EVILUTION

THE CABIN (A Christmas Horror Story)

My name is Mario. The story of which I'm about to tell you happened back in 1996 when I was 13-years-old.

I went with my parents to the family cabin on Christmas Eve that year. 

The next morning after we got up we all opened our gifts. I got the Game Boy I had been wanting.

After we had our traditional Christmas dinner, which included ham, turkey, mashed potatoes and green been casserole, my parents said they were going to take a hike in the woods.

I decided not to go with them. Instead, I stayed behind so I could play my Game Boy.

I lost track of time I was so immersed in my  Game Boy. So I didn't know what time it was when I heard footsteps coming up to the front door of the cabin. 

The funny thing was I only heard one set of footsteps coming up to the door. And, I know this sounds weird, but the footsteps I heard didn't sound . . . human.

I jerked up when I heard the knocking on the door. I wondered why either one of my parents wouldn't just open the door since I know they took the key to the cabin with them.

I heard my Mom's voice calling out from behind the door. Only it didn't sound exactly like my Mom's voice. This voice I heard sounded more . . . distorted.

"Mario!" the voice called out. "Mario, it's your Mom. Open the door!"

My heart began to beat faster inside my chest as I stopped playing my Game Boy and stared over at the door. I jumped again when I heard more knocking.

"Mario!" the voice called out again. "Mario, come open the door. Please!"

I slowly, cautiously, got up from my chair and walked just as slowly and cautiously towards the door. I reached out my hand and I was about to open the door when I heard pounding on the door.

"Mario!" the voice angrily said. "Mario, come open the damn door! NOW!"

I gasped as I jumped back away from the door. The voice sounded much deeper than my Mom's normal voice. She also wasn't known to curse like that. She also rarely lost her temper. So whoever, whatever, was behind that door was definitely not my Mom.

Or human.

The pounding on the door continued for a little while longer. In fact, it had gotten so hard I thought the door was going to knock off its hinges. The . . . thing kept calling out my name and demanding I open the door, which I didn't. Then, suddenly, the pounding stopped. I stood frozen where I was. I didn't hear anymore noise coming from behind the door for a moment. Then I heard those familiar footsteps walking away. I'm not sure why I did this, but I mustered up enough courage to walk up to the window and peek out to try to see who, or what, it was who had been knocking on the door and pretending to be my Mom.

And then I saw it.

I say it stood over six, almost seven feet tall. It had a skull for a head with horns on top of it. Its body was covered in thick brown fur and it had hooves for feet. I'm not sure if it sensed I was looking at it but it stopped and looked back at the cabin. There I saw it had no eyes, at least none I could see.

"What the hell is that?" I muttered to myself.

I normally didn't curse myself, but I thought I could make an exception in this case, especially since my Mom wasn't around.

This . . . thing stood and stared at the cabin, at me, for I don't know how long before it finally turned and walked back into the woods from where it came. Once it was gone, I stepped away from the window and sat back down and waited for my parents to return. I didn't even play my Game Boy again.

When my Mom and Dad did return, I was relieved. My mind was racing with thoughts that this creature had gotten hold of them. I asked my Mom if she had come back earlier, and she said she hadn't. She asked me if anything happened while they were gone, and I lied to her and told her I thought I heard someone walking around outside. She smiled at me and told me I probably heard a deer or something. I smiled back and told her that's probably what it was.

I never told my parents or anyone else what happened to me that Christmas day at our family cabin.

Until now.