After we all got sick of the Lake it started to get dark, and we headed to the porch to start grilling some dinner. Nathan and Zeke were taking care of that while we all chilled and drank. The Lake incident had scared us, but Nathan was just being funny… or trying to.

It wasn’t funny at all to me though. 

Lyle nudged me, “You need to chill, wanna try some of that stuff I showed you earlier?”

I looked at him, “Lyle, I’m not getting high with you…”

He smiled, “It would calm your nerves though,” he wiggled his eyebrows and I laughed. He was so retarded, but I loved him. Even though he was a clown, he was probably one of the smartest people I knew. Sure, he didn’t put out 100 percent but he still knew a lot… even though he tried to keep that on the low. 

Finally the food was ready and I fixed me a burger, and sat next to Kate and Allison, feeling Allison’s bare leg touch mine. We were seated around a small fire that Lyle and Zeke had created, and I rolled my eyes at the thought, these two were going to burn down the cabin if we didn’t watch them with that damn lighter. 

I looked at Allison, and she smiled, she was playing her game, but I was going to play mine to. She wasn’t going to win this time… she was going to have to try hard if she wanted to get what she wanted from me. 

My talking stomach finally settled, and I was full, I didn’t even remember the last time I ate, but Nathan sure knew how to cook a burger. He was sitting next to Kate, and I studied them, they were so cute.

Perfect couple in my mind. 

They would make some sexy ass babies.

Zeke spoke, “So… you guys wanna tell scary stories? Cause I have one.”

I looked at Zeke, right now I wasn’t in the mood to hear one, mostly because we were in the middle of nowhere and I was already still on high alert from earlier today. 

But everyone else was gun hoe for it, and I sighed in defeat, feeling nervous before he even started. 

“There was this  group of friends, just like us, came on a trip to get away for a weekend… they stayed at a cabin maybe three miles from here.” He gestured towards the woods, and he continued, “A man, wearing a mask, all white with hints of dried blood on it. He tortured them, isolating them from each other, making them live their worst nightmares… like he lived in  their dreams. He would slaughter each of them, slowly, and eventually it was down to the last girl, she screamed so loud just before he slit her throat. They say you can hear her echoing scream at midnight, when she died.”

I had the chills, and I’m not the one who gets creeped out easily… but tonight wasn’t a good night. 

I had had a long day.

I looked around the group, I seemed to be the only one that was actually creeped out by the story, so I tried to hide my emotions. 

Allison looked at me, “Wanna come inside and get another drink with me?”

She had pulled me out of my thoughts, and I was grateful, I nodded, “Yea.”

I followed her into the cabin and she shut the door behind her, then spoke, “Am I the only one that feels like there’s something wrong with this place?”

Oh God, she had bad suspicion to… I shook my head, “I’ve been having that feeling ever since the gas station.”

“Mine was the creepy little town…”

She moved toward the drinks and started mixing, I sighed, “I don’t like it one bit.”

She shook her head, “Me neither…”

I studied her, her light green eyes glistening, her pupils were dilated. She was tipsy, but she wasn’t drunk just yet, and I was hoping she wasn’t trying to be. 

I wanted her slightly sober… not wanting to have to hold her hair back while she threw up. 

She sighed, “You sure you don’t want another drink?”

I shook my head, “I’m good, thanks.”

She fixed her drink, then looked at me, she was lustful, but there was other feelings hidden in her eyes. She missed me, I knew that, she was clinging to me emotionally, and I liked it. I missed her to, a lot, and I was hoping this trip would bring us back together. 

Maybe for good. 

She leaned in, kissing my lips, she was so soft, and tasted like strawberry alcohol. It was sweet, and then the group walked in, interrupting us. 

She pulled back, smiling slightly, and then I felt my face flush. 

Zeke groaned, “Why’d y’all stop?!”

I laughed, joining them in the living room and lounging on the couches. It was a very open cabin, very comfy and even though it was “Malum Lake Cabin” it still was elegant. 

I was walking across the floor when I stepped on a hollow feeling under my feet, and I looked down. I pulled the rug back, revealing a door.

Kate spoke, “What is that?”

I shrugged, “Looks like a door? Maybe to the basement?”

Nathan walked over, and the others joined us, he spoke, “So open it.”

I looked at him, “Why?”

“Because I wanna know what’s down there.”

I rolled my eyes, backing away form it, “Then you open it.”

He looked at me, then bent down and wedged his fingers between the floor and the trap door, and pulling it open. They had stairs, but it was pitch dark, and he sighed, “See, not that bad.”

I laughed, “Then go down there.”

He looked at me, “You scared, Brooklyn?”

My eyes caught Allison, and even though I had a bad feeling about this place I wasn’t going to pussy out in front of her. I rolled my eyes, “No.”

He smiled, “Then go down there.”

I pulled my gaze away form Allison and then shrugged, “Ok.”

I started down the steps, and I instantly regretted this. I didn’t want to do this, I wanted to impress them, but I don’t think this was worth it. I cautiously moved down the stairs, and they creaked under my feet.

Then I hit the bottom. 

It felt like I was standing on dirt, it was soft, and a little stuffy down here. But I couldn’t see shit.

I wish I would’ve had my phone, I could’ve shown some light but I left it upstairs in my clothes. I groaned, searching around for a light, and then my head hit something, it felt like a string. 

I pulled it, and light filled the room, revealing a bookcase, and boxes, and other shit. Then I heard footsteps coming down the stairs.

I turned quickly, in filed Nathan, then Zeke, Allison, Kate, and Lyle. They all looked around, Nathan spoke, “You got some balls, I would’ve never done it.”

I smirked, “Pussy.”

He frowned and then started pacing around the basement, and I walked over to a bookshelf, wondering what books could be in a cabin basement. 

At first I saw a bunch of hunting magazines, and clothing catalogs, a copy of “Gone with the Wind” and other classics. Old ones to. 

It wasn’t until I came across what looked like a dictionary when I became iffy. 

I heard the others behind me talking and digging  through all of the junk, but all of my attention was on this book. 

I looked at the cover, it read “Latin/English dictionary.”

Hmm, what would someone need a Latin dictionary for? Latin was a dead language…

I flipped through the pages, not really finding any interest in it. But before I put it up, I caught a thought, and started flipping rapidly.

I ran my finger down the page, looking for the word. I didn’t know what made me think to even look it up, but I had a feeling it would be important. 

Then I found it, stopping my finger on the word “Malum” and reading the definition. 

Evil, wrong, ill, ailment, harm, hurt.

I swallowed hard, and dropped the book. 

This place wasn’t right, but how was I going to make the others believe?