The cabin was small and rustic, surrounded by some tall pine trees. Her parents cabin was about ten feet from her. The moment she stepped onto the porch a feeling of excitement and fear overtook her. For the first time, she was on her own, but with mom and dad close by it was comforting. She walked into her cabin and saw that it was not much. There was only one room with a table, bed and two chairs.
Kaitlin sat her bags and purse down on the floor. Her purse fell open and makeup spilled out. “Oh, shit,” she said as she got down on her knees and collected her makeup.
Kaitlin looked under her bed to retrieve her mascara when she saw it. She pulled it out to get a better look. It was a mirror, and it looked very old. A chill ran down her spine, there was something eerie about the mirror. A knock on the door startled her and she pushed the mirror hastily back under the bed.
“Kaitlin, are you ready to come out and eat? Your dad’s almost got dinner done.”
“I’ll be right out,” Kaitlin said and she crammed the rest of her makeup back into her purse and went outside.
After dinner and spending time with her parents, Kaitlin was getting anxious to spend time alone and to have another look at the mirror. “I’m beginning to get tired, I think I’ll go on in now.”
“Ok, good night sweetie, remember if you get lonely or scared just come on over,” her mother said.
“Yeah, we won’t think less of you,” her dad said.
“I will, don’t worry about me,” Kaitlin said as she stood up and hugged her parents. She walked to her cabin.
“Good night dear,” her mother said. “Happy birthday.”
“Yeah, happy birthday,” her dad told her.
“Thank you,” Kaitlin said as she walked into her cabin and shut the door. She was now alone. Kaitlin looked out her window and waited. After a few minutes, her parents walked into their cabin holding hands. The lights soon went out.
Kaitlin ran to the bed and pulled out the mirror. She went to the table and sat it down in front of her. She looked into the glass, but her image was not reflected back. Fear had overcome her but she just shrugged her shoulders. “It’s just a mirror, the glass must be dirty.” She used her shirt to clean it, but still no reflection. All she saw was a smoky mist; Kaitlin looked closer. The mist looked as if it was moving. “That’s impossible,” she said to herself. Moving away from the mirror, Kaitlin looked at the other features.
Kaitlin ran her fingers over the side; the mirror was oval, with wide gold trim around the glass. On closer inspection, Kaitlin noticed designs on the trim, it looked like children with hollow, empty eyes all around the edges. Their arms and legs intertwined with each other. Kaitlin shivered.
She began to get nervous, but she turned the mirror over anyway, the back was black and words were written. “That looks like blood,” Kaitlin said as she ran her fingers down the words. She quickly pulled her hand away. “Damn, that’s hot!” Kaitlin looked at her fingers and saw that they were red and a blister began to form on one finger. She put the finger in her mouth to calm the burning sensation she felt. Kaitlin looked again at the words, she read aloud:
Kaitlin screamed as the mirror began to shake, she let go of it and the mirror fell with the glass side up. The mist was black now and moving more quickly, she saw lightening flash in the glass. The table began to shake, and Kaitlin was thrown across the room.
She crouched down on the floor next to the bed. The cabin began to shake and the lights flickered on and off. The temperature inside the little cabin dropped dramatically. Kaitlin shivered, and her eyes never left the mirror. On the table, a ball of fire appeared from the mirror. Cackling filled the interior, and then there was a loud bang and then silence. Kaitlin hesitatingly looked up and screamed.
Standing before her was a hideous beast. It stood about seven feet tall, and was the color of blood. Its arms were long and had claws for hands. Its legs were long stumps, like it was standing on stilts. His head was as large as a watermelon and long spiked horns covered his head like hair. Its mouth had pointed teeth stuck out in all directions. It had no nose and its eyes were just slits that were black as coal.
Looking into his eyes made Kaitlin shiver again and it felt like her very soul had turned to ice. She looked away, and did not know what to do. Kaitlin thought about running for it and glanced at the door. It must have realized what she was thinking because it reappeared in front of the door. This made Kaitlin jump.
It spoke to her, “Hello Kaitlin.”
Its voice was deep and metallic, it made Kaitlin’s ears hurt. The words came from its unmoving mouth. She stared; her mouth hung open from shock. Finally, her voice quivering, she spoke to it, “How did you know my name?”
“I know everyone.”
Her ears rang badly.
It continued, “Thanks for reawaking me, twelve more souls is all I need then I can rule the earth. Thirteen souls bring me to life. Ironic how my first soul just turned thirteen.” It laughed.
Kaitlin put her hands to her ears, she felt them pulsating as if they were about to explode. It dawned on her what he said. “You are going to kill me.”
“How else would I get the souls I need,” It said.
Closer it moved toward Kaitlin, she cringed closer into the bed. It soon engulfed her; she had nowhere to run, Kaitlin was trapped. It held open its arms, the claws came closer, and her scream became stifled as it held her in his long arms. The breath of life was sucked from her. Kaitlin was now dead and had no soul.
Kaitlin had awoken, but knew she had died. She was alert and saw the familiar cabin. Kaitlin looked around her and saw her lifeless body huddled by the bed. Her empty eyes were wide with horror. Her mouth stretched out in a scream that never came to be. Kaitlin began to shake her head fiercely and began to back away from her frigid body. She began to say repeatedly, “No, it can’t be!”
While backing away, she realized the table was behind her. Kaitlin turned and saw that half of the table was in front of her, and the other half was behind. She looked down and saw her body standing in the middle of it. Kaitlin screamed, but it was a scream only she heard.
She ran out of the table.
A white light shimmered down, Kaitlin watched as it filtered into the cabin. Kaitlin felt at peace. The light turned brighter and brighter until it filled the whole cabin.
Then suddenly the light disappeared and standing before her was a beautiful man. His blonde hair hung softly at his shoulders. His clothing was a white robe tied at the waist with a golden rope. The skin almost glowed with the radiance of the sun; eyes were as blue as the sky on a beautiful summer’s day. The wings were stretched out behind him. He smiled at her and said, “My poor child.”
“You’re an angel, are you going to take me to heaven?”
“Alas, my child, I am not. In your life, you have done many good things. You went to church faithfully, and obeyed all of God’s commandments. I am afraid; the words that came from your lips conjured something that was pure evil, although you did not know. You invited back into this realm, a demon. So accidentally you have sinned a great sin.”
“What will happen to me?” Kaitlin asked.
“You are in what these earthlings call limbo, and here you will remain. But you do receive one and only one chance to redeem yourself,” he told her.
“What can I do?”
“The evil you set free will kill thirteen times and will live and destroy everyone on the earth. It has twelve more to sacrifice. You can prove yourself to God if you save the next twelve lives of pure and good people. That is who he will destroy, only the good. Then when he fails, he will sleep again.”
“But what if he tries to kill someone bad?” She asked.
“You shall be damned for eternity but you don’t have to worry, he can only kill the good,” he said.
Kaitlin looked at the angel and said, “All I have to do is save the twelve people he will kill and I can go to heaven?”
The angel smiled again and said, “Remember you only have one chance.” The glow became brighter and it disappeared. The cabin went dark again.
“How am I going to save twelve people?” Kaitlin asked her lifeless body. There was no reply.
The next morning, there were screams and sirens, and many people that came and went. Kaitlin watched her parent’s cry, her mother screamed over and over. The police questioned everyone on the island. No one knew anything, of course. Her corpse was taken away on a stretcher, still in the crouched position; her knees pulled up into her chest. Kaitlin thought about the undertaker trying to straighten her legs to fit her in the coffin. Probably a closed one because Kaitlin believed the look of horror etched into her face could not be erased.
She watched the park rangers clean the cabin and get it ready for the next victims.
The mirror was gone; Kaitlin noticed that when the demon appeared. The officers who had investigated never saw it and did not question it.
Kaitlin saw people come and go; the angel was correct the evil one only chose the good people to try to kill. The first two victims to be were an elderly couple. She knew they were going to be the first because Kaitlin felt the demon’s presence close by. The couple said their prayers before turning in for the night. The evil was getting closer; Kaitlin could feel it. She had to do something, but did not know what. It suddenly occurred to her that she was a ghost; Kaitlin began to haunt them.
She moved in closer to the old woman; the lady began to complain about a chill. Kaitlin smiled, and touched the woman on the shoulder. The old woman jumped about one foot into the air and screamed. The old couple became frightened, they glanced about the room but of course, they did not see anything.
Kaitlin began moving furniture around. She had learned that trick after the third day of her death. The couple jumped to their feet. The demon came closer. Kaitlin did not know what else to do, then she had an idea; she grabbed their suitcases and threw them out the door.
They finally got the hint and scrambled towards the door. Kaitlin lightly kicked them in the butt; they screamed and ran out of the door, into the night. Kaitlin could hear them screaming in the woods. Her in a long, cotton nightgown and him in boxers with red lips all over.
“You bitch!” The mechanical voice screeched and then the demon's presence vanished.
Kaitlin smiled and said, “Ten more souls to save.”
She had scared the ten other people; they all ran into the woods screaming. Most of them were still in their pajamas. Kaitlin saved a baby; the parents were young and partied. Kaitlin knew when she felt the presence creeping closer, that it was the baby in danger. The baby was asleep in the playpen while his parents were outside drinking with friends. Kaitlin panicked, how was she going to get the parents attention to come and get the baby. Kaitlin ran to the window. The parents and their friends were all at the picnic table; music blared from the stereo. “There is no way they could hear me make noise.”
The evil presence was becoming stifling; soon it would be there and claim his next victim, an innocent baby. Kaitlin desperately looked around the room, there has to be a way.
She ran to the baby and looked down on him, he was awake and looking at her. Kaitlin smiled, he smiled back at her. “He can see me,” Kaitlin said, “if I can move objects, maybe I could pick him up.” Laughter began to fill the room; the baby stopped smiling and looked scared. Kaitlin reached down to grab the infant. “Lord, help me.” Kaitlin put her hands under him; she could feel his weight. She lifted him up into her arms. Kaitlin held him to her body; she could feel his warmth radiating from his skin. Kaitlin held the baby in her arms for a moment longer; sadness and longing filled her.
Laughter filled the room, mechanical and loud, the baby began to cry. Kaitlin ran to the door and flung it open. Surprisingly everyone heard the door crash open and turned toward the cabin. The father fell off the table and everyone stared at the floating baby in the doorway. Kaitlin could not walk outside the cabin, so she prayed that one of them would grab the baby.
After a few moments, the initial shock gave way to panic. The mother came slowly toward the doorway and snatched the baby from Kaitlin’s hands. She watched as the mother held her baby tightly and the wicked laughter faded away. The young couple and their child left for home.
Amber was six years old and the sweetest girl Kaitlin ever met. Amber’s father received a raise at work, so they celebrated by staying at the cabin for a week. Just as the baby could see her, so could Amber.
Kaitlin enjoyed having Amber around, they would talk into the night. The next night, Amber told Kaitlin of her day at the beach; her parents were outside, watching the stars. Kaitlin shivered, the ominous presence she dreaded began to approach. Laughter filled the cabin.
“What’s that?” Amber said as she jumped to her feet.
“Something really bad, you have to go now, leave this place.”
Tears welled up in the child’s eyes as she said, “but, but, my mommy and daddy!”
“Tell them that you all have to go,” Kaitlin told her.
“But,” Amber stammered.
Kaitlin screamed, “GO!”
Amber ran to the door and flung it opened, crying she ran to her parents. Her father picked her up and brought Amber back into the cabin.
“No!” Kaitlin screamed, “don’t bring her back in here!”
“We gotta go, a bad thing is going to hurt us!” Amber told her parents.
“Nothing is going to hurt you here, sweetie, you're safe,” her dad told her.
Kaitlin wondered why Amber’s parents did not hear the mechanical laughter that penetrated the walls of the cabin. Amber was plugging her ears from the annoying loudness, but her parents acted as if nothing was happening. Maybe only children heard the ear piercing laughter; the little ones could see her, so they probably could hear the evil laughter, also.
Obviously Amber’s parents were not listening to her; it was up to Kaitlin to help. She did not want Amber to die. Kaitlin went to the table and flipped it over.
Amber’s parents jumped, but they did not leave. Kaitlin began to throw things at them, careful not to hit Amber. Finally they got the hint and left. As they were quickly getting their clothes around, Amber ran to Kaitlin and hugged her.
“Good-bye Amber.”
“Bye-bye Kaitlin.”
Amber and her parents walked out the door; Kaitlin was alone. The evil faded away again.
Next was an older couple in their forty’s; Kaitlin did what was in her power to get them out of the cabin. They were quite stubborn at first until Kaitlin pulled out their suitcase and started packing for them. The couple just stood there with their mouths open and watched as Kaitlin packed. When she finished, Kaitlin threw the suitcase out the door. Two more souls had been saved.
The next two victims would have been an underage couple. They came into the cabin giggling, put their bags down and started kissing by the open door. The pair looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Sneaking away together for each other’s first time, Kaitlin could not believe that kids that young were having sex. She used to think about kissing boys, but never anything more.
A voice called from outside, “you two can wait till later.” More giggling was heard. Kaitlin looked out the window and saw another young couple. The two separated and went outside with their friends. Soon darkness descended on them and the young couples went into their cabins.
Kaitlin watched with growing curiosity at the young couple who was kissing again.
His hands reached for places that were private. Soon they were undressed and in the bed, bodies intertwined. Kaitlin watched the young couple until she felt the evil growing stronger, and the mechanical laughter soon began, “oh, no!” Kaitlin thought.
“What was that?” The young lady asked her boyfriend.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s animals outside,” he told her.
Kaitlin was shocked. “They heard it, but how? Nobody could hear it, except the baby and Amber. They were children, maybe these two are just young enough to hear it also.”
Laughter sounded again, louder and much closer, Kaitlin watched their reactions.
They both jumped. “It’s coming from in here,” the girl said.
“Don’t be stupid, it’s not in here, it’s just the animals,” he said but did not sound assured though.
The young couple sat in bed and waited, the laughter was getting louder. Kaitlin waited for them to panic and run out the door, they never did. The mechanical laughter was closing in around them. Kaitlin knew it was up to her to get them moving outside. She knew they would hear her, so she screamed, “get out!”
The young girl jumped and so did he, right out of bed and struggled to get his pants on. Kaitlin screamed again for them to get out and that time the girl screamed and pointed right at Kaitlin. Her boyfriend looked and all he said was, “oh, shit!” Then he grabbed a hold of his girlfriend’s arm and then grabbed her clothes with his other hand. He ran to the door. His girlfriend still pointed and screamed as she was dragged out of the cabin.
“She saw me, that girl saw me and I scared her,” Kaitlin said sadly, while the mechanical laughter died away.
The next day the couple’s friend came in, collected the rest of their belongings, and took off real quick out of the little cabin. That was the last Kaitlin saw of them, she wondered if the young couple had yet lost their innocence.
The eleventh was much more difficult to scare away. He was a minister, secluded away in the cabin for some closeness with God. In the end, it took many tricks to make him leave. He did not go screaming through the woods; he quietly packed his suitcase and left. The minister may have felt the evil presence closing in on him.
The twelfth person Kaitlin had to save, what would have been the thirteenth, roared in on a motorcycle. He had long hair and tattoos. She thought that this man will be more difficult to scare and she was right. It had taken all her strength. She felt the demon moving in closer. Kaitlin was desperate; nothing was working. She decided it was up to her personally to get him out of the cabin.
The evil came closer; she began to hear the grating laughter. Kaitlin opened the door to the cabin; she then lured him to the door. When he stood in front of the doorway, she pushed him with all her strength. The man flew out of the cabin ten feet and landed on his back. Kaitlin had saved the twelfth person.
Laughter filled the cabin. Kaitlin looked around, “what are you laughing about, you didn’t kill thirteen people. You cannot come to life.”
“I’m laughing because, yes I have to sleep again, but I can be reawakened. I will get another chance to live. You, my dear, had only one chance.”
The demon began to laugh again and the sound of his evil grating laugh faded away to silence.
Light began to fill the room; Kaitlin was ready to be let into heaven. A voice spoke to her from the light. “You have failed to redeem yourself.”
“What! What do you mean; I have saved twelve lives, just as you told me to. I did what was asked, what do you mean, I want to go now,” she said.
“You were to save twelve good people; people that are innocent of evil, you failed to do that.”
Kaitlin began to panic, “you are mistaken, they were all good. There were children, an old couple that prayed and even a minister. They were all good people.”
“Except the last one, “the angel said.
“What are you saying? The evil came only when it was someone good. The demon came after him.”
“Alas, my child, you were tricked. The man you just saved was in league with the evil one. The man you saved was one of Satan’s true followers. He kills in Lucifer’s name. You saved evil from evil, I’m sorry.”
“No, it can’t be, that’s not fair,” Kaitlin screamed.
The light faded to darkness; Kaitlin screamed, but no one heard her.
Kaitlin’s spirit was trapped inside the small cabin, forever. Through the years, she saw many faces come and go. Day after day, night after lonely night her spirit drifted around the cabin. Watching the people around her, so alive and free, able to come and go whenever they pleased.
Kaitlin could only watch the world change from within the confines of the cabin looking out the window watching the years go slowly by.
Twenty years later, a young woman of about nineteen walked in. “Anna, are you coming?” a voice asked from outside.
“Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute, I wanna put my stuff away. I’ll catch up with you.”
Kaitlin watched her shut the door and put her bag on the bed. Anna looked about the room. She was smiling; her brown long hair was pulled into a ponytail. Kaitlin longed for her tan face that was full of life.
After surveying the room, she went to put her purse on the bed; she missed the bed and it fell on the floor. All the contents spilled out under the bed.
Kaitlin had perked up, she thought back long ago.
Anna got on her knees and began to fill her purse back up; she reached under the bed.
Kaitlin became nervous; it was like watching herself many years earlier.
The young woman swiped something with her hand. “What’s this?”
Kaitlin knew what it was; if she were alive, her heart would probably be exploding. “No, please, no; not that.” Nobody heard her
Anna grabbed and pulled out the old mirror. “What is this doing under the bed.” She sat the mirror down on the table.
“A demon from Hell put it there,” Kaitlin said to Anna, but of course, she did not hear her.
The young woman turned the mirror over. “There’s something written here.” Anna read the words aloud.
“Noooo!” Kaitlin screamed.
Deep and metallic laughter filled the room; Anna’s ears began to ring painfully.
