FAMILY GETAWAY WITH AIR BnB

We arrived, just after 5 pm, in our short bed gray F-150, to the cabin we rented via Air BnB for the weekend. It was as described, a charming cabin on private land available and perfect for a family getaway. I felt lucky to have scored such a beautiful cabin, especially with such short notice, nestled within the mountain valley and next to small free flowing brook of mountain water.

Upon arriving and as usual, my wife, Jessica, went straight to the bathroom to relieve her bladder from a 2-hour trip from Seattle. I have always teased her about how she would always be the first to use the bathroom, before anyone, no matter the location. Jessica and I had been together for a long-time and had moved quickly past the honeymoon portion of marriage and dived head first into having kids, a dog and jobs. I have always thought of Jessica smarter than me when it would come to academic skills. But Jessica knew when it came to sense of direction, hiking, nature and many other non-academic skills I knew a little more than her in those particular skills and so we considered it as a sign we needed each other for each other’s skills.

Our son Ethan was extremely smart, in both skill sets, and lucky for us was somewhat of a little smart-ass who loved to play both of his parents at every opportunity. Skipping out on chores but telling me he was going shopping with mom, when only to find him hunkered down in his room on an online first-person shooter battle with his friends. But I can’t blame for trying, I grew up with the original of games an Atari. We couldn’t afford many games but loved the ones I had. And seeing how advanced we have become since the first Atari, I’m a little jealous of the graphics and watch my son play with amazement on how detailed even the trees on the games are, so I let him play on.

But that was the point of this trip, we have become so entangled with our personal lives, jobs, and games, we needed to spend some time together as a family. I had planned this trip out only two weeks earlier, after Jessica told me she had one more free weekend before she would have to work the next five weekends. So, after a little convincing, I coaxed into going on a short weekend trip as a family. I also had convinced her we should make s’mores, a bonus for me because of my sweet tooth wanted to rack in on the opportunity to cheat a little bit on my diet.

After a little bit of unpacking, we looked around at the cabin and property it sat on. On the dining table was a note from the owner. It mentioned how happy she was to have guests again at her cabin, mentioned local places a few miles down the road on where to get some snacks and specialty items we may have forgotten. But the weird part of the note said not to read the scary stories after dark. But soon blew it off as a way to get families renting the cabin in the mood for campfires and storytelling. After all it was October and Halloween was just a couple of weeks away.

Later, after warming up some frozen pizza brought from home, I sat down in the lounge chair in the main living space of the cabin. Just taking in the fact the three-of-us did it, we were finally all together jabbering back and forth, bellies full and actually having fun. But it was then I noticed something underneath the couch both Ethan and Jessica were sitting on. Down below, in that narrow little crack between the floor boards and bottom of the couch was what appeared to be a book.

So, from natural curiosity, I stumbled out of my chair and went over to the pick it up. I said, “Look at what I found under the couch.” While saying this, I turned the book over to the front cover. The cover page had been ripped off but replaced with a hand-written note saying don’t read after dark. While showing this to my wife and son, they thought I had planted it there while they were finishing off their portion of pizza and after I had used the bathroom. But I swore to them “I’m innocent, no look at what I found, seriously.” Maybe as a way to humor me, they just went with it and accepting that I had found the book but didn’t take too much interest in the book. Because Ethan was just telling his Mom he finally had found a girl he was interested in talking to but wasn’t sure how to proceed. Jessica took very this with great interest and had been waiting for Ethan to finally ask about to date and treat a girl.

As they spoke, I stumbled back to my lounge chair and with great interest started to look over the book I had just found. What a cool way to get a family in a spooky or Halloween mood by writing “Do not read the book” after dark on the welcome note and by planting a scary looking book under the couch with a hand-written note on the cover page saying “Do not read after dark” in red ink.

The sun had not quite set outside just yet, but after thumbing through a few pages, I thought to myself this would be good to bring out when we start our campfire and s’mores. What better way to utilize a fall weekend – family, campfire, s’mores, and scary stories. I felt like a good Dad, for all of this finally falling into place.

Once the sun finally set, I suggested to Ethan to let his Mom have a break from the conversation and let’s start the campfire. With excitement, we both walked outside and felt the crisp air hit us as we walked out. We could hear the mountain brook nearby but couldn’t see it. There were some leaves on the ground but many still in the trees for what little we could see. But within a few minutes, we found the stored firewood, and the used rock circle for fires. And within just a few more minutes and a couple of matches, we had a good size fire going outside. Just as we had the fire going, Jessica walked up with a tray of goodies and s’more making materials. She said, “Is anybody hungry?” Ethan and I then both smiled and looked back at her with glee.

As we all finished our third s’more, I thought it was a good time to finally bring out the scary looking book I had found and read some scary stories. At first, Jessica and Ethan said they were good and were both thinking about going in since the night had grown colder. But after a little bit of complaining and begging, they agreed to stay for a least one story.

With excitement I opened the book, with the title page and cover gone, I just read aloud the hand-written note “Do Not Read After Dark” and went to the first story on the first page. It was then things started to become strange, just as turned to the first page, the fire looked like it had taken in some fresh air and made the quick popping sound like as if someone had thrown another log on the fire. But thought nothing of it, even as the air continued to grow colder.

I read aloud the first words – Don’t go back to the cabin, hold tight to each other and wait out for the light. “Oh, this really is a scary story” Jessica said with a smile after I read aloud the words. With more interest we read on. Don’t go back to the cabin and now that you’re reading. You’re in danger. The woods are alive but the Cabin is not safe. No matter the danger, don’t enter the cabin. When the wind begins to blow, don’t enter the cabin. When the sounds become unbearably, don’t enter the cabin. Wait for the light, wait for the light and all will be alright.

With more eagerness and interest, we read on – You will feel cold, but not alone. You will seem lost, but you’re not far. You will think you saw something, but it really was there. Don’t go back to the cabin, no matter what you do. The earth may tremble and trees may fall, but no matter what you do, don’t go back to the cabin.

Just as I finished these lines, our fire started to grow dim and the wind started to pick up a little. Jessica said, “maybe we should go in or build a bigger fire.” I said with a spooky voice – “Ooo...Don’t go back to the cabin…Ooo.” With a grin Ethan said, “That’s actually pretty funny Dad.” But it was then with a gust, the fire went out. Luckily, I had my small pocket flashlight in my coat pocket. “It’s okay” I said, I will try to start it again. Jessica just wanted to go back in, Ethan remained either/or typical for a teen. But no matter how much I tried the matches would go out quickly or the wood would stay lit. So, with sad voice, I said reluctantly “Well, I think we will have to go to the cabin.” As I finished my sentence, the wind began to blow, causing the trees to sway back and forth with the branches brushing against each other. But the noise was different, instead of thinking we were hearing the leaves of each branch brushing against each other. It sounded like a growl. As the wind would pick up or slow, so would the growl.

Now Ethan was more interested in returning to the cabin than being the typical teen with an indifferent attitude and so was I. My intuition was telling me, we need to move, but my gut for some reason was telling me to listen to the story. Don’t go back to the Cabin. Jessica had about enough of it, enough of being cold in the dark and was a little nervous about the sound. So as a family we started to pick-up our remaining goodies, checked to ensure the fire was out and turned around to go back to the cabin. Without a warning, a low fog had started to engulf the cabin and with the fog came the growl again, but this time was louder and seemed closer. Ethan seemed a little scared but was trying to be brave in walking toward the Cabin with his parents. As his Dad, I knew I needed to be brave in front of him. I needed to show him there was nothing to be afraid of within the fog or outside of the cabin.

But this is where my concern started to pick-up, maybe the book is right, maybe we shouldn’t go back to the cabin I thought. But my family is cold, our hands are full of stuff, and there is a strange wind with a loud noise. WE need to get back to the cabin I thought and I’m scaring myself by believing the book.

But as we continued forward in the dark, the light of my flashlight was dissipating within the fog that now had engulfed the cabin and rolling toward. But as the fog rolled forward, so did the sound, so did the wind, the cold, almost as if something was trying to scare us in not to go back to the cabin. But I felt determined to get my family back inside into the safety of the cabin. But with each step the fog grew thicker. Jessica put down the lawn chair saying, “I can get this in the morning” and reached out to hold Ethan’s hand and walk right behind as if not to fall off of a path she couldn’t see.

As I walked forward with my family behind me, the fog was now the thickest fog I have ever seen. The sounds of the growl as the wind blew was almost as if something was right in front of us, maybe only just a few yards away. I then tried to walk left toward the cabin and then right, but no matter the direction the growl was still there. It was constant now and no matter where we walked it was there almost in front of us as if trying to repel us away from the cabin with its sound.

We finally reached the deck of the cabin and as we stepped onto the deck and faced the door the growl had stopped with the wind but the fog remained. I turned to face Jessica and Ethan and tried to make them laugh. “Well, that was interesting wind.” I said with a smile. They just glared at me blankly as if waiting for me to open the door. So, I turned back around, reached for the door and slowly turned the handle.

Whoosh!

The next morning, the cleaning lady arrived to change the linen and take out the garbage. The cabin was empty of its guests, but their belongings were still there, and amongst was the book sitting in the light but with its cover restored. The cover said, “Don’t Read After Dark” But this time, with the graphic picture of the family as if frozen in time. Blank faces, staring back and as if they were trying to open a door.