A Horrible Dream (Post Eight)

"What's in there?"  He bent down to take a look but had trouble seeing past Marla's huddled form in the cramped, dark space.  What he could see was the large, dark form of a person huddled back in the far reaches.  "Who is that?  Is that Jack?"  He could see enough to make out the large but thin frame that could only be Jack.  It was much too big to be Sam.

Marla spent some time with what could only be Jack, trying to coax him out into the room.  Her questioning was responded to with hushed, hurried whispers.  He refused to move.  It seemed like he was hiding from someone.  Or maybe something.  Finally she gently grabbed his hand and began guiding him slowly towards the light.  Every once in a while he would stop and try to get back into the dark but after a few more seconds of gentle coaxing he would start forward again.

It wasn't long before they got Jack into the room and onto the bed where he sat looking distant and nervous.  "What happened?"

Jack slowly turned his head towards him.  "It... It was... I don't know..."  He withdrew into himself more, going silent for a few moments before continuing.  "I just came up here to see what Sam was doing, and then Marla was pulling me out of there."  He motioned to the crawlspace without looking at it.  "I can't remember anything.  I just know that it was after me and that I had to get away."  He curled his knees to his chest and cradled himself, obviously starting to relive whatever had happened.

"Where is Sam?  She wasn't in there with you.  She never came back downstairs..."  He crouched by the crawlspace door, one hand resting on the wall above it, the other on his thigh.  Things were getting really weird and he wasn't sure he could make sense of it.

"I don't know... I just don't know... I don't remem-Wait... There was something.  The statue that you found.  It was-" Suddenly there was a loud crash from downstairs, drawing everyone's attention.  It sounded like plates and silverware tumbling to the floor.  Everyone but Jack made a move to go see what happened.  Marla decided to stay behind with him.

Beth clung close to his side, obviously not too excited about what was going on.  "What do you think is happening?  This is all too weird."  She was playing with her fingers nervously as they walked towards the stairs.

"I don't know.  I'd say it's nothing but, come on... Jack isn't normally spooked like that.  Either that or they are trying to play a trick on us."  They stepped into the kitchen to find every cupboard open, many of their former contents on the floor.  "A very elaborate prank..."

Beth covered her mouth and slowly backed out of the room before turning away from the door.  Suddenly she screamed.

"What?  Wha-"  He whirled to see what had startled her.  Sam was there, standing at the bottom of the stairs looking very confused.  The cabin's front door was ajar a few feet behind her.  "Sam?  Were you outside?  Why?  How?"  He stepped towards her to stand next to Beth who had rushed up after the initial shock had worn off.  "When?"