Chapter 1 : Lost
Cabin by the Lake - Nora Raimo 8th Grade
The date was Saturday , October 15 , 2023 , my name is Eleanor , or , Ellie for short . I decided to go hiking through the forest for the day , I loved the cold chill in the air and the crunch of the fallen orange leaves on the mossy ground . All I had with me was a backpack with some food , a water bottle , and a camera , not much but I didn ' t know what else I would need . I decided to sit down and have a rest on a mossy log nearby . As I sat I could see orange leaves floating through the breeze .
This was a new trail for me , so I didn ' t know just yet that I had no idea where I was , or where I was going . I sat up and continued hiking . As I walked I took in the sights of my surroundings , it was beautiful here . I came across a lake glittering in the evening sun . I took some photos of the lake with my camera and when looking at the photo I noticed something weird , there seemed to be a small figure behind a tree in the distance . I looked in the direction of where the figure was but I didn ' t see anyone .
Although I didn ' t see anything , there was definitely something in the picture , so I went in the direction of the figure . As I walked back into the forest , everything seemed to get darker , and more ominous . Everything was dead silent . As I walked I noticed something on the ground , it looked like a worn down rubble path . I followed the path hoping it would lead me out of this forest . I eventually came across an old wooden cabin , something felt odd about it though , it felt like something , or , someone was there even though I could tell no one has lived here for years .
Carefully , I walked into the old cabin . There were cobwebs everywhere and everything was dark . It felt like something was watching me no matter where I went through the house . There was a sudden noice in the floor below me . I panicked as I felt the ground disappear in a second .
Everything went dark .
Chapter 2 : The Figure
I opened my eyes to see I landed in what looks like a basement . It took a moment for my eyes to adjust to the light but when it did , all I could see was cobwebs , this basement has been abandoned longer than the house . I saw a hallway in front of me , I wasn ’ t sure , but it felt like something was wanting me to go into the dark hallway . I started walking but every step I took , there was a loud creak of the floorboards , and I could have sworn I could hear another pair of footsteps .
I ducked under multiple clusters of cobwebs , but then , I saw what looked like a small library . There was a strange feeling in my head , something urging me to approach the bookshelf , so I did . I carefully walked towards the bookshelf . I could see all the books were worn down to the point were the names have faded off , all except one . This one book looks years old , covered in dust , but it was like it was brand new . I picked the book off the shelf to see it ’ s a book on the forest I was hiking in .
The very first page of the book warns there have been mysterious sightings in the woods and a few people went exploring but never came back . I started to flip through the pages to see many pages are filled with drawings of what people saw , every time someone saw it , the figure was hiding behind a tree . There was one page left , I see the page is blank , at least , that ’ s what I thought . Words starting writing on the page out of thin air . Dear reader , I know you have seen the drawings , and I know you saw me too . But you don ’ t need to be afraid , you are not what I am looking for , so I will make a deal with you , help me find what I ’ m looking for , and I ’ ll show you the way out of the forest , but once you say yes , there is no going back , the others didn ’ t seem to understand that .
Feeling like I had no other option , I said I would help them . The room started shaking , a pair of glowing yellow eyes appeared as a dark figure formed in front of the bookshelf . The figure looked down at me , its yellow eyes piercing into my soul .