
I didn’t know what had happened to her, and only had a suspicion she wasn’t telling me
something, but her behavior so far had been just…*odd* all around.
I figured perhaps it was an effect of being out in the sticks, surrounded by dark woods and the
croaks and cries of nature, causing me to be paranoid. I tried to ignore the feeling, though there
was no way to fully shake it.
Besides, my head was pounding at this point. I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that it was playing
some part in how…weird everything felt. I made a mental note to seek out a doctor in the
morning if it hadn’t returned to normal.
I led her to the largest of the available rooms, clicking on the light and standing by the doorway,
waiting for her to look around.
She shuffled over beside me, peering into the room with that same look of disinterest, before
nodding slowly.
“That works.” A smile spread over her lips. There was no warmth in the expression. It was cold,
unloving, the sort that made me feel as if there were some joke I wasn’t in on.
*There’s something there…something you’re missing.* I couldn’t help the thought, growing all
the more present as her smile sent chills through me, I couldn’t shake the odd feeling that I was
missing something in plain sight.
I grit my teeth unconsciously, her response only serving to aggravate my unease.
Nausea made steady tumbles in my gut, as did that smell…like burning plastic in an electrical
fire seemed to pour forth from her.
“Cool, do you wanna get your stuff, or check out the bathroom or…?” I trailed off, waiting for her
to say anything more than a single sentence.
I could hear the wind picking up outside.
It carried through the cracks in the windows, and spaces between doors with a ghostly hum,
making the house creak in protest under its weight and the hair along my arms raise.
“No stuff,” She said, eyes never shifting as they remained locked on mine, stern and hard.
“It’s in the car. Just around the corner.”
Her head nodded to one side as if to indicate where her vehicle waited.
The corners of her lips twitched as though some secret joke had mustered the ghost of a smile,
and her eyes widened slightly.
Silence followed, her words seemed to hang there between the two of us.
The wind continued its baleful howl outside, making phantom whistles as it made its way
through the house, while the air seemed to crackle with a surreal, dream-like sort of static.
Despite having almost five inches in height on her, and being in a bit better shape due to my
more recent history of athletics, it felt as though she towered over me.
Her gaze felt alien and hostile, and there was something more I couldn’t put my finger on,
something to do with the almost mask-like stillness of her face that made my stomach turn. It felt
as though she were waiting for something.
“Do you want me to drive you to your car?” I asked, feeling less than certain myself as I made
the offer.
That brought a smile to her face. I regretted the words as quickly as I’d spoken them.
From the moment I’d met B, way back in highschool, one thing that had always stood out was
her smile. It was the toothy sort of grin that filled her whole face, and couldn’t help but spread to
others.
This was something different, it felt less like an expression of joy and every bit like a predator
baring its fangs. Her teeth seemed…strange, in a way I couldn’t quite make sense of. It was as
though they were too big for her mouth but just barely so.
I tried to keep the unease from my expression, though I’m uncertain how effective it was, as my
gaze ran across her face. It wasn’t just her expressions, or smile, the longer I looked the more
details seemed to emerge that were almost…but not quite right, in such a way as to feel
disturbingly uncanny.
‘You’re exhausted,’ the skeptical, rational side of my mind called out, ‘Your brain is still
half-asleep, and you’re seeing things.’
I could think of no other alternative that could be based in reality, and didn’t leave me facing
illogical and deeply *disquieting* conclusions.
*‘Forget reality, for a second. This all feels* *wrong**.’* My mind continued its silent tug of war,
when she spoke.
I felt a steady sleet form in my veins, as she spoke, and for a moment I could almost swear
there was something…*else* in her voice. Another, barely above a hiss, but menacing in a way I
had never felt before.
“*I would…*a – ppreciate that, my friend,”
It was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving my stomach in knots, and me to wonder if it
hadn’t been yet another strange effect of my mind.
I nodded slowly.
‘*You’re going to rationalize yourself to* *death* *tonight,*’ a part of my mind echoed.
‘*She’s your best friend. Because she’s acting weird as fuck, what, she’s possessed? This is
real life, not a movie.*’
Rationality made its rebuttal.
I just wished I felt more convinced.
It was Beatriz of course. There was no doubt I was looking upon the face of my friend, no matter
how many *disconcerting* little…details there appeared to be. So *why* did it feel so much like I
was looking upon someone, or something malevolent and unfamiliar?
The thought of being isolated in a car with her, so close and inescapable, made my throat run
dry and my heart thud uneasily. No matter how hard I tried to explain away the surreal eeriness
of the night, it seemed to hold me firm in its grip, claws sinking in at any attempt to escape.
I could feel her eyes burning holes through me, that unloving smile frozen in place, and felt
compelled to break the silence.
“Well, take your time to clean up then,” I said, no longer waiting for her to make a choice and
offering my own.
I needed her away for me for some time, just long enough to leave me with my thoughts and
decipher just what was going on, and why one of my best friends was making me feel so deeply
*unsafe*.
Her head cocked to the side, eyes narrowing for a moment, in an expression oddly reminiscent
of some prowling wolf, mild interest cut with something all too similar to malevolence.
After a moment, she nodded, and after a few more I realized she was waiting for me to lead her
there.
I stepped past her, moving towards the bathroom and flicking on the light, ushering her in with a
smile that hung uneasily.
She stepped into the bathroom, moving past me, and as she did the cold that seemed to waft off
of her leaving goosebumps along my skin. That awful, burnt rubber smell hung heavy in her
hair.
I pulled the door shut behind her with a nod and a feigned smile. She watched me over her
shoulder, eyes seeming to burn holes into me even through the mirror, never so much as
wavering from my face until the door finally closed.
I waited until I heard the squeal of the faucet and rush of the water, before I felt comfortable
letting myself relax a bit.
I sighed, feeling an immense relief having her gaze off of me, as though some unseen valve had
been opened, allowing all the pressure in the room to seep out.
*What in the hell has gotten into her?* Finally alone, it seemed to hit me all at once how utterly
unusual the entire night had been, surreal and dreamlike, like waking up halfway through a
nightmare, and I found myself searching for answers. The possibilities felt endless, though none
seemed right.
I considered that maybe it was drugs, but for as long as I’d known B, she was straight as an
arrow when it came to any sort of substance, and I couldn’t see that having changed in a day or
two.
Perhaps I was still asleep. It would explain the strangeness of it all, and that unshakable
feeling…like the air buzzing with a surreal, otherworldly sort of energy all too familiar in dreams
and nightmares. But no, even that felt wrong. It was much too detailed, too vivid, I was surely
awake.
I grabbed my keys from atop the night stand, head spinning.
Then *what?*
*I’m missing something.* That thought again, I couldn’t shake it.
*Something happened, something’s wrong here and I’m just…missing it*.
As if an answer from the universe, I heard an angry buzz from down the hall, coming from my
room. It took only a moment to realize it was my cell phone, vibrating against the table by the
bed. The alert for a text.
My heart leapt, hoping for a moment that one of my friends was texting to tell me they were on
their way, and I wouldn’t be left to figure this all out alone for long. As I made my way into the
room, hurrying to the desk before the buzzing could cease, I couldn’t shake the anticipation
doing somersaults in my gut.
As I saw the name, there in white across a black background, floating above the green and red
call symbols, anticipation gave way to confusion. My head pounded now, a sharp splitting pain.
And confusion, to a cold, awful dread.
“I’m ready.”
I nearly jumped from my skin, stomach doing a full 360 as I heard Beatriz’ voice from just behind
me.
Spinning to face her, I clicked the power button, silencing the call and holding the phone behind
my back. Silently, I prayed to any god listening that she hadn’t seen the screen, heart thudding,
each pound sending rippling nausea through my gut.
“Okay,” I said, wanting to cringe at the far too artificial cheer in my tone.
“I’m uh, just gonna use the bathroom.”
She didn’t respond, and the thud of my heart grew painful in the following seconds as she
remained in place, not once budging from the doorway.
Her eyes…squinted and seemingly stared through me scanning my face like some silent
interrogation, had they always been so…odd. The color in their irises was a startling amber,
almost yellow, the pupils long and thin and beady.
My head throbbed, the ever-present ache now something with teeth and claws as it dug into the
soft flesh around it. Again that feeling, as though I was staring at a painting and only seeing half
the picture. Her face…it seemed to shudder.
Before long more details became apparent, and it seemed the longer I looked the less like
Beatriz she appeared. Her teeth…had they always ended in such unusual points? I was certain
they hadn’t looked like that earlier, a mouthful of little daggers flecked in drool.
“Okay,” she spoke, in a voice that sounded more like a hiss.
My heart was in my throat as I tip-toed past her, never once taking my eyes of hers, suddenly
predatory and cat-like, until I was in the hall and hurried to the bathroom.
I pressed my back to the door as it shut behind me, clicking the lock as the panic allowed itself
to finally pour over in the form of gasping breaths and an unending tremor. It was too much, I felt
like I was trapped in a nightmare or some horror movie, invisible cameras following and unheard
music ramping up in anticipation of an awful climax.
I peered through the window opposite me, a few feet above the toilet, finding only darkness to
greet me. I flipped open the toilet seat with my foot, making an intentional racket as I did so
before quickly opening my phone.
“Please, please please,” I muttered, not sure who I was pleading to that somehow, I’d seen
wrong in the moments before she’d returned, somehow I had misread the name on my screen.
My heart fell, as I only found the confirmation I’d expected.
*Missed call from Beatriz*, followed by two missed texts, and a voicemail.
It took a moment for me to open the message with the tremor in my hand, but when I did, I could
feel dread running its skeletal hands along my back, raising gooseflesh in its wake.
“*Hey, Jenn. Don’t hate me please, but I can’t make it this weekend, I’m soooorry. My
grandmother is sick and the family is running out to Indy to be with her*. *I absolutely owe you
one.* *Hope you’re not mad, try to enjoy yourself -’”* the rest of the message faded as the
phone fell away from my face, a voice I knew to be none other than Beatriz’ speaking on the
other end.
It had been left hours ago. Her most recent text was inquiring on whether or not I’d settled in,
and I didn’t respond.
The words in her voicemail seemed to echo in my head.
I stared forward, dark conclusions emerging to the forefront of my mind, that I realized had been
lingering there for quite a while.
*She’s not here. Beatriz isn’t here.*
The faint tremors present since I’d entered the bathroom rose to a seismic shake as the thought
rang out in my head, and as if in response, I could hear the faint creak of a floorboard from just
outside the bathroom.
*Then what who…what is that?*
A sound – raspy, gasping breath, wet and labored grew audible just on the opposite side and
made my skin crawl like insects had burrowed beneath it.
*Crrkk. Crrkkk. Crrkkkk.*
Three long hisses, one after the other, something sharp against wood. It took me only a moment
to come to the realization that she – it…whatever was on the opposite side, was *scratching* at
the door.
“*I’m ready t – to go.*” I shuddered as she – it spoke, the voice was deep, uneven and inhuman,
like a recording of Beatriz made awful and distorted, yet somehow it affected a sing-song pitch.
The scratching grew louder, more feverish, as though there were some clawed animal on the
other side desperate to gain entry.
The door shook slightly, as the clawing slowly devolved into a scratching thud against it, making
the surrounding walls shake. Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground, an odd idea emerging.
The tile of the floor sent chills through my legs, as I pressed myself to the floor. Opening the
camera on my phone, I struggled for a moment to focus it beneath the crack in the door. I
wanted to see what was out there, though I was disturbingly aware it would not be my friend.
For a few seconds the screen remained a blur, the camera adjusting to whatever lay on the
opposite end, appearing as just smeared light and shadow. As it began to shift, I could make out
the feet and legs of the thing on the opposite end.
Its feet were more like clawed hooves, ending in gnarled digits, and most disturbingly they
appeared twisted as though from below its knees everything had turned 180 degrees.
I felt my head spinning as though I were falling, every horrific assumption I’d made feeling
somehow lackluster.
The breath caught in my throat, my thumb shook.
*Be – beep.*
The chirp of my phone, followed by a flash as my thumb hit the camera button.
For a moment, maybe half a second, there was nothing but icy fear and the feeling of my heart
in my throat, and it seemed as though the world fell still.
Then the camera filled, a blur of red and black and terrible gold, and when it adjusted I was
staring into a nightmare. The thing on the opposite end of the door let out an awful, shrieking
cackle, its ruinous face filling my screen.
Skin hung in tatters from a massive fleshy face gleaming with slick blood and other fluids, like
some swollen, flayed corpse. At the center, those two cats’ eyes gleamed with hunger, humor,
and awful intent.
I stumbled back scurrying across the floor, and just barely moving away in time to avoid the
grasping fingers that shot beneath the door, long and gnarled and ended in obsidian claws.
Its laughter filled the air, somehow the sound of many discordant voices cackling and hollering
and shrieking all at once. The door shook violently, the wood giving an awful, ominous *crack.*
“*Jennny, Jennnny, let me in Jenny..”* It howled in that inhumane voice, somehow making my
name feel like an insult. The door gave a great thud between each word.
I could almost see it in my mind’s eye, colliding its head against the door, harder and harder,
that awful smile growing wider as it grew closer to me.
I knew I had minutes, maybe less before it got in. I opened the phone to call the police, then
remembered the drive out here, feeling a deep sinking feeling. I hadn’t seen a police department
anywhere along my drive, and I couldn’t imagine any could be here soon.
No, I had to do something.
I scanned the bathroom, my eyes falling on the window. My hand practically flew to my pocket,
my heart surging as I felt my keys.
I flicked on the water, in a vain attempt to hide the sound of what I was going to do, as I grabbed
ahold of the towel rack, gritted my teeth and pulled as hard as I could muster. It slid from the
wall with surprising ease, and I had to stumble to avoid falling flat on my back. I felt a shock of
pain in my ankle, and tears shooting to my eyes. I had no time to think about it. I pulled myself
onto the toilet, balancing on my good leg. Shutting my eyes tight, I reeled the towel rack
backwards, and sent it careening into the window. It cracked on the first try, a spiderweb pattern
splaying out across its surface.
As if in response, the things horrid laughter descended into something more animalistic, a
howling shriek like some supernatural predator.
The door shook harder than ever before, sending a shower of splinters across the bathroom as
a long crack appeared down its center. I could see it on the other side.
I felt chills run along my body, my stomach tightening like a fist at the sound I couldn’t even
conceive of in a nightmare, but I couldn’t stop.
I pulled back, gritting my teeth and shutting my eyes, and –
*CRASH*
The window exploded outward in a shower of glass. I knocked away the largest of the jagged
edges lining the frame, as another slam, followed by yet another spray of wood spurred me
forth. It would have to do.
I pulled my arms through, using them to reach out against either side of the cold brick of the
house. I could feel the glass digging then, tearing long cuts through my skin with every
movement, gritting my teeth and muttering a silent curse as I pulled myself through headlong. It
dug into my sides, the angle made it difficult to pull myself through without coming away with a
half an inch of glass in my hip.
I had to pause to try and adjust my position, peering down and doing what I could to knock the
offending shard loose without stabbing myself.
It was then that I heard a sound from within that sent me into a frantic panic, a strange mix of
the booming crack of the door giving way, and an awful, angry shriek from the thing pretending
to be Beatriz.
I felt warm blood pooling in my shirt as I forced myself forward with a kick, digging my fingers
into the concrete as I fell forward.
The earth sped forward to meet me, and my hands did what they could to shield my fall but –
My leg screamed out with a blinding pain, and I found myself doing the same, as I felt a hand
close around the ankle, its grip like iron and steel.
I twisted my head, peering through the tears flooding my eyes at my captor. It shrieked and
hissed at me somehow at once, that swollen, macabre parody of a face baring its dozens of
fanged teeth in an expression that could only mean fury.
It began to tug with surprising strength, pulling my leg halfway through the window and breaking
off the chunk of glass in my thigh. I could hardly hear my own screams through the ringing in my
head.
*It’s going to kill me. I’m going to die here.*
Blood and snot ran down my face as I tried to find some purchase, something to grip and pull
myself free as I dangled uselessly against the wall, every second more of my body sliding back
within the house.
I had only seconds at most, before I was inside again, and I knew at that point any chance of
escape was gone.
I set my jaw, its iron grip making my leg shriek in a pain so explosive my insides turned to liquid.
I reeled back, the motion only worsening the pain, and with all I could muster planted a furious
kick at the center of its face.
The reaction was immediate, as I felt something give way beneath my foot and heard an awful
*crack*. Seconds later I collided with the ground. The creature reeled away with a shriek,
gripping its pumpkin-like face as dark blood spurted forth.
For a moment, it moved its hand, seeming to inspect the wound I’d left, a massive gash splitting
it where a nose had once been, revealing what looked to me like dozens, maybe hundreds of
interwoven tendrils, like so many worms in orgiastic movement. The rage I saw in its eyes
reminded me I had no time to wait. I stumbled forth, doing my best to keep my bad leg stiff
beneath me, unwilling to trip and die like in some cliche horror movie death.
It wailed from the window behind me, a sound like nothing I’ve ever heard, or will ever forget. I
didn’t look back, my hands finding the keys in my pockets and clicking the lock button, the glow
of my car’s headlights feeling like salvation.
I heard a crash, the final few chunks of glass surely, and I knew I had seconds. I limped around
the hood of the car, pulling open the driver side door, and glancing up to see it only a few yards
away, and gaining fast.
I shrieked out, unable to help myself before jumping headlong into the car, quickly pulling the
door shut behind me. The car shook as it jumped atop the hood. With the gash my kick had left,
it appeared somehow even more inhuman than before, the face beneath its face a shifting,
gurgling mass of teeth and flesh.
It hissed, spraying gray-black bile across the window. My hand hurried to the lock button, before
I pushed the key into the ignition. My ankle screamed out in protest as I attempted to push the
gas, forcing me to use my off leg. The car jerked back with a screech, but the creature held firm.
My eyes met the thing in the window, its own glistening with such hatred like I’ve never seen.
Slowly it leaned in close, until its breath left fog on the window, and spoke, with a voice like
Beatriz, and mine, and a dozen others.
“*I’ll see – you again.*”
With that, it was gone, disappearing in a flash off into the surrounding woods. Panic, terror, and
all of the awful things seemed to coarse through me. My stomach threatened vomit, and my
body tremored with unspent energy, but it didn’t matter. I pulled out of that gravel driveway, and
drove.
Drove out of that neighborhood, away from that town, and all the way home, not stopping until I
was in front of my house, and only then breaking down.
At some point I found my way into my house, and into bed, where I collapsed, and felt as though
I slept for years.
I never did tell my friends, or anyone for that matter, what happened that weekend. Who would
believe me? Truth be told, I want to forget, and I’m hoping finally writing this all out will help.
I’ve done the best I can on my own, but even weeks later, I find my mind running away with me.
I saw Beatriz last week. On my way back from physical therapy for my leg. She was exiting the
forest preserve a few blocks away from my house, an early morning jog or something I’m sure,
and though it was only in passing, I could swear she saw me. She saw me and smiled.
She insists I’m mistaken, that she was in class around the time I saw her. Maybe I am, who
knows anymore. All I know is my cabin trip days are behind me.
And I’ve learned that no matter how right something looks, trust your gut. There are things that
will smile at you with a friend’s face, that mean you only harm.