Mobius Me

The nightmare from which I never wake up…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Drenched and dripping, I stood by the fire, panting. The furious elements outside hurtled themselves with pelting, thunder and susurrant howls. I had dry clothes upstairs, but my need for warmth took precedence.

I stood at the hearth, catching my breath, letting the heat sink in.

And that’s when I heard the banging.

I turned to the sharp, insistent sounds coming from the cabin door. I saw the chair I had placed under the knob.

Why had I done that? Was the door broken? Or…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The rhythm was so regular, no branch tossed by the storm could have created it. But the cabin lay fairly far from the nearest neighbor and who would be out in the woods in this weather? I mean, sure, I had, obviously, but—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The chill I had barely begun to dismiss returned. Whoever it was, outside of my door, they certainly didn’t belong. And their banging, unrelenting and demanding, smacked of violence, aggression and an insidious whisper of madness.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

My breath, which had only started to steady, hitched and grew labored. If whoever was on the other side of that door were a neighbor or friend, surely, they’d shout out. Announce themselves. Call my name.

But nothing.

Unless the person was in distress. Perhaps.

Could I risk it?

Should I?

BANG! BANG! BANG!

I remained frozen. Tormented. Trapped.

Suddenly, instead of banging, the door shook with a series of crashing thumps. Whoever it was now heaved themselves at the door with their full body weight!

Whoever it was, they were getting more insistent. More demanding.

And I was getting more and more afraid. What if they were crazy? Had a weapon?

In a flash, I knew that I had only one chance of escape.

The back door.

I bolted, praying whoever was on the front porch stayed there. As I fled, I could hear the interloper crashing into the door, the wood holding but crunching and splitting.

I shoved the back door open and launched myself out of the cabin, charging into the raging storm. I slipped in the mushy, muddy muck of the forest floor and scrambled to keep myself upright and moving forward.

I stopped behind a tree for a moment to close my eyes and concentrate, trying to picture which way to go to get to the closest neighboring cabin. When I had it, I turned, adjusting my trajectory, and—

SMASH!!!

No doubt whoever was trying to get into my cabin had succeeded. I swallowed a lump and headed off as fast but as carefully as I could. I couldn’t risk a fall. If the madman were intent on killing me, he’d see the open back door and keep coming for me.

I scurried through the trees, fighting the wind and stinging rain. I hoped I was going the right way. People come here to get away from the world; neighbors rarely cross paths by design. So, I had never passed this way before and was in unfamiliar territory. And, in this storm, even the familiar was a nightmare.

At last, thanks to a massive flash of lightning, I saw the outline of a cabin in the distance. I forced myself forward, fueled by adrenaline and fear.

As I got closer, I saw how similar it was to my own. The rental cabins must have all been part of some project years ago. I made my way to the porch.

SNAP!

Pain flashed up my leg as it twisted on the tree debris I had not seen. I crumpled to the ground, wincing and holding my ankle. I sat, trying to overcome the agony so I could carry on.

And that’s when I saw him.

Another flash of lighting revealed a figure in the woods, thirty or so yards down the way from which I had come.

Terrified, I pushed myself up and hobbled my way to the porch, lurching and limping and near tears with burning pain.

I climbed the porch and banged on the door.

No answer.

Fuck!

I banged again.

Nothing.

I banged again.

Nothing.

Weren’t they home? Was this cabin not rented? But I saw a light inside…

I turned, squinting to see how close my pursuer was. How much time I had.

He was walking. Slow. Smug. Knowing I was trapped. Enjoying it. Savoring it.

I freaked out.

Banged on the door again. Tried to call out, but I was so out of breath, so terrified, my vocal cords refused to function. Tears burned their way out my eyes only to be whipped away by the wind and rain.

I looked back.

He was closer. But biding his time.

It angered me. And that anger was enough.

I spun back to the door and hurled myself into it. It didn’t give, by I could tell it was as old a wooden door as my own. So, I threw myself at it, again. And again. And again.

I could hear the wood crunching and splitting. It was working!

I kept heaving myself at the door.

SMASH!!!

The doorjamb cracked, the door flew open and I crashed to the cabin floor. Scrambled up onto my feet. Grabbed the door. Slammed it closed. Grabbed a chair to hold it in place. Backed away, gasping for air, shivering.

I got to the fireplace. Leaned on the mantle. Felt the warmth of the flames

Something felt off.

Why was there a fire?

I stood at the hearth, catching my breath, letting the heat sink in.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

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