They Came After Me

by C S Allen

  I did the best that I could, feeling around in the dark with just one candle lit on the dresser. I pulled all of the dresser drawers out, desperately looking for an address.

  “What? Say it again!” Emma yelled excitedly to hear what the woman was saying. “Nooooo! Motherfucker!” Emma yelled and threw down her phone on the couch.

  I quickly walked into the living room and asked, “What did you hear, Emma?”

  Emma started crying out of frustration and fear. “I can’t deal with this shit. We’re stuck here in this fucking cabin in the woods. Steve’s dead, his car’s dead, and we don’t know what the hell is outside that wants us dead for Christ sakes!” Emma yelled, as she went to the fireplace and reached in to grab a burning log. “I’m not taking this shit anymore!” Emma stated. Grabbing her log, she quickly walked over to the kitchen table that was holding the back door closed and pushed it out of the way. Then Emma held the doorknob with one hand and readied the log with the other.

  “I hate this place!” Emma yelled, while she swung open the door to throw the log outside.

  Hisss!!!

  Emma screamed at the same time she threw the log outside, and then she closed the door quickly and leaned against it. We heard more hissing outside the door, and then something was walking on the roof.

  “Get the table! Get the table!” Emma yelled at us, while she pointed at the table.

  We didn’t know what was going on, but it was enough to scare us even more. Mike and Olivia shoved the table over in front of the door while Emma got out of the way.

  “What the hell was it, Emma?!” I asked nervously.

  Emma, visibly shaking now, was trying to speak, but she was in shock over what she had seen outside. “It looked, it looked like, ah, something black and hairy about the size of dog . . . It hissed at me. I think I hit it because the log sparked when I threw it out,” Emma stated without blinking.

  “Oh great, a fucking, hairy dog that hisses. That’s what we’ve been afraid of this whole time,” Mike yelled angrily as he paced by Emma.

  Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, was heard on the roof. We all looked up as if we were trying to see through the roof.

  “It’s on the roof; no damn dog can get on the roof!” I said. We heard the hissing sound coming from the fireplace. It was like the thing was yelling down at us. “Guys, what’s the size of a dog, hisses, and can climb on a roof?” I said nervously, trying to get everyone to think rationally.

  Mike looked at me and said, “I’m thinking monkey.”

  “It’s not a monkey that I saw!” Emma replied.

  “Okay, Emma, you said this thing was black colored and the size of a dog. Was it a small dog like a pug, or medium-sized like a boxer?” I asked.

  “It looked like a friggin’ spider the size of a, a, pug,” Emma said.

  “My God, that’s what grabbed Steve in the water, and now that thing is on the roof!” Olivia stated frantically.

  “This is Maine for Christ sakes, guys! Maine doesn’t have big-ass spiders, and for what it’s worth, no other state has spiders the size of a dog,” I yelled.

  “Well, I’m freaking the hell out, and we need to protect ourselves from whatever that thing is,” Emma replied.

  “I know this may sound crazy, but we need to see what we’re dealing with out there,” Mike stated.

  “No, the hell we don’t, Mike. All we need to do is stay in this cabin until morning, and then we can see out the windows. There’s no need to see shit,” Emma stated.

  “Emma’s right, Mike, there’s no reason to go out, looking around for something that hisses and can climb a damn cabin. What’s wrong with you thinking that?” I said, while I walked over to a window to look out front.

  “I don’t hear anything on the roof, guys.” Olivia stated.

  I looked back at everyone from the window, and no one moved. We were listening for anything from outside making noise, but no sound was heard. The fireplace was the only thing I could hear, crackling and popping embers through the air. I reached into my shorts pocket to check what time it was on my phone. It was eleven twenty-two at night. I was tired emotionally and wanted this whole thing over. We were trapped inside the cabin in the dark, no one was coming to help us, and I was afraid to go to sleep.

  Chapter Five

  “I’m tired as hell, guys. Let’s come up with some kind of guard duty like the military does. Two of us can stay awake, and the other two get to sleep for a few hours. Then we rotate so whoever was sleeping gets to stay awake and guard the place,” I mentioned to everyone.

  “How in the hell can you go to sleep, Will, at a time like this?” Emma stated.

  “Look, I’m just saying that whatever it is out there is probably explainable. No damn dog, monkey, or spider is out there. We are making this into something that it’s not, and it’s not a monster. We’re freaking out because Steve somehow drowned, and our imaginations are getting the best of us,” I said, as I walked into the kitchen and looked out the back window.

  “Sleep does sound good, guys,” Mike stated.

  “Think about what I said, everyone. In six hours, the sun will be up, and we can look outside. We’re safe inside and the doors are secure,” I said. I walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch.

  “Olivia, do you mind staying awake with me first and letting Emma and Will try sleeping?” Mike asked.

  “How long do we do this thing, Will?” Olivia asked me.

  “Every two hours we rotate,” I replied.

  After discussing everything, we agreed to the schedule of sleeping every two hours. The two sleeping were to use the bedroom, and the other two on guard watch were to stay in the living room. The fire would stay going at all times to be able to see since the candles weren’t enough. If anything worried the people in the living room, they were to wake up the two that were sleeping.

  “Before I go to sleep, I have to pee really, really bad, and I’m not going outside to use that outhouse,” Emma stated.

  “I’ve been needing to go like three hours ago,” Olivia replied.

  “Just pop a squat in the bedroom and use one of the bowls that’s in the kitchen,” Mike said.

  “I’m not gonna pee in a damn bowl,” Emma sarcastically stated.

  “I’ll piss in anything right now,” Olivia stated and walked into the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards. “I just found two bowls, Emma, I’ll go first in the bedroom,” Olivia said, as she walked away into the bedroom.

  Emma then looked at me and Mike with a discouraging look on her face.

  “Would you rather just hold it in until morning?” I asked Emma.

  After the girls did their thing, Emma and I went into the bedroom and lay down on the bed. I was extremely exhausted, and I’m sure everyone else was as well. As we both lay on the bed, I felt a bit weird about it. I had so many thoughts racing through my head about what we all had been through, and now I was lying on a bed next to a female friend. “Emma, are you okay to be in here with me?” I asked.

  “Yeah, I’m okay,” Emma stated.

  “Okay, good,” I replied. I closed my eyes, and before I knew it, Olivia was whispering my name to wake me up. I couldn’t believe it was two hours already, and time to go into the living room. I looked over to where Emma was supposed to be, and she was gone. “Where’s Emma, Olivia?” I asked.

  “She’s been in the living room with us for about an hour,” Olivia stated, as she left the room.

  I stretched out on the bed and then stood up and looked out the bedroom window. I could see more outside now that the moon was half full. I walked closer to the window to get a better view of the backyard. The logs that had been thrown outside weren’t burning. I could see the reflection of the water through the brush and trees. All was quiet, and I was thankful for that. I walked to the living room and saw Emma passed out on the couch, leaning against Mike, and I couldn’t help but smile. Emma must have felt better in the living room with Mike, her sweetheart.


  “You’re going to have to wake up your girlfriend there, Mike,” I said, whispering.

  “I’m going to bed, guys,” Olivia said, as she walked back into the bedroom.

  Mike rubbed on Emma’s arm, trying to wake her up gently. I just smiled at seeing someone actually getting some rest. I was still tired and felt like I had a hangover from a long night of heavy drinking.

  “Emma, time to wake up, babe,” Mike said softly.

  Emma kept her eyes closed and whined a bit and then said, “I don’t want to, please don’t make me, Mikey.” Mike looked up at me and had a smirk on his face, and I just laughed.

  “Don’t make me either, Mikey,” I said, making fun.

  Emma then opened her eyes and looked at me. “Shut up, Will,” Emma said, as she sat up, rubbed her eyes, and fixed her matted hair.

  I didn’t say anything else to Emma because we were all worn out and wanted to get the night over with.

  “Okay, okay, I’m up, guys. I could really use some caffeine,” Emma stated, as she stood up.

  “There are two cans of soda on the kitchen counter for you both if you want them. I’ll throw in the last log in the fireplace since it’s starting to get darker in here,” Mike said. He walked over to the last log and tossed it in. “I’m going to bed and don’t wake me up until it’s been two hours,” Mike said, as he walked toward the bedroom. “Oh, by the way, Will, she’s my girl, so don’t go hitting on her,” Mike said, pointing at Emma with a grin.

  “Don’t worry, Mike, she’s all yours,” I replied.

  Emma gave a smile back and said, “Get out of here, and I’ll wake you up in two hours.”

  Mike then gave a thumbs up and went into the bedroom.

  “I’m going to get a soda, do you want one, Will?” Emma asked.

  “Yeah, bring anything that’s food and drink related out here please,” I stated.

  Our two hours went smoothly without either of us hearing any hissing or walking on the roof. Emma and I talked about her relationship with Mike and how they had met for most of the two hours we stayed up. I figured if I got Emma talking about her relationship rather than thinking about our predicament that we were in, we were better off. The other things we spoke about were college and how much it cost and how we were going to pay it all off. Neither of us could figure out how long it was going to be before the final bill was paid off. We just knew that it would feel like we’d be paying for the rest of our lives because of the interest.

  “Time to wake up the kids,” Emma said, looking down at her phone.

  “Well, go get your man then,” I replied.

  Emma smiled at me and then got up and walked to the bedroom.

  Clang, clang, clang.

  Something was outside the back door, and I froze as I looked in that direction. Mike, Emma, and Olivia came rushing into the living room.

  Olivia picked up one of the knives we had put down on the couch’s armrest.

  “It’s the damn trash can making that noise!” I said in a loud whisper.

  “No shit, Sherlock!” Olivia stated.

  “I can’t take this shit anymore. I’m going to see what the fuck is making that damn noise,” Mike said, as he went into the kitchen with the flashlight.

  As he grabbed ahold of the kitchen table, I ran up beside him and stopped the table from going anywhere. “Mike, what the hell is wrong with you? Leave this damn table where it is!” I stated.

  Olivia and Emma were behind us and said basically the same thing. “Just leave the door alone, Mike,” Emma stated.

  “Yeah, just two more hours before the sun comes up, Mike.”

  Mike stood there with an angry look on his face. “I just want this shit over with. We have been freaking out over nothing for the whole night. In two hours, when that damn sun comes up, I’m opening that door. I’m sick of being afraid of what’s outside,” Mike said, surprising us all.

  “It’s okay, Mike, we’re going out this door together in two hours, and nothing is going to stop us,” I said, putting my hand on his shoulder.

  “That’s right; I’m done crying and being scared of shit. Emma and I volunteer to open the door first and kick some ass,” Olivia stated, as she looked at Emma with a smile.

  “Have you lost your damn mind? I’m going last!” Emma replied, giving us a good laugh.

  “Well, I’m going to bed now after all of that excitement you all just caused,” I said and then turned to walk toward the bedroom.

  “I’m staying out here, Will,” Emma stated.

  “Good, I couldn’t stand another two hours of you yapping in your sleep,” I said, while I walked into the bedroom. I waved to anyone looking at me. Lying on the bed again, I looked at the shadows of the fire coming into the bedroom. I told myself that it was going to be okay once the sun came up. We needed to stay focused on getting the car going, if possible, and getting out of that area.

  After about an hour and a half, I woke up because of a nightmare. I was dreaming that I was in the dark, and I could hear the hissing sound. I couldn’t see anything, and the sound was everywhere, echoing in my dream. When I woke up, I was shaking because it was cold in the cabin. I could see morning light just barely coming through the window. I didn’t hear anyone talking, so I imagined that everyone was being courteous and whispering in the living room. I got up and stretched, then looked at myself in the mirror, and saw that my hair was a mess. I got a good laugh because only one side of my head had its hair sticking up. After trying to manage it all back in good order, I walked out into the living room. Everyone was sleeping, and the fire was out. I shook my head in disbelief, but at least nothing had happened while they were lying there. All three of them were lying in one direction on the couch, and Mike was at the end.

  I had to pee really bad and thought I could take advantage while everyone was sleeping. I went into the kitchen and found a pitcher on top of the refrigerator to do my business in. I hated to use anything other than a toilet, but I wasn’t going outside at that time. I took down the pitcher and put it on the counter next to the sink. I then unzipped my pants, grabbed the pitcher, and let gravity do the rest. I made some splashing sounds by accident, and it sounded amplified because of how quiet it was in the cabin. Just as I was about finished, I heard a noise.

  “What-cha doing there, Will?” Emma’s voice said behind me.

  I was startled by her voice and pissed on the refrigerator and then onto the floor. “Jesus Christ, Emma!” I said in a loud whisper, trying to control myself by peeing back into the pitcher. The other two, who had been sleeping, came into the kitchen to see what the commotion was about.

  “Will’s pissing on the floor, you guys,” Emma said, laughing.

  “Why are you pissing on the floor, Will?” Olivia asked, also laughing.

  I quickly stopped my urine flow and put the pitcher onto the counter while trying not to expose myself. The whole time I kept my back toward the three clowns trying to embarrass me. Once I fixed up my pants, I didn’t want to turn around because the three were behind me laughing. My face was burning hot for being caught, and it was embarrassing as all hell. I had to come up with something to say, but I didn’t know what.

  “Are you done over there, Will?” Mike said.

  I turned around and said, “Yeah, you girls popped a squat, and no one said anything about it, so shut up, punks,” I stated.

  “Yeah, good comeback, Will,” Emma replied.

  “So, are you going to leave that stuff on the counter or get rid of it?” Mike asked, while pointing at the pitcher.

  “Well, if you’re thirsty, Mike, it’s ready for you to take a swig,” I said, as I walked past the three.

  “You’re gross, Will,” Olivia said, gagging.

  We all went back into the living room and sat down. I felt that we were all in a better mood. As we sat down, a crow outside the cabin cawed somewhere in the trees.

  “Someone, shoot that damn bird,” Olivia stated, and we got a chuckle out of it.

 
Mike got up and went over to the front window and pulled back the curtains to look outside. “Looks like we’re good out front, guys, a lot of clouds, but it looks safe,” Mike said with calmness.

  “Well, let’s get out of here then, guys,” Olivia stated. She looked at us and then stood up. Olivia looked back at Emma and me and said, “Well, let’s get the hell out of here, guys!” and motioned for us to follow her to the door.

  Mike walked over to the door first and opened it. The four of us walked out onto the porch and looked around for anything suspicious. “Before we leave, I want to check out back and see what the hell was out there last night,” Mike stated, as he walked off the porch and headed around to the side of the cabin.

  “Well, let’s follow him, guys,” Emma said.

  So, we followed Mike around to the backyard and saw Mike with his hands on his hips, looking at the area by the back door.

  “Well, our trash can is knocked over like we thought and so is our grill. Other than that, there’s nothing to be afraid of . . . man, we’re idiots,” Mike stated, as he walked over to pick up the trash can.

  As Mike reached for the handle, the trash can rocked back and forth.

  Hisss!!

  Frightened, Mike jumped back from the can, and then we heard another loud hiss from on the roof. A raccoon showing its teeth came out of the trash can, stopped, and looked at the group standing there, and then it ran off into some brush. Another raccoon was on the edge of the roof, hissing and showing its teeth.

  “Holy shit, rabid raccoons!” Emma yelled.

  “Great, now let’s get the hell out of here,” Olivia replied, as she took off to the front of the cabin. The three of us remaining quickly walked around to the front of the cabin and toward the car.

  “Oh great, it’s starting to sprinkle now,” I said, looking at everyone.

  “You’re not going to melt, are you, Will?” Mike asked.

  “You’re not going to crap in your pants again, are you, Mike, over a little raccoon?” I replied back.

  “That damn raccoon made everyone jump, asshole, not just me,” Mike said angrily.

  When we got to the car, we forgot who was riding in the car and who was going to start walking first. No one wanted to get rained on, so we decided to fix the car and go together as far as the car could get us.