I slid my phone into its holder, jutting out of the center console as my car's engine hummed to life.

Nerves buzzed at the periphery of my consciousness like some distant swarm. I sucked in a breath, willing my mind to quiet, before opening my messages to send another text.

I tapped the most recent conversation, swallowing hard as I looked at the string of messages I’d sent before, all unanswered, before punching in another.

‘Hey B, I’m heading out rn, you otw?’

I fought the urge to call, hands gripping the steering wheel tight as I backed out of my driveway, and began following the GPS instructions towards the cabin.

I glanced at the ETA, it would be a little over two hours to get there, driving from my family's house in Evanston, Illinois to the cabin we’d rented near Matthiessen State Park all the way in Oglesby.

The trip was rocky before it had even begun, with two of the four who’d planned out the weekend getaway having to cancel for various reasons.

As I made my way out of my neighborhood, and onto the main road, I couldn’t help but worry that Beatriz's relative radio silence was a sign that yet another kink had entered our plans, and that I might be alone for the weekend, hours away from home.

After how that night would unfold, I can only imagine that was the best-case scenario.

The drive out of the city was an uneventful one. Though I usually found the trek out of the exurbs of the city and through the rolling fields and farmland of central Illinois a calming one, a time that allows my mind to wander and dwell on things that daily life hardly left the space for, this time I found the drive to be an anxious one.

My eyes fell on my phone once every few minutes, hoping to find a confirmation of Beatriz’ approach that never came.

With every glance, the pit in my gut grew deeper, and by the time I was pulling up to the location in my GPS, I was all but certain I would be spending the weekend alone. As I passed the sign welcoming me to Oglesby, marking the final leg of my journey, I’d all but accepted that this would be a solo trip.

“So be it, Jenn, I guess it’s a weekend retreat for one at a discount,” I chirped aloud, trying to stir up some measure of optimism.

“Thanks guys.” I couldn’t help but let some of the irritated sarcasm seep into my voice.

I resolved to stop peeking at my phone for anything but the GPS for the rest of the drive and made my way on to the sounds of one of my favorite local band’s latest album.

The vast open farmland interspersed with truck stops and off-ramps to sleepy little towns soon gave way to dense tree cover, the view quickly going from farm to forest.

As the GPS led me to a small, sparsely populated neighborhood within the forest-covered outskirts of one of the towns near the state park, the ETA reading three minutes I began to truly consider the prospect of a weekend alone here.

I moved slowly down the winding road, lined with trees and thick brush, through which only the odd house was visible at the ends gravel driveways.

“Christ, Justine has me out here in the fucking sticks.” I spoke under my breath, as if worried one of the locals might hear me through my car, peering like a nervous tourist out my windows, as I searched for the house we’d rented.

My eyes snapped forward, a flash of motion from the brush in front of me caught my attention just in time to feel my heart plummeting. I slammed the breaks, making the vehicle squeal in protest and sending my body jerking forward. My head nearly collided with the steering wheel as something flew forth from the woods to the right of the road, darting into the forest opposite.

I caught only the tail end, legs bent and covered in a matted brown fur that I imagined must belong to a deer or something like it.

I huffed in a breath, my heart pounding almost painfully, and tried to gather my faculties as the sudden burst of adrenaline faded.

As I did so, a sour, coppery sort of scent began to drift on the air, an awful sort of reek that made my face screw and stomach turn. Despite my still racing heart, I continued forward, the smell far too overpowering to remain in place.

As I continued forth on the final minute of my drive, I felt the air of optimism I’d tried to maintain waver, as the strange, putrid scent slowly faded from the air.

“Truly, a lovely start to my weekend.”

The sun was dipping low beneath the treeline, painting the sky a watercolor canvas of oranges and blues, a sight I couldn’t help but feel a bit of wonder at. For all that had happened, the sight of that Illinois sky in dusk reminded me just why I was coming out here, getting out into nature and away from the city.

As I rounded another bend in the road, at the end of a long, gravel driveway, dotted with spots of grass and other stubborn greenery growing through it as though it hadn’t been adequately maintained for a while - the house came into view.

Any sense of relief I felt at finally arriving at the end of my journey, was tainted by the immediate irritation I felt as I got a look at my abode for the weekend. Just to be sure I’d arrived at the right location, I opened my phone and found the reservation I’d been sent. It was the house alright, except the house in picture looked about a decade newer, driveway spick and span, wood almost gleaming with a new finish, whereas now?

Now it appeared all but forgotten. The wooden sign on the house that read out the number of the address hung lopsided haphazardly over the door, the roof was missing more than a few shingles, and the exterior walls as well as the porch were all chipped and covered in a thick sheet of dust, dirt, and leaves.

I had half a mind to turn back at that moment. Inconvenience after inconvenience had tipped me past the point of patience, and the last thing I could imagine wanting to do was spend a week alone in a dump.

Yet as I sat with my thoughts, confronting the idea of another several hours on the exhaustion-inducing, farm-lined roads, I determined to at least see the inside before I made a decision.

I grabbed my phone, swiping through the messages once more to no avail, before stepping out the car, hauling my bag out with the other arm.

A chill tingled beneath my skin as I stepped into the cool fall air, a gust sending leaves scattering past.

I made my way to the door, pushing open the top of the light fixture as advised in our reservation, reaching inside.

I stifled a yelp as I felt cobwebs breaking beneath my hand as I felt for, and eventually found the key, quickly drawing it back and wiping my hand across my pants.

The key clicked in the door, and I pushed inside.

My eyes widened, and I almost dropped my bag in shock as I took in the interior. It was…nice. A far cry from the exterior, the living room I stepped into was every bit the homey cabin vibe I had hoped.

I stepped inside, suddenly feeling the excitement of before rekindled as I hurried about the house. The kitchen was just as impressive, decorated in a cute floral wallpaper that spoke of an older taste, and were adorned with the pictures of an elderly couple who I assumed must own the home, confirming the theory.

I made my way to the master bedroom, placing my bag on the bed after taking a glance at the other two, settling on the biggest. Pulling out my phone, I was ready to record a video to send to my friends, rubbing it in a bit for their flakiness when I saw the notification for a text. Seeing Beatriz’ name, I hurried to open it, fully expecting an apology for leaving me alone this week.

I felt a surge of excitement as I read the message. It had come ten minutes before, a little after I’d arrived while I’d been taking stock of the house.

Hey, sorry, overslept like a mf. I’m getting ready and I’ll be on my way in ten, should be there around 9ish, traffic sucks rn.

I nearly leapt in celebration, the fact that I wouldn’t have to confront the next few nights alone immediately making the prospect of the weekend ahead all the more exciting. A glance at the time told me it was 5:54.

I quickly sent my reply, including a brief description of the house as if to sweeten the deal and ensure no last minute backing out, and before long, I had settled into the bed in the master bedroom, as music playing from my phone on the end table beside the bed.

At some point the exhaustion of the drive took its toll, lulling me into a deep sleep.

I awoke in confusion hours later, to a room pitch black, the air thick heavy with an awful scent. My heart began to race as my eyes scanned the heavy darkness, struggling to use what little light came in through the window to orient myself.

It was open, just a few inches but enough so that the room had taken the same biting chill of the air outside. In my sleep-dazed mind the temperature was all I noticed at first, hardly stopping to think just why it was open..

A digital clock glared at me in the darkness from the shelf across from the bed, its red glow offering little more than the ability to read it.

12:42.

I overslept. It was the first thought my bleary mind conjured, a vague sense of panic forming.

Krrrrk.

The sound of groaning wood from weight against a floorboard rang out amidst the blackness. My every hair stood on end, skin prickling as sudden panic bubbled in my gut. I scanned the darkness desperately, searching for what made the noise, fully expecting to find some masked maniac standing overhead.

As my eyes adjusted, I caught sight of the shape of someone in the doorway, and for a moment, I felt a scream rising in my throat.

It was only as I began to realize that my potential attacker was 5’3, and rather familiar, that I felt comfortable reaching for the bedside lamp, flicking it on. As the person came into view, I felt both a surge of relief and irritation, as well as a faint, but pounding ache in my head.

“Beatriz, what the hell?”

She stood just past the doorway, her hair hanging at either side, errant leaves and streaks of dirt visible on her clothing. My vision seemed to swim with an odd, surreal sort of effect, the light around her appearing streaky and hazy for a moment.

“You…okay?” I asked, trying to rub the latent effects of sleep from my eyes.

My words seemed to shake her free of whatever spell she was under, her head rising, eyes locking on mine with a hazy gleam of recognition and something else unfamiliar.

She sighed, shuddering for a moment as if caught by some breeze only she could feel, before nodding slowly.

“I’m…okay.” She moved her jaw, for a moment, as if it was injured and required some practice before proper use, before stepping into the room.

I sat up fully, the final wisps of sleep dissipating from amidst my thoughts, as Beatriz made her way into the light of the room.

My eyes shot open wide as I got a good look at the state of her. I sprang up from bed.

“Oh my god, what the fuck happened?!”

Her clothes were tattered, the brown sweater she was wearing was ripped in several places, with leaves knotting themselves into the material, and dirt smeared in several places.

The tights she wore were hardly in better condition, even her skin bore cuts and scratches, and all the signs of some violent incident. It was as though she’d run a country mile through the woods.

She looked down at herself as if my question had reminded her of something, the look in her eyes still…hazy and unrecognizable as she did so.

In an instance, any semblance of fear I’d felt before was gone, replaced only by concern and worry for my friend. I made my way over to her, crossing the room without a thought, raising my hand to her face.

As my hand met her skin, I felt a chill rippled down my back. Her cheek was icy cold, as if she’d been out in the frigid night for so long her very flesh and blood had frozen, and I drew my hand away instinctively.

“Jesus Christ, you’re freezing!”

I hurried to the side of the bed, snatching off the comforter, and throwing it around her in an instant. I tried to usher her forward, towards the bed, and for a moment she stood firm, her body so stiff it seemed impossible to move, before she relented, trudging forward with me.

“Do I need to call an ambulance?” I started, as I got her settled on the bed.

She shook her head, staring up at me, a look in her eyes I couldn’t begin to understand and yet,, made me feel somehow deeply uneasy. That distant pounding in my head swelled steadily, the faint thud now an aching drumbeat.

“What - what happened?”

She watched me for a moment longer, and I felt a cold chill prickle at the back of my neck as I waited for a response. The wind picked up outside, making the house groan under its weight. My stomach twisted, for reasons I couldn’t understand as I waited in silence for her to speak.

After seconds that seemed to stretch into uneasy minutes, she spoke, voice hoarse at first.

“I’m - okay. My car broke down. Just down the road. Had to walk.”

She sounded…odd. Like she was reciting a practiced line.

My eyes widened at that.

“You - walked here? From - where? Chrissake, B, why wouldn’t you just call me?”

I sat beside her, almost recoiling as our skin met, her’s cold and clammy.

As I did so, I began to realize that the stench, that acrid smell like burning rubber, seemed to roll off of her. It was so strong, too strong and too…metallic to be made by her body surely, and I assumed it must be from whatever happened to her car.

Still, it felt wrong in a way I couldn’t quite peg, a smell like an electrical fire seeming to pour forth from her with no reasonable source.

“My phone - it's dead. I left it in the car. It’s okay. It's fine.”

She smiled, a quick, unfriendly twitch of an expression, though something in her eyes didn’t quite match.

Her eyes appeared…glassy almost, focused but unfamiliar twin pools of oil, beneath which something else seemed to linger just below the surface. There was something odd, I couldn’t quite put to words about her face, as though there were things in plain sight I was missing.

The harder I tried to make sense of it though, the more my head began to pound, until the pain was splitting, and I tried no longer.

I felt unsure of what to do. Like I was watching a movie I’d started halfway through, I knew something was going on, but couldn’t tell what.

For what she was telling me she seemed far too…calm, which contrasted with her bedraggled appearance only served to make me feel uneasy.

“How did you get in?” I asked, rising as a chill rippled through me on an errant breeze that came through the window.

I made my way around the bed and over to the window, pulling it shut with much exertion as the old wood seemed to fight against me.

“The door. It was unlocked.”

That puzzled me. I quickly tried to rack my brain to remember if, on arrival, I had indeed forgotten to lock the front door. I could find no certain answer, as my mind began second-guessing what fragmented memory I might have of doing so, and with little reason to be disbelieving, I accepted.

“Well shit,” I breathed, exhaling as if to relieve the mental pressure that the night, and her story seemed to convey.

I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, there was something off. It was like the feeling when you’re in a dream and can tell something is wrong but not exactly what. I wondered if perhaps it was the lingering sleep still clouding my mind with its faint haze and putting me on edge.

A part of me wanted to press further, but for what, I wasn’t sure, and it was clear to me that Beatriz probably needed a shower and some sleep. With that thought, I realized I was still exhausted, the initial shock of Beatriz’ appearance all but fully faded, the waning adrenaline leaving weariness in its place.

“Well if you’re sure you’re okay then, I can show you to the guest bedrooms, and the bathroom.” I finally spoke after a moment.

“The one down the hall is the nicest of the three.”

I stood from the bed, making my way to the door and waiting for her to follow. She watched me, eyes following me to the doorway as I did so. I turned, reaching into the hallway and feeling around until I felt the lightswitch, flicking it on and abating the thick darkness that filled the hall.

“Do you -” I sucked in a breath, jumped back, and collided into the wall with one motion.

Beatriz stood behind me, watching with those eyes that seemed so…empty. I hadn’t even heard her get up, despite both the creakiness of the old bed and floorboards, nothing. To my mind, it was like she’d practically teleported.

“You scared me, girl,” I breathed, feeling the faint nausea left in place of a sudden shock, as I gripped my chest.

“Sorry,” she sighed, her breath seemed to crackle and hiss with the speech, “I’m right behind you.”

I nodded, turning to lead her to the other rooms, but in doing so, I couldn’t ignore the hair standing up on my back now, suddenly feeling uncomfortable with my friend behind me.

I didn’t know what had happened to her, and only had a suspicion she wasn’t telling me something, but her behavior so far had been just…odd all around.

I figured perhaps it was an effect of being out in the sticks, surrounded by dark woods and the croaks and cries of nature, causing me to be paranoid. I tried to ignore the feeling, though there was no way to fully shake it.

Besides, my head was pounding at this point. I couldn’t dismiss the possibility that it was playing some part in how...weird everything felt. I made a mental note to seek out a doctor in the morning if it hadn’t returned to normal.

I led her to the largest of the available rooms, clicking on the light and standing by the doorway, waiting for her to look around.

She shuffled over beside me, peering into the room with that same look of disinterest, before nodding slowly.

“That works.” A smile spread over her lips. There was no warmth in the expression. It was cold, unloving, the sort that made me feel as if there were some joke I wasn’t in on.

There’s something there…something you’re missing. I couldn’t help the thought, growing all the more present as her smile sent chills through me, I couldn’t shake the odd feeling that I was missing something in plain sight.

I grit my teeth unconsciously, her response only serving to aggravate my unease.

Nausea made steady tumbles in my gut, as did that smell…like burning plastic in an electrical fire seemed to pour forth from her.

“Cool, do you wanna get your stuff, or check out the bathroom or…?” I trailed off, waiting for her to say anything more than a single sentence.

I could hear the wind picking up outside.

It carried through the cracks in the windows, and spaces between doors with a ghostly hum, making the house creak in protest under its weight and the hair along my arms raise.

“No stuff,” She said, eyes never shifting as they remained locked on mine, stern and hard.

“It’s in the car. Just around the corner."

Her head nodded to one side as if to indicate where her vehicle waited.

The corners of her lips twitched as though some secret joke had mustered the ghost of a smile, and her eyes widened slightly.

Silence followed, her words seemed to hang there between the two of us.

The wind continued its baleful howl outside, making phantom whistles as it made its way through the house, while the air seemed to crackle with a surreal, dream-like sort of static.

Despite having almost five inches in height on her, and being in a bit better shape due to my more recent history of athletics, it felt as though she towered over me.

Her gaze felt alien and hostile, and there was something more I couldn’t put my finger on, something to do with the almost mask-like stillness of her face that made my stomach turn. It felt as though she were waiting for something.

“Do you want me to drive you to your car?” I asked, feeling less than certain myself as I made the offer.

That brought a smile to her face. I regretted the words as quickly as I’d spoken them.

From the moment I’d met B, way back in highschool, one thing that had always stood out was her smile. It was the toothy sort of grin that filled her whole face, and couldn’t help but spread to others.

This was something different, it felt less like an expression of joy and every bit like a predator baring its fangs. Her teeth seemed…strange, in a way I couldn’t quite make sense of. It was as though they were too big for her mouth but just barely so.

I tried to keep the unease from my expression, though I’m uncertain how effective it was, as my gaze ran across her face. It wasn’t just her expressions, or smile, the longer I looked the more details seemed to emerge that were almost…but not quite right, in such a way as to feel disturbingly uncanny.

‘You’re exhausted,’ the skeptical, rational side of my mind called out, ‘Your brain is still half-asleep, and you’re seeing things.’

I could think of no other alternative that could be based in reality, and didn’t leave me facing illogical and deeply disquieting conclusions.

‘Forget reality, for a second. This all feels wrong*.’* My mind continued its silent tug of war, when she spoke.

I felt a steady sleet form in my veins, as she spoke, and for a moment I could almost swear there was something…else in her voice. Another, barely above a hiss, but menacing in a way I had never felt before.

“*I would…*a - ppreciate that, my friend,”

It was gone as quickly as it appeared, leaving my stomach in knots, and me to wonder if it hadn’t been yet another strange effect of my mind.

I nodded slowly.

‘You’re going to rationalize yourself to death tonight,’ a part of my mind echoed.

‘She’s your best friend. Because she’s acting weird as fuck, what, she’s possessed? This is real life, not a movie.’

Rationality made its rebuttal.

I just wished I felt more convinced.

It was Beatriz of course. There was no doubt I was looking upon the face of my friend, no matter how many disconcerting little…details there appeared to be. So why did it feel so much like I was looking upon someone, or something malevolent and unfamiliar?

The thought of being isolated in a car with her, so close and inescapable, made my throat run dry and my heart thud uneasily. No matter how hard I tried to explain away the surreal eeriness of the night, it seemed to hold me firm in its grip, claws sinking in at any attempt to escape.

I could feel her eyes burning holes through me, that unloving smile frozen in place, and felt compelled to break the silence.

“Well, take your time to clean up then,” I said, no longer waiting for her to make a choice and offering my own.

I needed her away for me for some time, just long enough to leave me with my thoughts and decipher just what was going on, and why one of my best friends was making me feel so deeply unsafe.

Her head cocked to the side, eyes narrowing for a moment, in an expression oddly reminiscent of some prowling wolf, mild interest cut with something all too similar to malevolence.

After a moment, she nodded, and after a few more I realized she was waiting for me to lead her there.

I stepped past her, moving towards the bathroom and flicking on the light, ushering her in with a smile that hung uneasily.

She stepped into the bathroom, moving past me, and as she did the cold that seemed to waft off of her leaving goosebumps along my skin. That awful, burnt rubber smell hung heavy in her hair.

I pulled the door shut behind her with a nod and a feigned smile. She watched me over her shoulder, eyes seeming to burn holes into me even through the mirror, never so much as wavering from my face until the door finally closed.

I waited until I heard the squeal of the faucet and rush of the water, before I felt comfortable letting myself relax a bit.

I sighed, feeling an immense relief having her gaze off of me, as though some unseen valve had been opened, allowing all the pressure in the room to seep out.

What in the hell has gotten into her? Finally alone, it seemed to hit me all at once how utterly unusual the entire night had been, surreal and dreamlike, like waking up halfway through a nightmare, and I found myself searching for answers. The possibilities felt endless, though none seemed right.

I considered that maybe it was drugs, but for as long as I’d known B, she was straight as an arrow when it came to any sort of substance, and I couldn’t see that having changed in a day or two.

Perhaps I was still asleep. It would explain the strangeness of it all, and that unshakable feeling…like the air buzzing with a surreal, otherworldly sort of energy all too familiar in dreams and nightmares. But no, even that felt wrong. It was much too detailed, too vivid, I was surely awake.

I grabbed my keys from atop the night stand, head spinning.

Then what?

I’m missing something. That thought again, I couldn’t shake it.

Something happened, something’s wrong here and I’m just…missing it.

As if an answer from the universe, I heard an angry buzz from down the hall, coming from my room. It took only a moment to realize it was my cell phone, vibrating against the table by the bed. The alert for a text.

My heart leapt, hoping for a moment that one of my friends was texting to tell me they were on their way, and I wouldn’t be left to figure this all out alone for long. As I made my way into the room, hurrying to the desk before the buzzing could cease, I couldn’t shake the anticipation doing somersaults in my gut.

As I saw the name, there in white across a black background, floating above the green and red call symbols, anticipation gave way to confusion. My head pounded now, a sharp splitting pain.

And confusion, to a cold, awful dread.

“I’m ready.”

I nearly jumped from my skin, stomach doing a full 360 as I heard Beatriz’ voice from just behind me.

Spinning to face her, I clicked the power button, silencing the call and holding the phone behind my back. Silently, I prayed to any god listening that she hadn’t seen the screen, heart thudding, each pound sending rippling nausea through my gut.

“Okay,” I said, wanting to cringe at the far too artificial cheer in my tone.

“I’m uh, just gonna use the bathroom.”

She didn’t respond, and the thud of my heart grew painful in the following seconds as she remained in place, not once budging from the doorway.

Her eyes…squinted and seemingly stared through me scanning my face like some silent interrogation, had they always been so…odd. The color in their irises was a startling amber, almost yellow, the pupils long and thin and beady.

My head throbbed, the ever-present ache now something with teeth and claws as it dug into the soft flesh around it. Again that feeling, as though I was staring at a painting and only seeing half the picture. Her face…it seemed to shudder.

Before long more details became apparent, and it seemed the longer I looked the less like Beatriz she appeared. Her teeth…had they always ended in such unusual points? I was certain they hadn’t looked like that earlier, a mouthful of little daggers flecked in drool.

“Okay,” she spoke, in a voice that sounded more like a hiss.

My heart was in my throat as I tip-toed past her, never once taking my eyes of hers, suddenly predatory and cat-like, until I was in the hall and hurried to the bathroom.

I pressed my back to the door as it shut behind me, clicking the lock as the panic allowed itself to finally pour over in the form of gasping breaths and an unending tremor. It was too much, I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare or some horror movie, invisible cameras following and unheard music ramping up in anticipation of an awful climax.

I peered through the window opposite me, a few feet above the toilet, finding only darkness to greet me. I flipped open the toilet seat with my foot, making an intentional racket as I did so before quickly opening my phone.

“Please, please please,” I muttered, not sure who I was pleading to that somehow, I’d seen wrong in the moments before she’d returned, somehow I had misread the name on my screen. My heart fell, as I only found the confirmation I’d expected.

Missed call from Beatriz, followed by two missed texts, and a voicemail.

It took a moment for me to open the message with the tremor in my hand, but when I did, I could feel dread running its skeletal hands along my back, raising gooseflesh in its wake.

“Hey, Jenn. Don’t hate me please, but I can’t make it this weekend, I’m soooorry. My grandmother is sick and the family is running out to Indy to be with her. I absolutely owe you one. Hope you’re not mad, try to enjoy yourself -’” the rest of the message faded as the phone fell away from my face, a voice I knew to be none other than Beatriz’ speaking on the other end.

It had been left hours ago. Her most recent text was inquiring on whether or not I’d settled in, and I didn’t respond.

The words in her voicemail seemed to echo in my head.

I stared forward, dark conclusions emerging to the forefront of my mind, that I realized had been lingering there for quite a while.

She’s not here. Beatriz isn’t here.

The faint tremors present since I’d entered the bathroom rose to a seismic shake as the thought rang out in my head, and as if in response, I could hear the faint creak of a floorboard from just outside the bathroom.

Then what who…what is that?

A sound - raspy, gasping breath, wet and labored grew audible just on the opposite side and made my skin crawl like insects had burrowed beneath it.

Crrkk. Crrkkk. Crrkkkk.

Three long hisses, one after the other, something sharp against wood. It took me only a moment to come to the realization that she - it…whatever was on the opposite side, was scratching at the door.

“I’m ready t - to go.” I shuddered as she - it spoke, the voice was deep, uneven and inhuman, like a recording of Beatriz made awful and distorted, yet somehow it affected a sing-song pitch.

The scratching grew louder, more feverish, as though there were some clawed animal on the other side desperate to gain entry.

The door shook slightly, as the clawing slowly devolved into a scratching thud against it, making the surrounding walls shake. Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground, an odd idea emerging.

The tile of the floor sent chills through my legs, as I pressed myself to the floor. Opening the camera on my phone, I struggled for a moment to focus it beneath the crack in the door. I wanted to see what was out there, though I was disturbingly aware it would not be my friend.

For a few seconds the screen remained a blur, the camera adjusting to whatever lay on the opposite end, appearing as just smeared light and shadow. As it began to shift, I could make out the feet and legs of the thing on the opposite end.

Its feet were more like clawed hooves, ending in gnarled digits, and most disturbingly they appeared twisted as though from below its knees everything had turned 180 degrees.

I felt my head spinning as though I were falling, every horrific assumption I’d made feeling somehow lackluster.

The breath caught in my throat, my thumb shook.

Be - beep.

The chirp of my phone, followed by a flash as my thumb hit the camera button.

For a moment, maybe half a second, there was nothing but icy fear and the feeling of my heart in my throat, and it seemed as though the world fell still.

Then the camera filled, a blur of red and black and terrible gold, and when it adjusted I was staring into a nightmare. The thing on the opposite end of the door let out an awful, shrieking cackle, its ruinous face filling my screen.

Skin hung in tatters from a massive fleshy face gleaming with slick blood and other fluids, like some swollen, flayed corpse. At the center, those two cats' eyes gleamed with hunger, humor, and awful intent.

I stumbled back scurrying across the floor, and just barely moving away in time to avoid the grasping fingers that shot beneath the door, long and gnarled and ended in obsidian claws.

Its laughter filled the air, somehow the sound of many discordant voices cackling and hollering and shrieking all at once. The door shook violently, the wood giving an awful, ominous crack.

“Jennny, Jennnny, let me in Jenny..” It howled in that inhumane voice, somehow making my name feel like an insult. The door gave a great thud between each word.

I could almost see it in my mind's eye, colliding its head against the door, harder and harder, that awful smile growing wider as it grew closer to me.

I knew I had minutes, maybe less before it got in. I opened the phone to call the police, then remembered the drive out here, feeling a deep sinking feeling. I hadn’t seen a police department anywhere along my drive, and I couldn’t imagine any could be here soon.

No, I had to do something.

I scanned the bathroom, my eyes falling on the window. My hand practically flew to my pocket, my heart surging as I felt my keys.

I flicked on the water, in a vain attempt to hide the sound of what I was going to do, as I grabbed ahold of the towel rack, gritted my teeth and pulled as hard as I could muster. It slid from the wall with surprising ease, and I had to stumble to avoid falling flat on my back. I felt a shock of pain in my ankle, and tears shooting to my eyes. I had no time to think about it. I pulled myself onto the toilet, balancing on my good leg. Shutting my eyes tight, I reeled the towel rack backwards, and sent it careening into the window. It cracked on the first try, a spiderweb pattern splaying out across its surface.

As if in response, the things horrid laughter descended into something more animalistic, a howling shriek like some supernatural predator.

The door shook harder than ever before, sending a shower of splinters across the bathroom as a long crack appeared down its center. I could see it on the other side.

I felt chills run along my body, my stomach tightening like a fist at the sound I couldn’t even conceive of in a nightmare, but I couldn’t stop.

I pulled back, gritting my teeth and shutting my eyes, and -

CRASH

The window exploded outward in a shower of glass. I knocked away the largest of the jagged edges lining the frame, as another slam, followed by yet another spray of wood spurred me forth. It would have to do.

I pulled my arms through, using them to reach out against either side of the cold brick of the house. I could feel the glass digging then, tearing long cuts through my skin with every movement, gritting my teeth and muttering a silent curse as I pulled myself through headlong. It dug into my sides, the angle made it difficult to pull myself through without coming away with a half an inch of glass in my hip.

I had to pause to try and adjust my position, peering down and doing what I could to knock the offending shard loose without stabbing myself.

It was then that I heard a sound from within that sent me into a frantic panic, a strange mix of the booming crack of the door giving way, and an awful, angry shriek from the thing pretending to be Beatriz.

I felt warm blood pooling in my shirt as I forced myself forward with a kick, digging my fingers into the concrete as I fell forward.

The earth sped forward to meet me, and my hands did what they could to shield my fall but -

My leg screamed out with a blinding pain, and I found myself doing the same, as I felt a hand close around the ankle, its grip like iron and steel.

I twisted my head, peering through the tears flooding my eyes at my captor. It shrieked and hissed at me somehow at once, that swollen, macabre parody of a face baring its dozens of fanged teeth in an expression that could only mean fury.

It began to tug with surprising strength, pulling my leg halfway through the window and breaking off the chunk of glass in my thigh. I could hardly hear my own screams through the ringing in my head.

It’s going to kill me. I’m going to die here.

Blood and snot ran down my face as I tried to find some purchase, something to grip and pull myself free as I dangled uselessly against the wall, every second more of my body sliding back within the house.

I had only seconds at most, before I was inside again, and I knew at that point any chance of escape was gone.

I set my jaw, its iron grip making my leg shriek in a pain so explosive my insides turned to liquid. I reeled back, the motion only worsening the pain, and with all I could muster planted a furious kick at the center of its face.

The reaction was immediate, as I felt something give way beneath my foot and heard an awful crack. Seconds later I collided with the ground. The creature reeled away with a shriek, gripping its pumpkin-like face as dark blood spurted forth.

For a moment, it moved its hand, seeming to inspect the wound I’d left, a massive gash splitting it where a nose had once been, revealing what looked to me like dozens, maybe hundreds of interwoven tendrils, like so many worms in orgiastic movement. The rage I saw in its eyes reminded me I had no time to wait. I stumbled forth, doing my best to keep my bad leg stiff beneath me, unwilling to trip and die like in some cliche horror movie death.

It wailed from the window behind me, a sound like nothing I’ve ever heard, or will ever forget. I didn’t look back, my hands finding the keys in my pockets and clicking the lock button, the glow of my car's headlights feeling like salvation.

I heard a crash, the final few chunks of glass surely, and I knew I had seconds. I limped around the hood of the car, pulling open the driver side door, and glancing up to see it only a few yards away, and gaining fast.

I shrieked out, unable to help myself before jumping headlong into the car, quickly pulling the door shut behind me. The car shook as it jumped atop the hood. With the gash my kick had left, it appeared somehow even more inhuman than before, the face beneath its face a shifting, gurgling mass of teeth and flesh.

It hissed, spraying gray-black bile across the window. My hand hurried to the lock button, before I pushed the key into the ignition. My ankle screamed out in protest as I attempted to push the gas, forcing me to use my off leg. The car jerked back with a screech, but the creature held firm.

My eyes met the thing in the window, its own glistening with such hatred like I’ve never seen. Slowly it leaned in close, until its breath left fog on the window, and spoke, with a voice like Beatriz, and mine, and a dozen others.

“I’ll see - you again.”

With that, it was gone, disappearing in a flash off into the surrounding woods. Panic, terror, and all of the awful things seemed to coarse through me. My stomach threatened vomit, and my body tremored with unspent energy, but it didn’t matter. I pulled out of that gravel driveway, and drove.

Drove out of that neighborhood, away from that town, and all the way home, not stopping until I was in front of my house, and only then breaking down.

At some point I found my way into my house, and into bed, where I collapsed, and felt as though I slept for years.

I never did tell my friends, or anyone for that matter, what happened that weekend. Who would believe me? Truth be told, I want to forget, and I’m hoping finally writing this all out will help.

I’ve done the best I can on my own, but even weeks later, I find my mind running away with me.

I saw Beatriz last week. On my way back from physical therapy for my leg. She was exiting the forest preserve a few blocks away from my house, an early morning jog or something I’m sure, and though it was only in passing, I could swear she saw me. She saw me and smiled.

She insists I’m mistaken, that she was in class around the time I saw her. Maybe I am, who knows anymore. All I know is my cabin trip days are behind me.

And I’ve learned that no matter how right something looks, trust your gut. There are things that will smile at you with a friend's face, that mean you only harm.