Chapter 24
Twenty-Four
After the forest warden informed Raymond Cherry and Aaron Connor that the weather on the mountains was changing rapidly, they decided to ditch their idea of camping and head to one of the hunting cabins.
The warden kept a list of what cabins were occupied.
They’d missed the best ones, but as luck would have it, the one they really wanted was available.
No one took it because it appeared old and dilapidated from the outside.
In fact, it resembled a sagging timber box with a tin roof, but it did have its advantages.
The wood stove worked really well and they always found a good supply of firewood stacked outside in the lean-to.
The forestry had fixed the roof and added two cots with plastic-covered mattresses, a table, and two chairs.
Add to that it had an access road leading from the fire road.
Cherry smiled at Connor as they headed for their pickup. “It sure beats sleeping in a tent.”
“Using that cabin as our base camp, we can get an early start tomorrow.” Connor glanced up at the sky. “If we get light snowfall overnight, finding elk in the morning will be a breeze.”
As they drove higher up the mountain, snow clouds obliterated the moon.
The wind had picked up and thrashed through the treetops.
By the time they reached the fire road, pine cones fell like hailstones and bounced across the hood of their vehicle with each gust. Cherry took the access road to the cabin, trying to avoid the deep ruts in the hardened dirt.
They’d stayed at this cabin dozens of times over the years, but with the high wind and the threat of snow, something about the old place felt different.
The trees had moved closer since the last time and bushes almost obscured the front porch.
He pulled up and backed into the lean-to.
The pile of chopped wood was the same, but it was as if the forest was trying to reclaim the old place.
He climbed out and collected his gear from the back.
“Home sweet home.” Connor, his arms filled with camping gear, shoved the door open with his shoulder. “Man, it’s dark in here.”
Switching on his flashlight, Cherry moved past him and dropped his pack on the nearest cot. “It beats freezing our asses off in a tent.” He searched through his kit for a lamp, switched it on and placed it on the small table. “I’ll go and get some firewood. You light the stove.”
He grabbed the pail from beside the fire and went outside, moving his flashlight across the overgrown vegetation.
A light moving through the forest caught his attention.
It was unusual to see anyone walking around at night in this part of the forest. No one was allowed to hunt after sunset, but he did know of a couple of old fishing cabins close by.
Maybe it was someone heading toward them.
He dismissed his concern and collected the wood.
He’d hunted with Connor many times over the years and they moved about doing their chores with the easy familiarity of longtime hunting partners.
After cooking a simple meal of canned chili and hunks of bread, they sat around the table chatting about the elk tracks the forest warden had mentioned earlier.
“If they keep heading in the same direction, they’ll just about walk right past us. ”
“I’ll live in hope.” Connor grinned at him across the table and finished the coffee in his tin mug. “There’s enough hot water in the pan to wash the dishes. I’ll do that; you can cook breakfast.”
Cherry chuckled. “That sounds like a plan. I’ll unpack the sleeping bags.”
The wind had eased by the time they turned in, the way it often does just before the heavens open up and drop ten inches of snow at once. Cherry had just drifted into the cozy state before sleep when a sound jerked him awake.
Tap, tap, tap.
He held his breath listening.
Tap, tap, tap.
Cherry sat up staring at the door. “Did you hear that?”
“Yeah.” Connor pushed himself upright. “Hush, just listen.”
Tree branches scratched across the side of the cabin and a log moved in the fire.
Convinced there was nothing to worry about, Cherry pulled up his sleeping bag and then came the unmistakable sound of knuckles on wood.
He grabbed his flashlight and wiggled out of the sleeping bag, the cold air raising goose bumps on his bare arms. “What the heck is that?”
“It’s probably just a branch.” Connor stood and grabbed the lantern from the table and switched it on. The light cast a shaky glow across the cabin. He stared at the door and then back at Cherry. “There’s no one out there. They’d have called out. They’d know we were armed.”
A moment later a child’s voice drifted through the door, so soft they could hardly hear it.
“Please let me in.” The knocking came again. “It’s so cold out here.”
Transfixed with horror, Cherry’s mind filled with the old story of a kid who lured men to their deaths in the mountains. He stared at the door. “You don’t figure a kid is out there, do you? In this weather at this time of night?” He shook his head. “This doesn’t feel right.”
“Maybe someone is lost?” Connor’s hand tightened on the lamp, his knuckles white. “Maybe we should take a look?”
Tap, tap, tap.
“Please, I’m cold. Let me in, mister.”
With every instinct screaming at him to stop, Cherry took the lamp from his friend and moved to the door.
Heart pounding, he held the lamp high and cracked the door open an inch.
Cold rushed in but no child stood on the porch.
Only mist swirled across the small clearing outside the cabin.
He let out his breath in a rush. “There’s no one there.
” He went to shut the door when the light spilled over the porch.
He froze in horror. A line of small footprints led into the forest on a light coating of snow covering the old wooden floor.
He flung open the door and the icy chill went through him like a knife.
“You seeing what I’m seeing or have I lost my darn mind? ”
“I’m seeing it.” Connor peered over Cherry’s shoulder. “What the h—”
A sharp knock came from behind them. They spun around, but nothing inside the cabin moved. Cherry lifted the lantern high and shadows danced around the walls. He stepped back and stared out of the door, scanning the trees. “If there’s a kid out there, they won’t last the night.”
“Look, the footsteps have vanished. We imagined them.” Connor moved the flashlight across the porch. “There’s no snow either. It must have been the mist tricking our minds.”
Unconvinced, Cherry raised the lantern again. He made out a small lump on the tree line. “Look over there. Isn’t that a kid?”
“If you’re going out there, I’m loading my rifle.” Connor walked to his gear. “Wait for me. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Cherry went back inside and closed the door. “I’ll grab my jacket. I’m sure as heck not going out there alone.”
As he pulled it on along with his gloves, Connor opened the door and stepped outside, the flashlight held alongside his rifle. Cherry turned to him. “Wait for me.”
“I see something.” Connor looked at him over one shoulder. “I figure it’s the kid.”
When the door closed behind him, heart pounding, Cherry picked up the lamp, grabbed his rifle, and headed to the door. Before he made it across the floor the distinct sound came again.
Tap, tap, tap.
He stopped midstride and stumbled back, knocking over a chair. The hairs on his neck rose and he couldn’t suck in a breath. “Connor, stop messing around.” He waited for his friend to reply but no sound came from outside the door. “Who’s out there?”
Taking a deep breath, Cherry pulled open the door. No kid stood on the porch and Connor’s flashlight no longer lit up the forest. He lifted the lantern and stepped slowly from the porch and into the thick mist. “Connor, where are you?”
Nothing.
A twig cracked close by, and Cherry’s heart raced. “I’m coming out. Don’t shoot me.”
He stumbled into the small clearing, holding the lantern high. A shadow moved to his left. “Connor?”
“I’m here.” A voice came out of the darkness, but it wasn’t right.
Uncertain, Cherry took a few paces toward the voice. He didn’t have time to scream.