“HELP HELP!” I screamed as I heard him draw near. His heavy footsteps made the boards creak as he chased me. “PLEASE SOMEONE HELP!” I screamed again but it was too late . He had grabbed me. I tried to wriggle away but it was no use. I was caught…..

“Cut!” the director ordered “Miss Collins, that was some fine acting!” 

“Thank you mr cartwright.” I replied as my captor let me go.

“And Mr Hernandez, I need you to work on your acting just a bit. You're getting lazy in your steps.” 

Axel Hernandez groaned as he took off his mask that the art department had made for him, and let it hang loosely in his hand.

“Mr Cartwright, I've been trying but you have been working us non stop that I've had no time to practice because I'm so tired,” Axle argued.

‘Here we go again’ I say in my head as the two start bickering. I hop off the stage to grab my water that was sitting by an open chair. I sit down and take a drink of my water, enjoying the show. 

“I wonder who's going to win this time, eh rowan?” 

Caught off guard I jumped and turned around to see Sebastian who was also watching them. “Sebastian i didn't see you” i say pretending like i didn't just get scared “my guess would be mr cartwright, he usually always wins these things' ' I take another drink of water.

“I think Axel has the upper hand this time but I think I know who's going to be sweeping the stage floors after this” he chuckles as Mr Cartwright flips his hands up in defeat, leaving Axel with a satisfied smirk.

I chuckle with him. Sebastian and I have always gotten such good laughs while watching our teacher and friend battle about the littlest things, and sometimes we swear that Mr Cartwright is just a teenager in disguise. After I finish having a laugh I glance up at the clock by the exit doors. Only five minutes away until school is out for the week. 

“I better start turning off the lights,” Sebastian says as he glances over at the clock. “See you around rowan” he waves to me before going up to the audio box and the controls for the lights. 

Mr Cartwright had packed up his stuff while patting the axel on the back. They both were laughing now. It was about mid october and Mr Cartwright made us do a horror play and Axel wasn't entirely wrong. He had been making us practice our lines non stop and even went as far as to ask us to come after school so we could do rehearsals, even though we had already practiced in class. It wasn't all that bad though we enjoy theater so we don't get as pissed as the other kids.

The bell rings and I grab my backpack and say goodbye to Sebastian and mr cartwright. Me and Axel walk back to our lockers while we chat about this week's camping trip. We had invited some of our friends and started making preparations last week. We decided that today after school we would get the last of what we need.

I get to my locker and quickly open it and throw in my unneeded books while Axel gets our camping buddies. Soon Axel arrives at my locker with Stacy Patel, William Cooper, and Sophia martinez.

“Hey rowan” stacy waves. Me and Stacy had always been good friends but we had not been able to hang out a lot since junior year started. She's been busy with cheerleading and I've been busy with theater. “So where exactly are we going camping? No one has told us anything” she says as the others nod.

Axle grind maliciously “don't worry your pretty little heads i'll tell you when we get to rowans place” stacy scoffed at his explanation and the others rolled there eyes “sophie just bring your camera so i can get the priceless looks on your face when you realize where were headed” he adds before walking off.

Sophia is a photographer for the yearbook and I have to say she's at a professional level so if Axle is serious about this place I think she might like it more than the others. William on the other hand gives axel a confused and unsure look. I thought for sure William would know where we're going but I guess I hadn't realized how much Axel and he had drifted apart, well ever since Axle left the football team.

We all walked to my house, chatting on the way. William, the whole time, tries to get an explanation out of axel but he doesn't give in. Meanwhile, Stacy and Sophie are laughing at the scene. 

A little before dusk we arrived at my house. We hurriedly walk in and my friends run up to my room while I say hi to my mother and father, grab some snacks and deposit my backpack. As I enter my room everyone has already found their place. Axel and Stacy on my bean bags, William on the floor and Sophie on my desk chair. I set the snacks in the middle of the room and placed myself on my bed. 

“So axel mind telling us where we're going to go tomorrow?'' Sophie asks as she sets down her camera on my desk.

“Well i've been thinking that if i tell you, you guys might run off scared” axel replies with a smile “besides it might ruin the surprise and atmosphere”

Stacy rolls her eyes “axle i think you might have already accomplished that” she scoffs

“Why the hell would we be scared……well besides Stacy” will chime in while Stacy gives him an evil glare.

“Ever heard of the cannibal cabin? You know the place where people get killed to feed a cannibal? Thats where were going” 

“Ok so we're going to a cabin and getting killed, great axel thank you for inviting us on the camping trip” sophie says sarcastically.

“Ugh, you guys know nothing do you” Axel hisses back. “Were going to find that creepy cabin. We're going to really find it! i went around talking to some people and they said its at least a day hike to that place so i figured i should turn it into a camping trip” he explains

“Dude are you nuts!'' William shouts while Sophie stares at her camera, delighted to be a part of the trip.

“Calm down will, I'm sure it's all just a stupid story to keep kids out of the cabin before it falls apart. I heard a rumor that they are going to demolish it soon anyways so I want to see it before it does. Let's see if it's really all that.” I say, trying to calm him down. “Besides, were already packed and ready to go so you can't back out now…….unless your a scaredy cat” i mock “Are you will? Are you afraid of a little wives tale? Huh?” Stacy mocks will while Axle is making chicken noises.

William huffs and flips up his hands “FINE! I'll go okay?! Geez” We all chuckle a bit as William falls back onto the floor, angry. 

“So when are we heading out tomorrow?” Sophia asks.

“As early as we can, maybe 7?” Axle answers, unsure. He gives me a look and I nod.

“All the stuff we need is packed in the garage, my dad said I can use the car to get us out to the location but after that it's all hiking. Lets just hope this storm lets up first '' i say as i scratch my neck and look out the window. “But for now let's get some rest, '' I say as I lay back on my bed.

The others agree and make themselves comfy. We chat until our eyes get heavy and one by one we fall asleep, listening to the gentle pitter patter of the rain. 

The night soon grew quiet as the storm clouds moved away and the moon illuminated Rowan's room. Outside there was only a gentle breeze that swayed the tree branches that had only begun to lose their leaves. Once and awhile a bat would swoop by and catch a bug as an owl hooted in the distance. Soon dawn had come and the sun replaced the stars and started to warm the earth.

“Come on the cars not going to pack itself” Axel calls from down stairs as i stand with him. William,Sophie and Stacy were still sleeping which made me roll my eyes as I started to take some supplies out to the car in the garage. As I situate everything I hear a scream from my room as Axel starts to forcibly wake up the other three, probably pushing them off the bed or splashing water in their faces. It made me slightly laugh.

I hear very tired grumbling as the three come down half awake with axel behind them looking like he just drank 3 cups of coffee. They grab some breakfast as  Axel and I  get more of our stuff packed up for the trip. As 8 o clock rolled around, we were pretty much ready to go. I grab the keys to the car and hop in the front seat. Axel takes the passenger seat as Will, Sophie and Stacy are forced to take the back seats. I start up the car and pull out of the garage soon heading onto the road we decided to take to get to our destination faster. After a while I soon turned onto an old car trail that looked like it had been abandoned for years.

As we drive, my friends had already occupied themselves with eye spy or a few games of rock paper scissors, and of course the whole time we talked. I could feel the excitement everyone was getting as we got closer to our camping spot. In reality i think everyone was excited to get to the old creepy cabin that axel told us about. I was even more excited though. I was always a horror fan and was down for anything creepy or haunted. The thrill of being scared just felt so amazing to me although I couldn't speak for everyone.

We soon pull up to our camping spot by noon. It was densely overgrown with pine trees and elms with changing leaves. We park the car and start to unpack all our gear and set up our tents, as well as have a snack break every so often of course. It took about two hours before everything was set up. We take a seat by a large elm and relax for a second. In the meantime we chatted for an hour or so until the sun dipped over the horizon.

Axle gave a creepy chuckle and looked back at all of us. “Well, are we ready to go to the cannibal cabin?” he asked us in a creepy-ish voice as he gathered flashlights for all of us. Stacy looks a little hesitant but immediately grabs a flashlight and her camera, giving us an eager nod.

“Yes!” she practically squealed “come on let's go!” she said excitedly as she waited for Axle. Everyone soon followed and grabbed a flashlight. Axle to lead the way.

We walked through the forest and soon it got denser and denser as the sky got darker and darker. I could tell Will and Stacy were getting nervous while me, Axle, and Sophie were getting more and more eager. Soon enough the wind picked up and in the distance a cabin could be heard creaking and trying not to fall over from the wind. Almost everyone ran to the noise and soon the forest cleared and in front of us stood an old looking wooden cabin, possibly from the 40’s or 50’s. Everyone looked at each other for a second before all of us cautiously walked up to the cabin doors. Slowly axle went first and opened the door. There were only soft spoken words among us, mostly commenting about how creepy and old this place was. As we entered we were hit with a terrible scent. Quickly we pull the tops of our shirts up over our noses as our eyes watered. The smell was a mix of rotten food, old musty cabin smell and rotting corpses. We assumed raccoons were the reason behind this and slowly we started to wander the cabin.

Every step we took we had to be careful that the floor wouldn't give out on us. Scattered on the floor were old and unreadable papers as well as some old items we couldn't quite put a finger on. We first went to the kitchen and that's where the rotten food smell hit us the hardest. On the counter was an old cooked chicken that was being devoured by flies. There were cans of food spread out everywhere and dishes littered the old sink. It was a disgusting site to behold so we went to the basement next. It wasn't anything special. All there was was a concrete floor and a fireplace to warm the home in winter. We weren't impressed so we went to the living room next. It was sparse apart from a couch and old tv, and it looked recently bought. We blamed it on maybe the homeless as we started to freak ourselves out for another reason. Finally we reach the upstairs and we decide to split up. I go to the left with will and Stacy while Axle and Sophie take the right. I walk down a hall and realize that there were pictures hung up on the walls. They were covered in dust so I wiped them off only to see something horrific. The picture I cleaned off was that of a middle aged woman and what looked like her father. She was devouring a corpse…..a human corpse while her dad posed. It had a birthday setting to it and quickly I'm on edge.

I decide that maybe it's a prank and I move on although I'm really on edge. I felt the world spin around me as I tried to make sense of this but suddenly I heard a scream. It sounded like Stacy and so I ran to the sound. What I found made me want to puke. Stacy was trying to go up into the attic with will but a step gave out on her and it seemed that she fell. Her leg was bent in a weird way but what freaked me out was the wooden step going straight through her ankle. I had to look away for a second while I tried to get Stacey to stop crying and screaming. However I was surprised that Axle and Sophie weren't here as well…..where were they?..... Another scream breaks me from my thoughts.

“Rowen, I'm taking her back to camp. I'm going to use the car to get her to a hospital '' Will said in a rush as he effortlessly picked up Stacy who clung to him for dear life. Soon , swiftly he made his way down the stairs and I assumed out of the cabin. 

As I'm left alone I look around for Axle and Sophie and even call out their names but I didn't even hear a peep from any of them. I started to get unnerved and worried and I went through the upstairs to try and find them……god i wish i hadn't. I went through each of the rooms slowly and soon I met with the last door where I hoped I would find them. As I open the door slowly it suddenly stops and wouldn't budge. I sigh and just work with what I have . However, through the few inches of vision I had , I could see that the room was designed like a nursery for a baby girl. The name sweety in block letters was hung up on a light pink wall. Colorful blocks and toys littered the room and a nice crib was set in the corner. It was a complete 180 from the rest of the old and run down cabin…………*crunch*.........i freeze and my breath hitches in my throat. That was the sound of a bone breaking. Slowly I look down and to my feet and what I see makes me scream and fall backwards on the floor. The thing that blocked the door was a body……axles body. He was stripped of his clothes and there was a butcher cut from his throat down like he was butchered like a pig. His guts spiraled out and I could see his chest cavity. He looked like he had been devoured by a flock of vultures but as I turned my head……there she was……sweety. The girl in that birthday photo. She had no hair apart from a few odd starands and her face was deformed with a large lump at the side of her head. She looked to be 23 but she wore a pink and purple nightgown with a unicorn on it. She looked starved and malnourished. Her teeth were yellow and stained with blood. She was a living corpse but here she was alive. Some of her toes and fingers were missing and in her open wounds maggots and bot flies crawled. I wanted to puke and soon I did. I was crying and could barely breathe. Suddenly there were heavy footsteps coming up the stairs and soon a man, seeming in his late 50’s came up the stairs dragging a screaming and crying girl ....”stacy!” i scream

Why did I do that?! The man's head snapped towards me and he had a large butcher's knife as well as an apron. I looked around frantically and there was a window at the end of the hall. The man grabbed my arm before I could react and he lifted me up and off the floor. I kick and scream and fight and eventually get out of his grasp and I run for the window and jump out it. I hit the frozen ground down below hard and soon everything just goes black. 

I wake up with a groan of pain and a cough. My vision was still blurry but I forced myself up. Slowly my senses came to me and a wave of frigid air hit me. It was snowing now and the moon was completely covered by clouds so it was pitch dark outside. What really snapped me back into reality was the scream of sophie. I wanted to run back in and help her but my flight response took over and I stumbled up to my feet and ran as fast as I possibly could. 

I run and run until I'm out of breath. I lean up against a tree and all at once tears start falling from my face in waves. I crumble to the snowy ground and hold myself tightly. I didn't know how long I cried or how much time passed but I heard heavy footsteps crunching the snow below. They were coming towards me, slowly and heavily. I froze up and covered my mouth with my hand to stop myself from screaming.

*crunch*...........*crunch*............*crunch*.............

Suddenly a hand grabs my arm and pulls me up to my feet before throwing me to the ground. I scream and look up at the man that killed my friends. Suddenly he raises his cleaver and brings it down on my leg. It boars deep into my leg and I can feel it hit my bone. I scream and he forces the cleaver back out and prepares to bring it down on my head but at the last moment I roll away. He grabs my leg but i kick him off and force myself to run despite the pain however the adrenaline helped a little. 

I ran and ran again while tears streamed down my face. All of the sudden something clamps around my ankle, shattering it, and making me fall hard to the ground. I slowly look down at what did this and I'm met with horror. A rusty and large bear trap was clamped tightly around my ankle, the teeth boring further into my ankle and closer to my bone. I tried to force the bear trap open but I was too weak. I cried desperately for help as I shivered from the cold. The wind whipped around me and drowned out the sound of my voice. Eventually I give up and just roll to my back in agony like I've never felt before. I look up into the clouds and trees to watch the snowflakes whip by me. My blood stained the snow and poured out of my leg wound like a bloody river. I could feel the blood loss taking effect on my body, making me weaker and clouding my mind. I couldn't cry anymore. Who would I cry for now anyway? My fear? My friends? My family I will never see again?.........myself?

*crunch*..........*crunch*........*crunch*....*crunch*

I weakly look over to meet the face of the killer, the butcher. My vision was going black and my breathing was labored now. The clouds parted for a second, making the butcher's cleaver glint silver, shining and reflecting my defeated and weak face. Blood dripped from it and to the snow. I watched the blood vain and spread out due to the shapes of the snowflakes redirecting the flow of the blood. 

He raises the cleaver and positions it to come down on the side of my neck. I couldn't do anything at all. All I could do was just accept my fate. I look at the moon one last time…….

The cleaver is brought down hard on my neck and I scream in pain as it doesn't kill me immediately. My mouth fills with blood making me gag and gasp for air but to no avail. I choke on my own blood as instincts kick in again and I claw at the cleaver to try and get it out of my neck but to no avail. The pale yellow of the moon turned red and everything around me spun. Blood continues to gurgle up through my throat and flow out of my mouth. Eventually my movements slow and I fall back to the ground. I continue to gasp for air and blood flows out the side of my mouth and onto the snow. My vision blurs and black creeps at the corner of my eyes. My mind filters through memories of my past as it scrambles to find a situation similar to this…….similar to death. This is what they mean when they say life flashes before your eyes. Eventually I stopped fighting trying to breathe. My eyes drift closed…………then……….nothing…….

Before I finally go I can hear the voice of Mr Cartwights saying “cut” before the curtains close. Just before the curtains fully close I give a bow…... .my final bow.