The Girl In The Cabin

Chapter Three: Late-Night Visit

The three strange calls I received may have been scary, but they were ultimately harmless. The three bangs on the door, however...those are another matter. A prick of fear paralyzes me as I remember I'm completely alone out here. I stand in silence as the rain pelts the cabin walls. Am I imagining things? First, there was the music box, then the laughing, now this. I take a deep breath. You're used to strange, Stacey. You're used to weird, spooky things. Three more bangs against the door solidifies my imminent dander. But even Agoth couldn't have gotten in here by himself. My voice almost hides in itself, leaving me speechless. I wish I could see who's out there, but the cabin's old, and there's no peephole in the door. Slowly, I step up to the door and clear my throat. "Who is it?" I hear a muffled voice on the other side of the door say, "It's me, Wally. From the grocery store." Oh, thank god. I reach out and open the door. "You scared the hell out of me!" I exclaim as Walley takes a step inside, his raincoat soaked. "Sorry about that, Miss Stacey." He says with a laugh. He stomps his feet on the thick doormat, trying to shake the rainwater away. "I only came to bring a generator, in case the electricity goes out. Zachary insisted." Wally says. "Thank you, that was very nice of him." I reply. Wally shrugs, "Not really. He charged it to Mr. Carter's account." I shrug, "Well, it's still thoughtful of him." I step aside as Wally makes his way in, droplets of water marking his path. "I can show you how to use it." Wally says, setting the generator down.

    Twenty minutes and a cup of hot tea later, I feel a bit more relaxed. "You're a brave woman to be out here by yourself." Wally says as he sits on the floor beside me, after we pushed most of the debris out of the way. "Brave?" I ask, "How so?" Wally shrugs, "Not many people would want to spend the night here after what–" He stops himself and his eyes widen in realization as he clears his throat, "I should get going before this storm gets worse." I blink. "What were you going to say, Wally? Not after what?" I stare at him, clearly making him uncomfortable. He plays with the collar of his plaid shirt anxiously. "Nothing really. Just an old wives' tale about a spooky cabin..." Wally trails off. He's lying. "What happened here, Wally?" I ask again. He shrugs, "People say different things. No reason to worry you by repeating them." I sigh, "I'm already kind of scared, to be honest. I keep hearing strange noises." Wally raises a brow and asks, "How so?" I gently set my cup of tea down on the floor and say, "I don't know. Like someone's here...lurking around." Wally shrugs, a hint of a smile on his face. "It's probably just the old wood creaking." I watch as Wally glances around the cabin. "If you like, I can take a look around." He offers. I doubt anyone would be intimidated by him, but he's really sweet. "I'd appreciate it." I reply with a nod.

    Nearing the staircase, Wally pushes his shoulders back, steadfast and firm. "Don't worry. Everything's fine." He says. I stifle a laugh as a sudden crack of thunder causes him to jump. Glancing back at me, red-faced, he rolls his shoulders back once again. "I'll be right back, Miss Stacey." I watch him head up the stairs, and once he's out of sight, pull out my cell phone. I have a missed text message from Felicia.

Felicia-Mr. Carter will be arriving in two days.

    Two days?! That's not enough time! I'm going to have to stay up all night cleaning. I realize, as I look around the living room. "No one else is up here, Miss Stacey." Wally's voice says, as he starts down the stairs, "I checked every nook and cranny. Is everything okay?" I nod, rolling my eyes, "Yeah. My boss will be here in two days, so I have to work my ass off to get things done around here." Wally laughs, "Well, if you need any help, let me know. Also, if the roads don't get flooded, Chuck should be back in town to install your landline." He adds. I raise a brow. "To install? I think he already did." I reply, "The phone was ringing earlier." Wally's eyebrows narrow. "Are you sure?" He asks, "He's the only one that does the installations and he's been out of thrown for over a week." I shrug, "I don't know, maybe it was my cell phone. It's been a long day." I stand up and make my way over to the landline and pick up the phone. There's no dial tone. That's impossible! It rang three tinges! I can't tell him that, though. I shrug and put the phone down, turning back to Wally. "Well, I guess you're right. The phone's dead." I resent the sympathetic look Wally gives me. "It's probably stressful for you being out here alone. Sometimes we hear things that aren't there, or we get confused." Wally says. I feel a tightness in my chest. I'm not an idiot. I know strange happenings when I see one. I tell myself, thinking back to when Agoth, or, Jane played that video on my phone, even after I broke it. "You're probably right." I reply with a laugh. The words feel wrong, but I don't want to seem like a crazy person. Not again. "Anyway, thanks for looking around. I appreciate it." I add. Wally smiles, putting on his raincoat, "Not a problem. Goodnight, Miss Stacey." I watch him vanish into the darkness, the disappearing headlights of his car the only sign that he's truly gone. I close the front door and rub my hands together. If Alex Carter, egotist debonair, is coming in two days, I have to be ready. "At least I have a job." I say with a sigh. And then...laughter.