The Cabin

Chapter 36

Blood dripped steadily into an intricately carved stone basin and collected into a small pool. Melanie sat on a stool next to the basin, her arm resting across the cool stone. She watched the blood drip almost hypnotically from the crook of her elbow. The room had begun to swim in and out of focus, but she did nothing to stop the flow of blood causing it.

Fingers combed gently through her hair and a soothing voice hummed an unknown melody behind her.

"You poor thing," Mrs. Horn sighed, placing her hands on Melanie's shoulders. "They never were your friends, were they? Dragging you around the world, making you look a fool in front of everyone, just to discard you in the middle of nowhere like this, leaving you with a complete stranger. What a cruel thing to do."

Melanie nodded, a tear rolling slowly down her cheek. Her chin quivered, but she didn't have the strength to fully break down. Her mind felt unusually clear. There were no voices, nothing pushing her away from consciousness. The treatment seemed to be working, just as Mrs. Horn had promised.

They were in a small clinical room, dimly lit by candles and oil lamps. Wooden cabinets and counters lined the walls, filled with little glass bottles, spiderwebs, and dust. There were two wooden beds covered in old linens, tattered and dirty from years of neglect. A few large insects skittered around the floor, but neither of the women seemed bothered by their presence.

Melanie began to slump forward, her body succumbing to the blood loss. Mrs. Horn gently guided her back so Melanie was leaning against her to prevent her from falling.

"I think that's enough for today," Mrs. Horn chirped brightly, gently pressing a piece of cotton wool into the crook of Melanie's elbow to staunch the blood flow. She bent Melanie's elbow, pulling her arm away from the basin and holding it against Melanie's torso.

"I don't feel good," Melanie mumbled.

"I know," said Mrs. Horn. "That's completely normal. We'll lay you down for a bit and you'll be fine, just like last time." Melanie nodded, waiting for Mrs. Horn to clean the blood from her arm before allowing herself to be led from the room.

They walked together through a dimly lit hallway back toward Melanie's bedroom. The wooden panels of the walls were cracked and peeling away from their studs. Mold and moss grew in large patches, thriving on the moisture seeping through the wood.

Mrs. Horn pulled a panel open, guiding Melanie out of the closet and into her room. They both ducked beneath the clothing rod Melanie's clothes were hanging from and stepped into the large open space of Melanie's room.

Melanie immediately made her way over to her bed, collapsing into the mattress and curling into a ball. Mrs. Horn smiled, pulling the panel closed and locking it shut with the skeleton key in a discrete key hole in the top corner of the panel. She slid the key beneath Melanie's pillow, then pulled the duvet over Melanie's shoulders to keep her warm. She sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Melanie's back.

"They really should pay for what they've done to you," she said, her voice gentle and sympathetic. "They're all terrible people, really." She grinned evilly, turning to face the four other occupants in the room. They smiled back at her, slowly walking toward Melanie's bedside.

---

Snow crunched beneath the tires of the white 12 passenger van as it pulled up to the cabin. The silence outside was soon interrupted by the rumbling of the back passenger door as it was pulled open. No one spoke, walking silently toward the front door and filing inside the cabin, feeling the warmth of the fire envelop them and welcome them home after a long day of rehearsals.

Mrs. Horn could be heard in the kitchen and she hurried to the living room to greet everyone. Jackets and boots were hung up and kicked to the side and all of the boys and Mel went to the kitchen to see what the caterers had left them for dinner. Geri, Emma, Victoria hung back with Simon and Sam, wanting to hear her evaluation of Melanie.