The Cabin
The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.
I can’t believe it. School is finally out and I can already feel a sense of excitement and freedom. It’s really setting in that I’m finally done. When I get on the bus, there’s Sam sitting in the seat ahead of me. I get confused as to why she’s not on her regular bus, we make eye contact and she smiles at me.
Sam is caring and passionate, she is also very sarcastic and hot tempered. She is not a hard worker and likes to pester others. She is protective of the people close to her and likes to keep her secrets. She is not very confident in herself but has a strong personality.
She’s just as happy as I am that school is out, and I’m excited to spend some time together and see what the summer holds for us. I tilt my head walking over to her “Sam what are you doing here this isn’t your bus” Sam’s face lights up with a bright smile “we’re going to meet the gang at the camp in 2 hours and I thought we could take your car” She looks at me eagerly, clearly excited at the prospect of spending the summer together with our friends and going on more camping trips. I suddenly realize that the camping trip is starting today, and my excitement slowly changes into panic. I hadn’t packed yet, completely forgetting about it. Oh my gosh, I didn’t pack! I don’t know what to do. How could I forget about a camping trip with all my friends after such a long school year? I don’t know what to wear or what to bring! “You didn’t forget did you?” Sam said, raising one eyebrow up, i shake my head “NO of course I didn’t forget” I said sarcastically but I could see Sam looking at me with a knowing smile. She knew I had forgotten about the camping trip and was trying to act cool about it, even if it was very obvious. I had no idea what to wear or bring, and I was trying to maintain my cool, even if Sam saw right through it “AMANDA JONES!” She said in a joking tone. I rolled my eyes, As the bus lumbers along its route, we approached my stop. The bus starts to slow down, and I begin to gather my bags and stand up. I start to walk toward the front of the bus, Sam following as we prepare to get off at my stop. We step off towards the curb, heading down the sidewalk. The heat of the summer day is noticeable “You’re helping me pack, we only have 2 hours so let’s go and get packing.”
An 1 hour later, and the sun is beating down, making the heat and humidity feel even more overwhelming than before. I’m still struggling to find the energy to keep packing, my body feeling heavy and lethargic as I try to put together some sort of outfit and a collection of supplies for the camping trip. I just want to get this done so I can leave and head out to the campsite “Are you done yet” Sam said, painting her nails, omg I cant believe this girl! “It would have been faster if you would’ve helped me like I said!” I said while struggling to close my bag, Sam lifts up one of her nail painted hands “Do you see these hands, my hands aren’t for working” this girl was starting to annoy me. I pack my things and put them in the trunk of my car, as I get behind the wheel, the sun is beginning to set, making the woods around me look even darker and more spooky. I drive my car down the dark and windy forest roads, the headlights my only source of light as I head toward the campsite. The unease slowly builds in me, a strange sense that something is watching me from the shadows of the woods around me. I breathe in deeply, trying to shake off the nerves, and turn my attention to the camping trip ahead. I see the cabin up ahead through the dark woods, the headlights piercing the veil of darkness as I drive up to it. I see people in front of the cabin, the light spilling out from the windows and doors and illuminating their faces. I look closer, trying to figure out who they are, when I come to the realization that they’re my friends! I feel a wave of relief and excitement wash over me, knowing that we’ll all be spending the night together, camping and telling stories around a bonfire. Lani walked up to us and said “wow look who decided to show up..30 minutes late!”
Lani is a leader, confident, and outgoing person. She is always the life of the party but hasn’t been feeling herself lately probably due to the fact that her dad recently passed away but she is also funny and sarcastic at times. She is a genuine and kind person but also never misses out on a good party which comes in with her determination.
I get out of the car and start unpacking everything, pulling out all of our bags and supplies for the camping “SAM! made us get drinks!” she always makes me get something.. “What I did not! Amanda was the one who forgot to pack” Zack showed up with food “classic Amanda” he smirked as he passes us the food, omg burgers my favorite!
Zack is sarcastic, caring, easy going but can be stubborn and easily frustrated , loves to joke around, he’s a huge animal lover and also can be a bit self-centered at times. He is laid back and often thinks before he acts which causes him to overlook some things which makes him easy to take advantage of but he is a very loyal and caring friend.
Brandon opens the door and stands like my mother does when she’s angry “Don’t you guys think this is a little creepy, come inside”
Brandon is a protective person, he often acts like the dad of the group. He keeps everyone in order and is always there when you need it. He is chill, smart, sporty and loves to have fun. He is a leader at times and is also kind, agreeable and trusting. His personality makes him a very loving and patient person.
I was so busy saying hi to my friends that I didn’t notice it was pitch black. I rushed inside and saw an old newspaper on the ground, “hey Brandon... where did you get this?” Brandon said sitting on the couch “I don’t know it was here when I got here, what is it?” Lani said laughing a little “oh my gosh its the girl we bullied 2 weeks ago!” I get concerned looking at it closer “it’s Ally..she went missing 1 week ago..”
Ally is a creative, smart, insecure person who wears glasses and has freckles. She has been bullied recently and can be considered a loner. She is kind and caring and is a responsible person but also often feels insecure.
Lani took the newspaper away from me “so what, she was such a nerd anyway!” I sigh and think, the thing is I never really liked her but I didn’t hate her either.
*Flash Back*
“Haha what a loser! she really thought she had a chance with Zack!” Lani pushed her to the ground. Zack looked uncertain,I pointed at her and shouted “loser loser!!!” but I didn’t really mean it. Sam kicked her books “nobody wants you here NERD!” After that she ran away and we haven’t seen her since then..
*End Of Flashback*
the lights suddenly go out, we all scream, frightened by the sudden darkness. Zack quickly picks up flashlights and starts handing them out to everyone, helping us to feel somewhat safer in the darkness. The flashlights provide some light, although they only illuminate the area immediately around us, Zack turns on his flashlight “must be a power outage take these flashlights” I said turning on the flash light “why there’s no storm or anything that can cause a power outage” Brandon said “its an old cabin Amanda, me and Zack will go check it out” we heard footsteps coming downstairs “OK who turned out the lights!” we all jumped “Lucas!?” Sam asked, confused “what are you doing here you told us you weren’t coming” he said, getting a flashlight “well I’m here aren’t I?”
Lucas is a caring and outgoing person, he is also the oldest in the group and is a leader, protective, but also sensitive. He has been through a lot and has a sad backstory but is always looking out for his friends and the people he loves. He can be the fun one but also doesn’t like to take too many risks unless it’s to protect someone. He is a trusting and caring friend but also can be protective of the people he cares about.
The lights are back on yay! Brandon and Zack come back upstairs with a little piece of paper, Zack stared at it weird “um guys we found this note in the basement next to the circuit breakers” I grabbed it reading it out loud so the others can hear “you will pay for what you did and I will never forget I will get my revenge...” Lani said rolling her eyes” it was probably meant for someone else” Zack said taking back the paper “no it’s not you want to know why?.. because it says OUR NAMES!!” Sam backed up “maybe it’s a coincidence?” Brandon says, taking back the note “of course it’s not a coincidence!” Sam pointed to the back of the paper “wait there’s writing on the back” Brandon flips the paper and reads it “I SEE YOU..” Zack ran to check all the windows and then he found..... we heard screams from upstairs it was Zack he was yelling, horrified at a picture, he dropped the picture and started to cry. we rushed to him “Zack are you ok?” Sam picks up the picture and is in shock “omg...its Zack’s dog” Brandon said trying to comfort Zack “what’s wrong with that?” we all stayed silent until we heard something break in the kitchen so we ran to check it out, but not me I was curious I wanted to see the picture so i picked it up and there I was....looking at Zack’s dog, but it wasn’t at home it was in the forest near this very cabin just laying there...dead. I couldn’t take my eyes off it, wait a second omg Lucas is in the background! Could Lucas have done it?? I ran downstairs to join them, Lucas was looking outside “we don’t see anything broken” I show him the picture again “do you want to explain why you’re in the background LUCAS!” Lucas was shocked “what! holy moly Zack’s dog is dead!?” Zack looked angry, I pointed to the picture “no that! you’re in this and you didn’t hear or see anyone?” Lucas was confused “what the heck NO! I thought I was the only one there at the time!” omg all my friends are clueless “uhh well you guys figure this out I’m going to the bathroom” Sam said as she walked away. Brandon took the photo and tried to look for the spot where the picture was taken, walking around the area and trying to recognize anything familiar. He suddenly yelled from outside “Guys, I found another note! Come outside and take a look!” We ran outside to see dry blood on the ground, but no dog. Curious, we took the note to get a closer look. Brandon read from the note ” I have..Such Awesome.. Moons?”
Lani yanked the note out of Brandon’s hand forcefully, clearly eager to see it “What the heck does this mean?” Lucas yanked it back and gave it to Brandon “well it has to mean something right?” Brandon looks at it more and mumbles something, he mumbles something once again. I felt my annoyance rising, and I finally couldn’t take it anymore “Brandon.” I said sharply “Speak up!” Brandon suddenly froze as he figured out what those words meant “Guys, where’s Sam?!” he asked, his voice filled with urgency and fear. I point to the cabin “She went to the bathroom a few minutes ago, why?” Brandon started to run inside “Such Awesome Moons! it means I HAVE SAM!!” Quickly, we started frantically looking for her inside. We checked every room, cabinet, and closet, but she was nowhere to be found. Zack started to walk back and forth “This is ridiculous, first we come to this creepy cabin in the middle of nowhere! But wait, it gets worse. my dog dies, and now we lost the dumb blonde girl!” He yelled, becoming increasingly agitated. His fear and worry grew every second as time passed with no sign of Sam. Lani put her hand on Zack’s shoulder, trying to comfort him. “Zack, calm down, you’re just stressed.” Zack brushed her away, his voice getting louder and louder “No, don’t tell me to calm down! Sam is missing and we don’t even know where she is! And you don’t even care!” He was yelling now, his temper slowly growing out of control. I tried to calm Zack down, saying, “Yes, she does, and we will-” Zack cut me off angrily “Don’t even get me started on you, Amanda!” I started to get mad but Suddenly, we all froze as we heard a voice out of nowhere. “Ah, yes, I love to hear you fighting, it brings joy to me.” Lani looks around skittishly “who are you.” the voice laughed at us like we were idiots “What was the nick name you called me? Oh yea Ally the ugly ALLIGATOR!” I say shocked “Ally!?!” she laughs “With all your fighting” she says happily “another one is gone.” This caught Lucas’s attention, and he yelled “What do you mean, gone?!” Lani looked around, panic growing in her chest as she realized they couldn’t find Brandon “Brandon? Brandon..” she said slowly, feeling desperation and fear. “Brandon!” she looked like she was about to cry then she said “Brandon is gone. That’s it, we’re looking for them! Nobody takes my Brandon!” me, Lucas and Zack look at each other “so now you want to look for them” I roll my eyes, Lani suddenly began shouting and flailing her arms, desperate to find Brandon “Brandon means a lot to me! We have to find him!” in her frenzy, she knocked over a vase, cutting herself with a piece of its broken glass. Lucas crossed his arms and shook his head, refusing to help her “That’s what you get.” he said, not sounding very sympathetic. Lani and Lucas started to argue, each of them stubbornly refusing to listen to the other. As they fought, Lani’s hand started bleeding a bit. I look at Zack, and he nodded, a silent signal to me to end this argument, i yell loud enough to get their attention “STOP!” They both stopped fighting and turned to face me, looking at me with fear. I give them glares “this is what Ally wants!... she wants us to argue! and that’s how Brandon was taken.” Lucas puts his hand on his chin “how could a pint size girl take a sports player?” I look down trying to contemplate how she did this. Lani was putting on a bandage, she looked sad, about to say something but before she could speak, we heard a faint yell from outside “Oh my gosh, it sounds like- Brandon!” With that, Lani was out the door in a flash, running outside to investigate the strange noise that she thought she heard.. we followed behind her “stop, it might be dangerous!” I say running out of breath. I soon lost sight of her in the distance, I stopped and looked back, only to see Lucas there with me “Where... is Zack?” Lucas turned to look for him “He was just behind me..” We both looked around “Zack!?” all we could see were trees in complete blackness of the night. We didn’t see Lani or Zack anywhere, I heard a strange noise from somewhere nearby. I looked around and realized it was the trees moving, their branches cracking like something was watching us. I look around “where’s Lani!? oh my god we lost Lani” Lucas crossed his arms and leaned against a tree, his eyes glancing at me curiously. “So what, she didn’t even care about the others?” I sighed, sitting down next to him “She’s having a hard time right now, we don’t know that.” Lucas looked at me, his face showing no sign of sympathy for Lani’s actions earlier. He suddenly pulled a small book out of his pocket, with the title ‘Lani’s Diary’ written sharply on it. He was looking even more annoyed “Yes, we do.” I kept looking at her diary “should we just respect her privacy” I kept looking at the diary, feeling my curiosity growing. I wondered whether we should respect Lani’s privacy, or if we should find out the truth that Lucas was talking about, Lucas shakes his head “After what she’s done, no way. Don’t you want to know the truth?” I looked at Lucas, hesitating and wondering whether I really want to read the diary, which held so many private thoughts and emotions but Lucas kept staring at me, seeming impatient and wanting me to read the diary. Finally, I cave in, taking the book from him. I turned to the first page and began to read.
-Lani’s Diary-
Ugh, today was such a bad day. The teacher gave me another F on my homework. I can’t believe her, she’s the worst! But I think she has a thing for Mr. Johnson. Like, she always looks at him and laughs at all his jokes that aren’t even that funny. Today was also a good day, not counting the detention, bad grades, or my car breaking down. But the loser Ally the ugly alligator got an F on her homework too! HA! I knew she was dumb, this just proves it. You know me, I can’t resist bullying her about it. But today, she had the audacity to flirt with Zack! What an idiot! I had to interrupt them, obviously. Then, the whole gang started calling her a loser. She’s totally hopeless and a loser. I mean, she’s ugly and dumb, she has no chance with Zack! He would never go for someone as awful as her. That’s when I made sure the others left, and I followed her. Once I caught up to her, I slammed her against the wall and I threatened her. The exact words I used were
“Now listen here, Ally the ugly alligator, you better back off or else. I’ll make sure no one ever likes you again, and you’ll be alone for the rest of your pathetic life..i’m serious If you ever talk or even go near my Zack again you will be a dead alligator before you know it” And then, I pushed her to the ground and slapped her. I’m so proud of myself. I felt like a badass in that moment, and I knew I was taking the first step in bringing her down, one slap at a time, until no one ever likes her.
-End Of Lani’s Diary-
I was shocked by what I had just read. Sure, we had bullied Ally, but we had never gone so far as to really hurt her or threaten her. Lani had taken things too far. I give the diary back to Lucas “That’s.. probably why she’s after us” I said, as we started to understand the cause and effect of our actions. Lucas agreed, looking at me with disappointment “Yeah, she’s after us for what Lani did!” I sigh, crossing my arms with an unsettling feeling “Lani went too far, way too far. She’s a bully, and we should have stopped her before it got this bad. And now, we have to deal with the consequences of her actions.” I’m disappointed in Lani, why would she do this? Lucas insists, grabbing my arm “We have to find the others” I brushed his hand aside, refusing to let him grab me “What if Ally did something to them? If we go looking for the others, Ally could jump out any minute and attack us! We could walk right into a trap, and then we’d have even more problems on our hands!” I step back while Lucas holds a sad look on his face “we will find them and they will be ok no matter what happens they will -” He stopped his sentence as we hear noises from above us, we both looked up, as the sound of branches breaking could be heard from above us. The tree’s leaves rustling and branches swaying in the wind made it difficult to tell where the sound was coming from, as it covered up the breaking of the branches, i look down hearing a whip sound “..Lucas” As Lucas looked down, In an instant a rope trapped his legs and started pulling him through the forest, pulling him away from me “Lucas!” I shout, running to help him but the rope pulls him into the forest, and he disappears from my view. His screams of agony echoed through the forest, a reminder of the consequences of our actions. I hear Lucas continue to yell for help from further away. He seems to be getting further away from me, and the forest was getting dark all around me. I start to panic, realizing that I am getting further away from Lucas and couldn’t see or hear him anymore. I yell as loud as I can “Lucas! Ally stop!” she continues to drag Lucas deeper into the forest. I approach the abandoned shed, its gloomy and dark atmosphere filling me with a sense of foreboding and fear. The woods around me are so gloomy and quiet, only the faint sounds of the night filling the air. I reach the shed, noticing the eerie silence surrounding the shed. If my friends are anywhere it has to be in there. I walk inside the shed, the old door letting out a loud creak as it shuts behind me. The shed is filled with chairs, some fallen on the ground, but I can’t see a thing in the dark. The darkness is so thick, and there is nothing but the smell of must and decay surrounding me. I start to panic trying to adjust my eyes to the darkness, but I can’t see anything in the pitch dark, my heart pounding in my chest. I hear a noise coming from behind me, and my heart jumps into my throat. I scramble in the dark, trying to find the light switch. Finally, I manage to turn the lights on, and when they do, I see a sight I could never have expected.. Zack’s dog, who I thought was dead, is staring at me with its tail wagging slowly. I notice a run down bat in the corner and I reach for it, tightly gripping it. I still have my guard up, but then I see it’s just the dog, and I relax. A voice comes from behind me “how is it still alive” it catches me off guard, and I swing the bat around wildly to defend myself, but instead, I hit Lucas instead of whoever I was aiming at. I quickly cover my mouth with my hand, in disbelief, and apologize to Lucas “Oh crap! I’m sorry Lucas! I didn’t know it was you!” Lucas gets a sarcastic tone, rubbing his arm where I had hit him with the bat “Yeah, I thought you would have recognized my voice by now.” I lower the bat, my heart pounding, and shake my head “I didn’t have time to process who it was-” I cut myself off trying to stay on track “Just- How did you get away from her? Did you fight her?” He groans as he looks at his arm, probably annoyed at the bruise that would form there “I think that’s gonna leave a bruise...” I raised my voice trying to keep him focused, as he was probably annoyed about the bruise forming. “Lucas!” I repeat myself wanting an answer “How did you get away from her? Did you fight her?” He looks down at me with a teasing expression “You’re asking if I hit a girl?” I nod, slowly. He smiles at me with an exaggerated shocked face “Of course not! I’m a respectful guy. I wouldn’t hit a girl.” I roll my eyes and pick up the dog, a small smile forming on my face “All right, genius, how did you get away then?” He shrugs, looking concerned “She just let me go, I don’t know why.” that’s weird why would she let Lucas go, Maybe there was a reason behind her actions.. Perhaps she had some other plans in mind for him, which makes me feel uneasy “Lucas, we should probably go find our friends before something happens to them.” He nods pointing to a broken wooden door “there’s a basement we should probably go down” We walked down the dark and creaky stairs carefully, avoiding making too much noise. We reached the bottom and we were stunned by the sight, Metal bars lined all along the walls of the basement, as if this was some kind of jail. The scent of rust and decay fill my nostrils, and my heart starts to race as I realize that we might be in serious danger. It was hard to see clearly in the dark, and I couldn’t help but feel a sense of panic growing inside me. I keep walking forward, trying to keep the noise down, Lucas places his arm in front of me and stops me “Lucas, what is it?” I whisper, keeping my voice down, unsure what I will find next. I look in the same direction as him to see Ally holding a knife in her hand, looking menacingly at us. She stares at us, a twisted, deranged look in her eyes, holding the knife in her hand, as Ally sits there holding the knife, she suddenly starts to laugh in a twisted, demented way “Well well well, look who decided to turn up.” She stares at us both, a sadistic chuckle escaping her lips. we turn our attention as we hear sounds coming from the metal bars and then yelling “guys! Oh my gosh buddy! How is he alive!” it was Zack, Ally smiles, her twisted smile still on her face “Do you know what this is?” she asks, pointing at the knife “It’s the same knife Lani threatened me with” she says, clearly holding on to some deep-seated resentment and wanting revenge. Zack started banging on the cages “what why would you do that!!” I stand there staring at the whole scene, as my vision starts to fill in the room. I see that all my friends are trapped in cages, their voices filling the cavern’s basement with shouts and yells. Their voices merge together, making it difficult to tell exactly who is shouting what. I feel my heart beating quickly and my breathing getting shorter, having a hard time processing what was happening “let us out!” “Amanda, Lucas help us!” Sam and Brandon said banging on the cage. We all heard the furious voice of Lani, coming from her cage near the stairs “LET US OUT YOU HEAR ME!” she shouts, her voice filled with deep rage and hatred “OR I SWEAR ONCE I GET OUT TAKE THAT KNIFE AND PLUNGE IT INTO YOU!!” She shouts the last words, loud and clear, her voice echoing throughout the basement. I’m shocked by Lani’s words, I had never heard her say such a horrible thing before. Why is she acting so different? What had happened? I can’t help but feel worried for my friends, as they are already trapped in their cages, and now Lani seems furious with them too. Ally stands up and walks towards Lani, facing her with a hateful look in her eyes “I don’t care about the others..” she says, her voice filled with anger and hatred “All I wanted was you” she continues “because you made me suffer for months! Months you hear me?” She shouts the last words, looking as if she is about to burst into tears. Zack speaks up, his tone filled with anger and sadness “Months?” he says angrily, pointing at Lani “Are you kidding me?” Brandon scoffs looking at her in disgust “You promised us you wouldn’t hurt her!” he continues “You always said you don’t hurt people like that!” Lani says feeling guilty “no she’s lying I promise I wouldn’t do something like that” Brandon looks away ignoring her plead, Zack looks sad, his expression filled with sadness and regret “I don’t think I can trust you anymore...” His voice is soft and sad. Lani’s expression changes suddenly, as if her heart had just broken in a million pieces, and her eyes widen. Ally walks around, unlocking each of the cages one by one. She skips over Lani’s cage, not unlocking it “even though y’all did trash talk me, I still like you guys” I feel bad as I think back to how I and my friends had treated Ally “We hated you, we called you a loser and we humiliated you..” Ally continues to the cages for the others except Lani’s “Well you see, I found out” the truth about y’all” she says, her voice calm and serious “5 weeks ago.”
-Ally’s pov 5 weeks ago-
I feel my blood boiling, as Lani keeps talking trash behind my back to her friends “The alligator deserves to suffer...she’s such a spoiled brat” she says once again, and I can’t help but feel angry and hurt by her words. she storms off, I’m angry and upset, walking away before I hear Amanda’s comment “I hate bullying her, guys. It doesn’t feel right.” Zack sighs “yeah I just want to be her friend..” he says, and I’m immediately taken aback by their statements. Sam grabs her books from her locker, saying “she honestly seems like a good person” before I walk off. I can’t help but feel that maybe they are beginning to understand who I am, and I feel a sense of relief and hope. I went to the bathroom, trying to calm down, when I heard Lani laughing to herself “I can’t believe they actually think I like them...” her words sent a chill down my spine. I watch as Lani pulls out her lip-gloss and starts applying it “All I have to do is make Zack hate them, get him to be mine and make sure that she never comes back...” she says, her words filled with malice and hatred “maybe i’ll take Brandon too.” Lani smacks her lips, her words filled with a self-satisfied grin “For now, I’ll just keep using them” her words dripping with malice “I just hope she never comes back from her trip.” As Lani was about to leave, I ran off, feeling terrified and overwhelmed. I didn’t know what to do with a secret this big, and my emotions were filling me with fear and regret. I went back to my locker in a daze, not knowing what to do with this information..who was the “she” she was talking about..
-End Of Ally’s Pov-
Zack was furious. He put down his dog and walked up to Lani’s cell, He slams his fist against her cage “you...wanted to make me hate them?!” Zack’s expression changes instantly, with doubt and concern. He looks her up and down not knowing if he should believe her, he watches Lani’s tears falling down her cheeks “I’m sorry... I don’t know what’s wrong with me” she pleads. Lani’s expression is changing from tearful to downright furious, as she points at Sam with all the hate she can muster “You all deserve it!!” She shouts, her voice filled with rage and frustration “You.” she points at Sam “you’re the one that got me into this mess!” Sam scoffs, feeling angry and hurt at Lani’s words “Me? What the heck did I do to you?” The dog starts to whine, as Lucas picks him up, looking at Lani with disapproval “Shut up Lani! Sam did nothing, you’re just a girl who wants attention, now if you’ll excuse me, I need to take Buddy outside” Lucas says calmly, he gives Lani a cold stare and starts walking up the stairs holding buddy in his arms, the doors slamming behind him. Meanwhile, Sam and Lani begin arguing again, their voices rising to a fever pitch “I didn’t do anything to you, and you treat me like crap!” Sam says it loudly, her voice filled with confusion and irritation. Lani’s eyes narrow dangerously, as she grips the cell bars and glaring at Sam with a look of pure hostility. It was quiet for a moment, but then Lani speaks up in a quiet, terrifying voice “You... killed my dad.” she says slowly and calmly, her words filled with an indescribable rage.
