Cursed Ground

Outside, along the side of the cabin she dug a grave for a body that would never fill it and threw the bag in the deep ditch. From time to time her eyes would look upon its surroundings. The full moon that glowed above, the dark woods that, only yesterday, aided in her escape from the monstrosity that was on her trail every step of the way. Tonight it didn’t seem real. It almost felt like a bad dream she was certain she’d wake up from at any moment. She hoped it was.

It took hours but when she was finished and the exhaustion she’d managed to overcome from an entire day of rest weakened her once again, she moved to the front of the porch and laid her head against the post, taking in her surroundings one last time. Then her eyes closed and she lost herself to sleep and to a dream state that brought her contentment for a brief time.

It was the morning sun that stirred her awake. It was warm, and for a moment, before she regained proper thought, she remembered thinking that the warmth against her face felt a little like heaven. A light smile touched her lips until a sense of foreboding overtook her. She searched her mind. Something had happened, something awful… and then she remembered.

Jacob.

Her eyes snapped open and the surge of emotion she hadn’t succumbed to last night was no longer possible to postpone. It had all happened so quickly. They’d found the empty cabin… and gave thanks to God for their good fortune. Then he was screaming and…

No, she wouldn’t think about it.

She reached for the cold steel leaning against the banister. It was a fairly large gun for a woman her size but she was certain she would make good use of it. She had a pretty good idea what she could use for target practice. The stranger had given it to her the night before for protection. That was when she knew. He said nothing. It was the look in his eyes, and it was at that moment she’d realized that the monster and the quiet man that had stood above her bed were one in the same.

After giving her instruction on how to use it, silence had been the only thing that lingered between them. For a moment she hadn’t known what to think and then she realized she didn’t want to think. She wasn’t ready to evade the dullness that kept her from thinking of anything other than staying alive and he appeared to be in the same state of mind.