Awake, I lay in bed staring at the barely visible ceiling fan. Moonlight leaking through the window blinds illuminates a picture of my late husband Martin, adorned in a military uniform. It was hard to sleep on nights like these. I would give anything to feel his warm embrace to make me feel safe.
Martin knew that I never wanted to move here. However, it was hard to tell the twinkle in his eye and the slight smirk he carried when excited about something, no. Now I was left alone in a rustic cabin in northern Maine. Miles away from my nearest neighbor.
Something was somewhat different tonight though. A tinge of unease had settled over the property. I remove my comforter off my body and slowly crawl on the bed to the nearest window. Imperceptibly, I move the blinds over to look around outside. Deep in the forest I was met by two eyes reflecting the moonlight. It seemed to be staring right at me. Releasing the blinds, I hastily scoot back onto my headboard with comforter pulled up to my neck. Then I laughed. How silly was I to get so worked up over what was probably a raccoon.
Morning came and I started my usual routine. Drinking coffee and enjoying the view from the back deck. Dew covered the grass and the spider web clinging to the chair where Martin used to sit with me. With a sudden crash, leaves and sticks were thrown up into the air about fifty meters into the woods. Standing to my feet knocking my coffee over, I gasped. Silence emanated from woods. No birds, no insects, just silence.
Whatever it had been, must have been very large. Maybe a deer or black bear. Making my way inside the cabin, I stop and observe through the glass storm door. The wind picks up autumn leaves in a vortex, hurling them across the backyard. Closing the wooden door I thought, it was probably time I asked for anxiety medication from my doctor.
In the late evening, I stoke the fireplace and settle into the couch with a warm cup of Earl Gray. With a quilt draped around my lower half and wearing one of Martin’s hoodies, it was time for me to continue reading my mystery novel.
Slowly, that uneasy feeling had returned, pulling me away from reading. I searched my thoughts, wondering why I kept getting this same feeling time and time again. Looking out the window past the fireplace, night had set in.
While looking upon a certain tree’s silhouette, I could swear I don’t remember the tree being so bushy towards the top. As a matter of fact, I was sure that particular tree was bare and housed a nest to a lone Red-Tailed Hawk. It was at this point that the top of the tree twisted around and those same reflective eyes glared into my living room. I sat frozen, unable to move. The figure then jumped onto a neighboring tree and slid down out of view.
A shiver of ice-cold water raced down my spine, and I carefully rose from my bed, hurrying to my bedroom and securing the door behind me. I huddled in a corner, clutching a blanket, my gaze fixed on the gap beneath the bedroom door. Then, an unearthly howl shattered the stillness outside, its base vibrations rattling the house. The sound, utterly unnatural, reeked of malevolence.
I spent the entire night in a state of restless vigilance, and as the first rays of sunlight pierced the blinds, I cautiously ventured beyond my bedroom. Everything appeared as it should. With measured steps, I tiptoed down the hall towards the living room, peering outside through the windows. Once again, everything seemed perfectly ordinary. Yet, I knew I couldn't endure another night here. My plan was clear – pack my car and flee to my parents' house in a different state. Safety was all that mattered now.
With my car laden with essentials for the coming weeks, all that remained was to retrieve my keys from the kitchen counter. As I placed one foot outside the door, an appalling sight met my eyes – a monstrous head, at least eight feet tall, protruding from behind a tree. Its eyes were grotesque, large, and devoid of humanity, yet they exuded a sinister intelligence. The canine head featured a short snout with a severe underbite, and its jagged teeth jutted in every direction. It resembled a grotesque hybrid, a nightmarish blend of hyena and lycanthrope, mane and all.
The creature was closer to my car than I was. Panic gripped my heart, and I stood frozen in place. The creature tilted its head as if studying me, sniffing the air. Backing slowly into the house, I locked the door, silently screaming in terror. What had I just witnessed!? I needed to call the police, but the realization that my phone was in the car sent a wave of panic through me. The room spun, and my vision darkened.
Abruptly, with a deafening crash that shook the house, I awakened from what must have been a faint. How could it be night again already? Memories flooded back, reminding me of the morning's horrors. I leaped to my feet and peered out of a window. There, on the pitch-black porch, two reflective eyes stared directly at me. Then, eyes of a similar nature flickered to life and littered the forest in all directions – some deep within the woods, others right at the edge of my property.
I slinked beneath the window, crawling back to the bedroom. Another crash against the house propelled me to my feet, and I darted into the bedroom, locking the door once more. Trapped, I couldn't think of any escape besides a recurring, dreadful thought of ending my own life. But I quickly dismissed that idea.
Hours dragged on in silence. I dared not glance outside the bedroom window, focusing on my breathing to stay hidden. Then, that nightmarish howl reverberated through the area, joined by no fewer than twenty others. I covered my ears, my thoughts consumed by Martin. Raising my eyes from the floor to the window above me, I watched steam fog the glass and disperse repeatably. Those creatures were sniffing around my bedroom window. I bit into my comforter and gripped it tightly, releasing nervous energy while maintaining silence.
Then, with a thunderous crash, a window shattered in the living room. They were inside now. I could hear their heavy footsteps, eerie cackling, and bizarre whooping. My body trembled uncontrollably, knocking my husband's picture from the nightstand. Suddenly, all noise ceased. They knew where I was.
Claws scraped across the hardwood floor, drawing closer and closer. Heavy sniffing around my bedroom door accompanied the sight of two massive, spotted feet or paws visible through the small opening at the bottom. My eyes widened, and I held my breath. The door began to bow inward, then it cracked and splintered under immense pressure. Breaking apart, the top half of the door crashed to the ground. There, towering above the doorframe, stood the beast. Its jaw hung low, visible from my vantage point as it tilted its head, allowing its enormous eye to lock onto me.
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