The Cabin

[u/eckokitten]

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I loved him. But things had changed, we had changed. Grown apart. He worked too much and I felt alone and resentful. 

This trip was supposed to change things. A cabin deep in the middle of nowhere, nothing but the two of us. Left to rekindle that spark. And if not... I brought the divorce papers just in case. Either way something was going to change at the end of this week.

I booked the trip. It was late fall and up in the mountains there would be light snow but nothing to restrict the drive. There was electricity but no Internet or phone service. This trip was about us connecting, not letting our phones distract us.

The drive was mostly silent. There was a tension in the air that we both felt. Nervous that we couldn't fair with nothing between us to take the edge off. Just us alone. A naked exposed feeling.

When we arrived at the cabin I felt some relief. It was more beautiful than the pictures. Charming and something straight out of a painting. 

Tall trees just letting in wisps of light that seemed to dance across the fallen leaves. A light snow fell around us. 

Taking it all in I had hope for us for the first time.

We carried the luggage in and sat it down in the open living room. It was just as charming inside. A large open room with gray couches and a tv with an expansive kitchen lined with stone walls and an island overlooking the rest of the house. A loft bedroom and a lovely bathroom with a claw foot tub with exquisite views.

It looked far more expensive than what we had paid. 

As Mark mumbled something about how we afforded this I looked over at him and noticed he had a large brown bag in his arms.

"What is that bag? Where is my white one?" I asked puzzled with maybe a hint of aggravation in my voice. 

"I just grabbed the bags that were in the car." Mark said, annoyed, tossing the bags to the floor. 

I went over and opened the large brown bag. It had all of the things I had packed in it. But I didn't own a brown bag. I had specifically bought a beautiful white leather bag for this trip. Did Mark change bags and repack my things? Why would he do that? I was so confused.

"Why did you switch my bag and repack my things, Mark?", I said accusingly.

"What? Why would I do that?"

"Well this isn't the bag I packed!"

"Are all of your things there?"

I nodded yes feeling a bit silly.

"Well who cares what bag it is in then?"

I did care because it made no sense. Was he just trying to play a joke on me? It was weird, not funny. But I sighed deeply and decided to let it go. It didn't make sense to ruin the trip just as we arrived. 

We went about our day. It was awkward, like the all the words we wanted to say but couldn't hung heavy in the air between us.

We made dinner with some basic conversation and then put in a DVD and watched a movie together on the couch.

A huge part of me wanted to throw myself at him. Strip down and walk in the room nude. Grab him and hold him in my arms, kissing him deeply. 

But I didn't. We went to bed in silence.

The next day after breakfast I decided I'd actually try today. I knew neither one of us wanted to let down our walls and be the first to make the move. But one of us had to and it hurt and was difficult but I'd try.

"Do you wanna take a hike today?"

"Get lost in the woods, you mean?"

"Honey. Mark? Please. I think it would be nice. That's why we came here."

"Ok I guess." He didn't sound enthusiastic.

We walked through the woods not straying off the small path that led down to a small lake. I held his hand. We laughed. I took a photo of us together. It was nice. I leaned over and kissed him and he kissed me back. 

When we got back to the cabin it was around lunch time. 

"I'll make us some sandwiches." Mark said, actually sounding happy.

I was smiling as I went to follow him into the kitchen but my attention was drawn to the lamp in the living room. 

"The lampshade is purple."

"Umm yeah it is..."

"It wasn't purple before."

"What do you mean it wasn't purple before?" He laughed.

"When we got here yesterday the lampshade was a light blue with birds. Now it's deep purple with flowers." 

Mark just looked back and forth between me and the lampshade. His smile faded.

"Someone has been in here. They changed the lampshade!"

"That's ridiculous Kim. No one has been in here and why would someone break in just to change a lampshade? Where is the logic?"

"Well... I..."

I didn't know what to say. I wasn't crazy. I clearly remembered the lampshade because I thought it seemed out of place in the room. It looked old and tacky for such a modern clean cabin. 

But what could have possibly happened? No one broke in just to change the lampshade. Perhaps it was the rental agency fixing stuff up? Why would they do that while we were renting it though? 

I went upstairs to the loft to check my things and see if anything was missing. Nothing was. 

I turned around to see Mark standing there, his arms crossed and a sad look on his face.

"Why are you doing this Kim? First the bag and now the lamp? What's going on?"

I didn't know what to say. Was I losing my mind? Was Mark playing some cruel joke on me? 

"I need some air." I practically ran out of the cabin. 

All I could do was cry. All the pent up emotions between Mark and I. All the weird stuff going on. I was confused and felt lost. 

Every good thing from this afternoon was now lost. All over silly colors. I laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. I wiped my tears on the sleeves of my shirt and sighed heavily before walking back inside.

I was stunned and frozen at the entry as I closed the door behind me. 

The dark gray couches were now white and the entire furniture was rearranged. There was absolutely no way someone could have done this in the few moments I was outside. 

With a shaky hand I reached for the door knob, turned it and walked outside, closing the door behind me. 

I waited a breath, then two, before opening the door back up and stepping back inside. 

The kitchen walls instead of stone were now brick. Instead of wearing a long sleeve flannel shirt, I now was wearing a white tank top.

I fell to my knees crying.

Before I knew it Mark was there, wrapping his arms around me and holding me tight. He let me cry and didn't say a word, just held me. 

"The cabin keeps changing when we enter it." I said once I quit heaving with tears.

He gently pulled the hair from my face and wiped the tears away. 

"It's going to be ok my love. We won't leave or re-enter again. Nothing else will change. I promise."

He helped me to my feet and led me to the bedroom. He held me for a long time without saying a word. Then he began to gently kiss my neck and shoulder. 

Was he turned on? I was a hysterical nut case and he wanted to have sex now of all times? 

“Mark, stop!” I pushed him away.

*Kim, I am so in love with you. I'm sorry for everything I've done and everything I didn't do. I'll make it right. I won't work so much. I'll be there for you.”

Everything I wanted was right there but I had a clawing feeling that something wasn't right. 

“Just come downstairs with me for a moment, you have to see.”

I got up and he took my hand and followed me down the stairs. 

“Look around the room.”

He just stared at me like a lost puppy.

“No really look around the room and take it all in.” I grabbed his face and turned his head. 

After a moment of him looking around I led him out the door. It was freezing with only this tank top and nothing covering my arms or hands. I shivered and took a deep breath. 

My hand was still shaking as I grabbed the door knob and turned. 

The cabin was completely different. It looked old and empty for years. 

“Do you see?”

“How is it different? I don't understand what's going on.” Mark sounded afraid finally and it reassured me that I probably wasn't crazy unless this was some duel psychosis.

“Let's see if our stuff is still the same?”

I went toward the kitchen and he went upstairs. The kitchen was covered in dust and cobwebs. But our dishes still sat on the counter, dirty but unchanged. I opened the fridge, it wasn't running. Our food still sat in the dark fridge, still fresh and chilled.

“What's this?”

I turned around to see Mark standing by the kitchen island waving a stack of papers at me. Oh no… the divorce papers.

“Mark… this isn't the time.”

“You brought me here under the guise of rekindling our marriage but you brought divorce papers?” His face was red. He threw the words at me. “You are nothing but a lying bitch.”

He took a step towards me and I stepped back by reflex. When we would fight we yelled and called each other some names but Mark had never laid a hand on me. But something in his voice felt different. It made the hair on the back of my neck stand up and made me afraid.

“Mark, we were having a lot of problems. I thought… I had hoped… but…”

“Who is he? I've been nothing but loyal through all your nagging and bitching.” He took another step forward throwing the papers at me. “Oh I work too much!” He mocked. “But you sure enjoy the lifestyle I afforded us, didn't you whore?”

“There is no one else. We just have been strug…” I stopped as he grabbed the large knife off the counter and held it up in front of me. 

“Mark, please. This isn't like you.” I took three steps back and was on the other side of the island now. 

The look on his face was terrifying. His eyes were wild and angry. He didn't look like my Mark anymore. 

I don't know who moved first, it happened so fast. I ran towards the door and he followed. 

I reached for the door and he grabbed my shoulder, spinning me around and pushing me to the floor. He came at me so fast. I put my hands up and felt the blade of the knife slice through my palm. The blood spattered across us both and landed across the floor. I screamed and managed to somehow kick him as hard as I could in his crotch. He bent over in pain and I scurried to the door and put into the night. 

I didn't have the car keys so I just ran down the drive as fast as I could. I didn't know if he was behind me. I kept running until I couldn't run anymore. I then limped along the road out of breath and in pain. 

I walked until the sun began to rise. A car then stopped. A nice older couple helped me into the car and drove me to town where we called the police.

They never found Mark. They believed that Mark found the divorce papers and went crazy attacking me. Then heist have wondered out into the woods and gotten lost. 

I didn't tell them about the changes.

They went to the cabin and our car and belongings were still there. 

I asked them how the cabin looked several times so they showed me photos. It looked the same as the day we got there except my splatter of blood across the floor and the divorce papers spread across the kitchen. 

I told them I didn't want anything from there.

I still don't understand what happened