We drove to the cabin with a plan to face the beast. Little did we know that the beast really was the least of it. What was the beast? It doesn’t really matter. Truthfully, we haven’t even got a good look at the thing. A mutated bear, perhaps. A big furry creature that growls with the speed, ferocity and sound of chainsaws. Hands that could chop down trees. Your guess is as good as mine. That was not the true horror we faced tonight. I’m not sure the beast had anything to do with it.
It was midnight when we pulled our four wheel drive up next to the cabin my family has owned for generations. The horror was immediately noticeable. Door smashed to pieces. Glass covering the ground. I jumped from the car and stepped toward it, with a piercing shriek in the distance to accompany my footsteps. It echoed through the woods for a long moment, before it was cut off. The distinct sound of chainsaws. More man than beast, perhaps?
“Do you think we’ll be able to get replacement windows and frames this far out?” asked my wife.
I shook my head and paced around the cabin. I’d never seen so much damage. After news of the beast in the woods, I thought we ought to check the cabin, but I’d never expected it to be this bad.
“I doubt any window frame replacement companies will travel all this way for an old cabin. It’s just you, me and the bear. Or whatever it is. Could be a man in a bear costume with chainsaws in his hands. Do you think it’s responsible for this?”
Now my wife shook her head. “Not likely, unless the beast plays a Nine-Ten-Doe Game Girl in his spare time.” She picked up an old handheld console and passed it to me. It had been sitting next to the broken front door.
“Like I said, could be a human. Or the damage could be from ages ago. We’ve never even come here before.”
We were silent for a time. But as we looked into each other’s eyes, we knew it had to be done. Somebody had to find this beast, and fast. Wish us luck.