Mysteries Of The Past
Mia thought a vacation would be good for her. Everyone back at home called her a workaholic and said she needed a few weeks off. What better place to get some rest than a cabin by a lake? She looked out the window of the bus and saw the beautiful glassy lake. Next to it, was a cabin in moderate condition. It was secluded, surrounded by a forest.
At least she wouldn't get any visitors.
Mia ran her fingers through her hair. She probably looked like a nervous wreck. "A little rest and relaxation away from the big city will clear my mind." Mia mumbled to herself.
There was something about this cabin, though, that made her nerves stand on end. She turned the knob on the old cabin door and pushed it open. Mia gasped. This was the cabin that her mom had died in. The doctors said it was a heart attack, but Mia thought there was more to it. She had always felt a strange aura in this house, ever since she was a child.
The outside changed so much, but the inside felt the same. Dark and full of mysteries. Mia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone else come in.
"Nice place, ain't it?" A voice called from behind her. Mia put her suitcases on a chair and turned around. A handsome man stood leaning on the doorframe.
"Yes. It is. I have actually been here before." She replied. "As a kid, I mean."
"Hm. People don't usually rent this cabin anymore," He smiled a too-charming smile. "but no need to hear about that. Name's Jack." He in his obvious southern drawl and offered his hand.
Mia hesitantly shook his hand. "Why are you here, Jack? If you're wondering, my name's Mia."
Jack smiled again. It was a kind of smile that looked strained and..fake.
She withdrew her hand from his.
"Well, I rented this cabin, too. It seems we shall be 'roommates', Miss Mia." Jack stuck his hands in the back pockets of his worn out jeans.
Anger crossed her face. "What?! I can't room with some strange guy I don't know! I came here to rest! Away from people! Who do you think you ar-"
Jack put up his hands. "Woah, Woah, little lady! There are two separate rooms," His eyes flashed anger then went back to normal. "We would..hardly see each other, Miss Mia."
Still unsure, she grabbed her suitcases and stomped up the stairs.
Jack watched her walk until she was up the stairs. Mia slammed her door shut. "What a beauty she has become." He said, walking to the front and only door. "But she will soon see the truth. Soon, Miss Mia.." Jack took the key out of his pocket and locked the door.
Mia finished putting her clothes in the drawer. Luckily this cabin had electricity, because this cabin scared her to death at night. She turned on the small lamp to chase away the upcoming darkness of the night.
There was a knock at her room door. "Miss Mia?" She recognized Jacks southern accent. "Supper's ready, miss." Mia heard him walk back down the stairs.
A sigh escaped her. She would have to suffer through at least one meal with him. 'I don't really have a choice..' Her thoughts were interrupted when her stomach rumbled. "Exactly."
As soon as she put her hand on the knob of her door, her lamp flickered out and her window flew open. "What the-?!" Her heart was beating hard and fast. What was going on?
"Miss Mia.." A voice loudly echoed in the furious winds that blew through her room. Frightened and flustered, she opened the door and ran down the stairs.
Jack stood in the doorway to the kitchen, holding a large knife.
Mia screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Miss Mia! Calm down! What's wrong?"
"W-what are you doing with that knife?" She took a few steps back.
Jack blinked a few times, looked at the knife and laughed. "I was making a salad, Miss Mia. Take a look for yourself." He waved his palm to the kitchen.
Mia took a cautious step into the kitchen and saw the chopped up ingredients for a salad.
"But..My room..The voice..!.." She babbled on.
Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go take a look at your room."
Mia followed Jack up the stairs. She still didn't really trust him at all. Jack gently put his hand on the doorknob and turned it.
"I don't see anything wrong here, miss."
Her jaw hung open. Everything was back to normal. The window was closed, the lamp was on, and there was no familiar voice. She looked around the whole room. There was no sign of wind that came through. Everything seemed untouched.
He chuckled. "I'll meet you down in the kitchen, Mia.."
She turned around, but he was already gone. "That was weird. He called me Mia. Instead of Miss Mia. And why does his voice sound so famliar?" Mia rubbed her face and laughed nervously. "I must really be losing it. Thank goodness for a vacation." She walked through the door, clodes it and headed down the stairs.
They ate in silence for a while. Mia was hardly touching her food.
'What if he poisoned it or something?' She thought to herself, but laughed inwardly. 'That's crazy talk. He seems like a nice enough guy. Like he would do something like that.' While she was fighting her thoughts, Mia stared at her food.
"Miss Mia, you really should eat. You..need to keep your strength up." Jack drawled out while he stuffed a piece of fried chicken in his mouth.
She eyed her salad. "Alright." Mia picked up her fork and took a bite. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jack sneer.
She felt light headed, then everything went black.
Mia opened her eyes. It was very cold. She sat up and took in her surroundings. It looked like she was in the attic of the cabin. "Wait..The attic?! How did I get up here?" She rubbed her head and then remembered. "Jack! He..actually drugged my food!" Furious, she tried to bang the door down with her fists.
"Let me out of here!" Mia stopped pounding on the door and realized something. It was really dark. She made her way over to the window and rubbed the dirt off of it so she could see. It was night and it was storming. So that means the power is probably out. This place never was wired right. Her eyes made their way to the lake. It looked angry and raging.
The attic door opened.
Mia jumped. "H-hello? Anyone..there?" No one answered. She searched the floor for a weapon of some sort. Mia used her hands to quietly feel around for something. She grabbed something. It looked like a leg that was broken off of a stool. It would have to do.
Being as quiet as possible, she tiptoed to the door. The only light she had was the lightning that flashed every once and a while. Mia peered past the doorway. The power really was out. She gulped and slipped through the doorway, her makeshift weapon in hand. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she slowly walked down the dark hallway to who-knows-where.
"Okay. Calm down, girl. It's just a dark, mysterious cabin. You can do this." Mia babbled to herself.
"Just the one your mom died in, eh, Miss Mia?" A deep voice echoed in the hall.
"Who are you? What's going on?"
The voice laughed and Mia ran fast down the hallway. 'A door! Up ahead! Maybe it goes somewhere out of here!' Her thoughts were quick as she opened the door. Only to find herself..back in the attic. Now was the time to panic.
"Stop toying with me! Let me out!" Mia used her stool leg to pry open the door. She left it there to hold the door open and jumped out of the doorway. "Unf!" A cracking sound was heard, the door had slammed shut on it's own, breaking the stool leg in half.
She had landed on her bad shoulder, but at least she was out of that attic. Her shoulder length chestnut brown hair was clinging to her forehead from both sweat and the rain that seemed to be coming in from a hole in the roof. The stairs were in front of her. At least, she thought they were the stairs. Lightning flashed once more and she saw them. Yep, they were the stairs. Mia pushed herself up and stood. With one hand over her bruised shoulder, she felt with her feet to find the first stair.
She was about halfway down the stairs when she heard a scratching noise. It seemed to be coming from all directions. Which gave her the incentive to hurry up. Bad idea. Mia was going so fast that she missed several steps and tumbled down the stairs. Laying at the bottom of the stairs, she couldn't move too well. Everything hurt. The scratching noises stopped.
Finally, after a few moments, she used her arms to slowly push herself to her knees. Her head bowed, she assessed her injuries. "It's probably just bruises." Mia tilted her head up and winced. "Okay, really bad bruises."
"Miss Mia." There was that voice again! She crawled to the nearest wall and propped herself up on it. Turning around, she finally came to her senses.
"Jack! It's you! You're the voice!" Mia screamed at the darkness. 'How could I have been so stupid?' Her thoughts blamed her.
She blinked once and he appeared in front of her. "Aw, Miss Mia. I'm shocked and appauled that you would blame me for making you so scared." Jack said in mock shock. The next thing she knew, he had a knife in his hand.
Mia shook her head in disbelief. "Who are you?"
He layed the smooth blade on her cheek and laughed. "I can't believe you wouldn't remember you're own father."
In a flash, she remembered. The happy memories they had shared in this cabin. Mom and dad and her laughing together. Swimming in the lake. Being a family. Then everything changed. That one night here in this cabin, Mia had witnessed her own mothers' death by her own fathers' hand. He smacked her and she fell down the stairs. Though no bruises showed. Then he took his hand, placed it on her head, and she went pale. It was as if her soul was taken from her. She layed down and never woke up. Mia witnessed this, so he wiped her memories.
"I didn't have the heart to kill you at that time, Mia. So I just wiped your memories. It would be like you never had a father, and I made it so the doctors thought that your mother had a heart attack."
She didn't know she was crying until he removed the blade from her cheek, and saw tears trickling off of the knife.
"Mia.." He tried to put his hand on her cheek. Mia slapped his arm away.
"Don't touch me!" With her back to the front door, she tried to open it. It was locked.
"I have to kill you, Mia sweety."
"No!" She surprised him by pushing him over and grabbing the knife.
Sobbing and scared, she pointed the knife at him while backing up towards the door.
"What are you going to do, kill me?" He said with confidence and a smile. Jack got up and walked towards her.
Mia was shaking. Mostly from fear and shock. "Don't tempt me, Jack!"
He waved his left hand and a gust of wind blew through. He waved his right hand and lightning struck the house. The lightning had caused several sparks, which caused flames. She finally came to a realization: "You want to die with me. You feel guilty for killing mom, so now you want to kill me and yourself!"
The flames got bigger, even with the rain. Jack's eyes were shadowed. "Yes. I want to kill you. But not really out of guilt." He sneered. "You need to die. If that means me going down with you..Then so be it!" The hot flames grew bigger and it was beginning to get like an oven in the cabin.
Mia was so angry. She was so sad. Revenge was the only thing on her mind. Her shoulders shrugged and her head bowed low, so it seemed like she was crying. Her hand gripped the knife tighter.
Jack was laughing. Laughing. And he seemed to content. He didn't even see her coming.
Mia ran and jumped over the flames. As if some unknown force was keeping her from getting burnt. Everything was going in slow motion to him. He could see the determination in her eyes, and he knew. Her mother was protecting her from the flames. The blue aura surrounding her proved it. He looked down at his chest. Mia had stabbed him. Blood was oozing out quickly; she had nailed her target.
Blood trickling from his mouth, he had but one thing to say before he died. "You were right. I carried around guilt forever. I wanted our seed to be off this earth so I was never reminded of that evil deed I performed." Jack looked into her eyes. "I am sorry." Then, he faded away. As did the cabin.
Mia just stood there, in awe. She was bloody and bruised, but...she had solved the mystery that had been haunting her for years. Tears fell from her cheeks. That's why she was always working so hard. Mia wanted to escape. To be occupied so she could escape it.
In the rain, she walked down the muddy backroad. She was finally happy.
And so Mia walked away from the past and towards a new future.
Mia thought a vacation would be good for her. Everyone back at home called her a workaholic and said she needed a few weeks off. What better place to get some rest than a cabin by a lake? She looked out the window of the bus and saw the beautiful glassy lake. Next to it, was a cabin in moderate condition. It was secluded, surrounded by a forest.
At least she wouldn't get any visitors.
Mia ran her fingers through her hair. She probably looked like a nervous wreck. "A little rest and relaxation away from the big city will clear my mind." Mia mumbled to herself.
There was something about this cabin, though, that made her nerves stand on end. She turned the knob on the old cabin door and pushed it open. Mia gasped. This was the cabin that her mom had died in. The doctors said it was a heart attack, but Mia thought there was more to it. She had always felt a strange aura in this house, ever since she was a child.
The outside changed so much, but the inside felt the same. Dark and full of mysteries. Mia was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear someone else come in.
"Nice place, ain't it?" A voice called from behind her. Mia put her suitcases on a chair and turned around. A handsome man stood leaning on the doorframe.
"Yes. It is. I have actually been here before." She replied. "As a kid, I mean."
"Hm. People don't usually rent this cabin anymore," He smiled a too-charming smile. "but no need to hear about that. Name's Jack." He in his obvious southern drawl and offered his hand.
Mia hesitantly shook his hand. "Why are you here, Jack? If you're wondering, my name's Mia."
Jack smiled again. It was a kind of smile that looked strained and..fake.
She withdrew her hand from his.
"Well, I rented this cabin, too. It seems we shall be 'roommates', Miss Mia." Jack stuck his hands in the back pockets of his worn out jeans.
Anger crossed her face. "What?! I can't room with some strange guy I don't know! I came here to rest! Away from people! Who do you think you ar-"
Jack put up his hands. "Woah, Woah, little lady! There are two separate rooms," His eyes flashed anger then went back to normal. "We would..hardly see each other, Miss Mia."
Still unsure, she grabbed her suitcases and stomped up the stairs.
Jack watched her walk until she was up the stairs. Mia slammed her door shut. "What a beauty she has become." He said, walking to the front and only door. "But she will soon see the truth. Soon, Miss Mia.." Jack took the key out of his pocket and locked the door.
Mia finished putting her clothes in the drawer. Luckily this cabin had electricity, because this cabin scared her to death at night. She turned on the small lamp to chase away the upcoming darkness of the night.
There was a knock at her room door. "Miss Mia?" She recognized Jacks southern accent. "Supper's ready, miss." Mia heard him walk back down the stairs.
A sigh escaped her. She would have to suffer through at least one meal with him. 'I don't really have a choice..' Her thoughts were interrupted when her stomach rumbled. "Exactly."
As soon as she put her hand on the knob of her door, her lamp flickered out and her window flew open. "What the-?!" Her heart was beating hard and fast. What was going on?
"Miss Mia.." A voice loudly echoed in the furious winds that blew through her room. Frightened and flustered, she opened the door and ran down the stairs.
Jack stood in the doorway to the kitchen, holding a large knife.
Mia screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Miss Mia! Calm down! What's wrong?"
"W-what are you doing with that knife?" She took a few steps back.
Jack blinked a few times, looked at the knife and laughed. "I was making a salad, Miss Mia. Take a look for yourself." He waved his palm to the kitchen.
Mia took a cautious step into the kitchen and saw the chopped up ingredients for a salad.
"But..My room..The voice..!.." She babbled on.
Jack put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go take a look at your room."
Mia followed Jack up the stairs. She still didn't really trust him at all. Jack gently put his hand on the doorknob and turned it.
"I don't see anything wrong here, miss."
Her jaw hung open. Everything was back to normal. The window was closed, the lamp was on, and there was no familiar voice. She looked around the whole room. There was no sign of wind that came through. Everything seemed untouched.
He chuckled. "I'll meet you down in the kitchen, Mia.."
She turned around, but he was already gone. "That was weird. He called me Mia. Instead of Miss Mia. And why does his voice sound so famliar?" Mia rubbed her face and laughed nervously. "I must really be losing it. Thank goodness for a vacation." She walked through the door, clodes it and headed down the stairs.
They ate in silence for a while. Mia was hardly touching her food.
'What if he poisoned it or something?' She thought to herself, but laughed inwardly. 'That's crazy talk. He seems like a nice enough guy. Like he would do something like that.' While she was fighting her thoughts, Mia stared at her food.
"Miss Mia, you really should eat. You..need to keep your strength up." Jack drawled out while he stuffed a piece of fried chicken in his mouth.
She eyed her salad. "Alright." Mia picked up her fork and took a bite. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Jack sneer.
She felt light headed, then everything went black.
Mia opened her eyes. It was very cold. She sat up and took in her surroundings. It looked like she was in the attic of the cabin. "Wait..The attic?! How did I get up here?" She rubbed her head and then remembered. "Jack! He..actually drugged my food!" Furious, she tried to bang the door down with her fists.
"Let me out of here!" Mia stopped pounding on the door and realized something. It was really dark. She made her way over to the window and rubbed the dirt off of it so she could see. It was night and it was storming. So that means the power is probably out. This place never was wired right. Her eyes made their way to the lake. It looked angry and raging.
The attic door opened.
Mia jumped. "H-hello? Anyone..there?" No one answered. She searched the floor for a weapon of some sort. Mia used her hands to quietly feel around for something. She grabbed something. It looked like a leg that was broken off of a stool. It would have to do.
Being as quiet as possible, she tiptoed to the door. The only light she had was the lightning that flashed every once and a while. Mia peered past the doorway. The power really was out. She gulped and slipped through the doorway, her makeshift weapon in hand. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she slowly walked down the dark hallway to who-knows-where.
"Okay. Calm down, girl. It's just a dark, mysterious cabin. You can do this." Mia babbled to herself.
"Just the one your mom died in, eh, Miss Mia?" A deep voice echoed in the hall.
"Who are you? What's going on?"
The voice laughed and Mia ran fast down the hallway. 'A door! Up ahead! Maybe it goes somewhere out of here!' Her thoughts were quick as she opened the door. Only to find herself..back in the attic. Now was the time to panic.
"Stop toying with me! Let me out!" Mia used her stool leg to pry open the door. She left it there to hold the door open and jumped out of the doorway. "Unf!" A cracking sound was heard, the door had slammed shut on it's own, breaking the stool leg in half.
She had landed on her bad shoulder, but at least she was out of that attic. Her shoulder length chestnut brown hair was clinging to her forehead from both sweat and the rain that seemed to be coming in from a hole in the roof. The stairs were in front of her. At least, she thought they were the stairs. Lightning flashed once more and she saw them. Yep, they were the stairs. Mia pushed herself up and stood. With one hand over her bruised shoulder, she felt with her feet to find the first stair.
She was about halfway down the stairs when she heard a scratching noise. It seemed to be coming from all directions. Which gave her the incentive to hurry up. Bad idea. Mia was going so fast that she missed several steps and tumbled down the stairs. Laying at the bottom of the stairs, she couldn't move too well. Everything hurt. The scratching noises stopped.
Finally, after a few moments, she used her arms to slowly push herself to her knees. Her head bowed, she assessed her injuries. "It's probably just bruises." Mia tilted her head up and winced. "Okay, really bad bruises."
"Miss Mia." There was that voice again! She crawled to the nearest wall and propped herself up on it. Turning around, she finally came to her senses.
"Jack! It's you! You're the voice!" Mia screamed at the darkness. 'How could I have been so stupid?' Her thoughts blamed her.
She blinked once and he appeared in front of her. "Aw, Miss Mia. I'm shocked and appauled that you would blame me for making you so scared." Jack said in mock shock. The next thing she knew, he had a knife in his hand.
Mia shook her head in disbelief. "Who are you?"
He layed the smooth blade on her cheek and laughed. "I can't believe you wouldn't remember you're own father."
In a flash, she remembered. The happy memories they had shared in this cabin. Mom and dad and her laughing together. Swimming in the lake. Being a family. Then everything changed. That one night here in this cabin, Mia had witnessed her own mothers' death by her own fathers' hand. He smacked her and she fell down the stairs. Though no bruises showed. Then he took his hand, placed it on her head, and she went pale. It was as if her soul was taken from her. She layed down and never woke up. Mia witnessed this, so he wiped her memories.
"I didn't have the heart to kill you at that time, Mia. So I just wiped your memories. It would be like you never had a father, and I made it so the doctors thought that your mother had a heart attack."
She didn't know she was crying until he removed the blade from her cheek, and saw tears trickling off of the knife.
"Mia.." He tried to put his hand on her cheek. Mia slapped his arm away.
"Don't touch me!" With her back to the front door, she tried to open it. It was locked.
"I have to kill you, Mia sweety."
"No!" She surprised him by pushing him over and grabbing the knife.
Sobbing and scared, she pointed the knife at him while backing up towards the door.
"What are you going to do, kill me?" He said with confidence and a smile. Jack got up and walked towards her.
Mia was shaking. Mostly from fear and shock. "Don't tempt me, Jack!"
He waved his left hand and a gust of wind blew through. He waved his right hand and lightning struck the house. The lightning had caused several sparks, which caused flames. She finally came to a realization: "You want to die with me. You feel guilty for killing mom, so now you want to kill me and yourself!"
The flames got bigger, even with the rain. Jack's eyes were shadowed. "Yes. I want to kill you. But not really out of guilt." He sneered. "You need to die. If that means me going down with you..Then so be it!" The hot flames grew bigger and it was beginning to get like an oven in the cabin.
Mia was so angry. She was so sad. Revenge was the only thing on her mind. Her shoulders shrugged and her head bowed low, so it seemed like she was crying. Her hand gripped the knife tighter.
Jack was laughing. Laughing. And he seemed to content. He didn't even see her coming.
Mia ran and jumped over the flames. As if some unknown force was keeping her from getting burnt. Everything was going in slow motion to him. He could see the determination in her eyes, and he knew. Her mother was protecting her from the flames. The blue aura surrounding her proved it. He looked down at his chest. Mia had stabbed him. Blood was oozing out quickly; she had nailed her target.
Blood trickling from his mouth, he had but one thing to say before he died. "You were right. I carried around guilt forever. I wanted our seed to be off this earth so I was never reminded of that evil deed I performed." Jack looked into her eyes. "I am sorry." Then, he faded away. As did the cabin.
Mia just stood there, in awe. She was bloody and bruised, but...she had solved the mystery that had been haunting her for years. Tears fell from her cheeks. That's why she was always working so hard. Mia wanted to escape. To be occupied so she could escape it.
In the rain, she walked down the muddy backroad. She was finally happy.
And so Mia walked away from the past and towards a new future.
