The Girl In The Cabin

Chapter Eighteen: The Gathering

"Yes, sir. I understand. I'll take care of it right away. Within the hour." Felicia disconnects the call and continues down the hallway. Her heels gently tap against the linoleum floor as she heads toward Maggie Caldwell's room. She stands in the doorway, staring at Maggie, who sits quietly in her rocking chair. "Do you like sitting in the dark?" Felicia flips on the lights and waits for Maggie to adjust to the flaring fluorescents. "Hello, Mrs. Caldwell. You don't know me, but my name is Felicia. I need your help." Maggie's eyes remain placid and glazed. "I know you can speak, but choose not to. This is about Charlotte." Maggie's eyes flicker up and Felicia continues, "I need you to come with me. Don't worry. I'll bring you back when we're done. Then you can continue punishing yourself." Maggie's eyes widen, but she still doesn't speak. "That's right. Stay mute. It'll make dragging you out of here that much easier."

Stacey POV

The three of us approach the cabin. The cabin that Sheriff Dan now ordered us to stay away from. I'm hoping the medium we brought can communicate with Charlotte, and help find out what happened all those years ago. "Are you sure we can go in there?" I ask. Alex nods, "It's my cabin." I shrug, "Your cabin...that's currently a crime scene."
"Sheriff Dan doesn't play around. He'll get pretty upset if he finds us here." Wally adds. "Then let's be quick about it," Alex says.

"This cabin holds many secrets." The medium Alex brought says as she takes a few steps in the room, her twenty bracelets jingling on her arms. "You can say that again..." I mutter. Geneva Preston doesn't look like a medium. In fact, she reminds me of a librarian I knew in third grade. She begins humming a tune that causes both me and Alex to pause. It's the song from the music box: Killing Me Softly. I glance over at Alex who looks as surprised as me. "That's the song from the music box. How does she know?" I ask. Alex shrugs. "I'm sensing a youthful spirit– a young girl. She's trapped." Geneva says sadly. "Trapped?" Alex repeats, "How is she trapped?" Geneva sighs, "She wants to cross over, but she can't. She's stuck."
"Is that all you sense? Is she the only spirit?" I ask. Geneva turns to me and shakes her head, "No. There's something else here. Something dark. Something angry. Vengeful..." I nod, "It's Bryce." I turn to Alex, "I told you so." Geneva turns to Alex as well. "You wanted me to help explain what happened the night this young girl was killed? She asks. Alex nods. "Do you have an object from that night?" Geneva asks. "Did you get the knife back?" I ask. Alex shakes his head, "No. It didn't have any evidence on it anyway." Geneva sighs, "I need something from that night to open a line of communication with her." I look around the living room, trying to find something from that night. The rag doll was probably here, but I have no idea where it is now. I sot a photo album on top of some boxes in the corner of the room. "I got it!" I rush over and dig through the box. I pull out a framed picture of Charlotte and bring it over to Geneva. "How about this?" I ask. Geneva looks at me and nods, "This should work." A gust of wind blows beside me, causing everyone to jump. I can hear the soft pattering of rain against the roof. "It's starting to rain." Wally sighs, "The weatherman said it would be dry today." Geneva shakes her head, "She's recreating the night for us. Did it rain that night, too?" She asks aloud. "Yes." Alex nods. Geneva stares off into space, "She's scared. She's with her mother and she's very frightened." Geneva closes her eyes and a large crash bellows from the kitchen. "He's angry. My presence is upsetting him. He wants us out of this place."
"He, who? Who's here?" I ask. "The evil one," Geneva replies. "Bryce?" I ask. Geneva opens her eyes and touches my cheek, "You're frightened because of what you did. Don't be. There are no spirits named Bryce around you." She says comfortingly. "There aren't?" I gasp. She shakes her head, "No."
"Then who is it?" I ask slowly. Geneva closes her eyes as the rain pours down harder and harder. "It's the father of the man you care for." She says. I gasp softly, not daring to look at Alex. "So it's Lionel?" I ask. Alex crosses the room and places a hand on my shoulder, "It's going to be okay, Stacey." Geneva nods, looking between me and Alex. "Trust him. You've been through too much in the past not to. I see it now...yes. It's Lionel." As she speaks, a crackle of thunder roars over the cabin.