Zoophobia - A "Safe" Haven: Book 3: January - March

Chapter Thirty Seven: Fighting Back

A.N.

This chapter will be based on the horror movie Hush. (I believe that it is a great horror film, and I advise that you watch it on Netflix.) Reader discretion is advised for this chapter has some violence and torture.

CELESTE

The house was warm and cozy. I thought about falling asleep, but I continued having to rock my daughter in my arms. Gustav and I had thought of some names, but now that she was actually here, I was running through all of our ideas, and none of them fit. I began humming a song I had heard on the radio in the Uber earlier. It seemed to put her to sleep. I lost track of time because when the fire started to dim, I began getting creeped out.

I loved horror movies; I really did. But I never wanted to be in one. Here I was sitting in a cabin in the middle of nowhere with barely an internet connection, no car or any vehicle, with a newborn. I figured there would be some dry wood around here. I set my daughter down on the couch very carefully so as to not wake her up. After having given birth, things felt weird when I started walking around.

I got the hang of it after a bit and entered the kitchen of the cabin, looking around in the corner for some wood when CLICK! All of the lights went off at once plunging me into absolute darkness. Now I was terrified. I tried not to show it though. I figured that there would be an electric panel somewhere around here. I exited through the backdoor.

Feeling the cold air against my skin was comforting. I could see some of the moonlight peaking through and illuminating the path, giving me enough courage to walk toward the panel on the side of the house. I opened the box without using a key. Then it hit me. If this wasn't locked then someone had to have gotten to this thing first. The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I tried to rationalize it in some sort of way.

Maybe the Director left it open the last time she was using it? Maybe it was just left that way to begin with? Maybe there wasn't a key. Those thoughts faded when I stepped back and heard a metallic clicking sound on the ground. I bent down and picked up the keys. This caused me to bring my attention to the box...the inside of the box. It had been slashed by something with claws.

That wasn't Gustav. That wasn't the Director. And surely the lights shutting off was not an accident. My heart began pounding which caused me to realize that there were no other sounds. I felt like my heart was the loudest thing in the world among the dead silent forest. I got another feeling. It was like someone was watching me, like I had to constantly keep turning my head to make sure that no one was standing behind me.

No matter what happened, I couldn't shake the feeling. I turned to the forest expecting someone to be there. No one was there. It was empty. My motherly instincts—which my mom had always said would kick in at one point—told me to get back to my daughter. I knew I couldn't just leave her in the house in that helpless state, so I began walking back to the door when I turned to the woods one last time and...I saw someone.

Fitch stood at the edge of the woods. He had no weapon; he just stood there, staring at me ominously. I froze. My legs turned to ice, and I was absolutely unable to move. My brain kept screaming at me to do something before he took the first shot, but my legs refused to do anything. The thought of my daughter kept me going, and I sprinted towards the door. Fitch did the same, flying as fast as he could.

I managed to slam the door shut and lock it before he entered. I then ran around the house as fast as possible, locking all the doors and windows. Even though I stood in the living room, knowing I had just locked everything I could, I still felt that he was going to be able to break in. I needed my phone, but I had left it at my house. Why was I so stupid?!