"Mr. Finn, what did you need us for. Assuming there something you need help with." I asked barely keeping my eyes open.
" Ah yeah I should probably get to that." Finn's voice got dull. Allan also got serious by looking at him.
"It's nothing serious and it's also not normal. Let me just tell you from the beginning. " He looked at us with sad eyes trying to find answers.
And gave us a two bowls of ice cream to listen to the long story. We curled up and got ready.
"It's a new cabin I purchased and remodeled from scratch a month ago with my wife. We are always so happy and comfortable with each other. A week back we came to spend time in holidays. I don't know what happened my wife had a night mare. She woke up in the middle of night and screamed." Finn continued with his story.
"She didn't talk much about what that dream was. Things went back to normal the next day she had another nightmare and it continued ever since then. And our relationship and her mental health is declining.
And she refuses to talk and she isolated herself from work and friends too. I don't know what to do. I decided to spend time on my own in the cabin. She was so against it, but I knew I had to do it and see it to myself what's bothering her.
So I have been living back and forth from place to here. And letting her stay with her parents. Nothing happened I did feel scared being alone in the cabin like knocking sounds and clicking noise but nothing extreme. I didn't have any nightmare like my wife. I don't actually believe in ghosts of anything but all she says is that it's that cabin is scary which ruined her life." Finn teared up.
"So you want us to investigate? " I asked.
"No. I want you to just stay the night over and sleep. I want to know if any of you get any nightmares and what the nightmares are actually about. I want to know if there's something else happening to my wife." Finn wipes his tears and drank some water.
"Alright we will let you know if we get nightmares." Allan had a worry face.
Finn got up and showed us the rooms. Allan stayed in Finn's brother's room and I stayed in the guest room.
We said our goodnights and I bolted all the windows and door double checked everything and hoped on to bed.
I called my boyfriend updating all the things that happened and shared the location of cabin. And about the nightmare I should see how it goes.
Even though it was cozy and warm, I was unable to fall asleep, so I searched all over again and looked for any hidden passageways. Everything was quite fresh. I curled up with my phone in my hand, turned on the lamp, and put all of my clothes on before falling asleep.
It became colder after a time. I have no blanket on. I recall wearing a blanket up to my head, but I think I pushed it away. I was searching for blanket with eyes shut, moving my hand across the bed.
All I found was a soft toy, was this always there. I took off blanket raised my body a little. I turned around and noticed something was different. The place I slept it was little small but now it's big and the lamp was lit.
There's a painting here which I don't recognize.
A women painting someone, she looks familiar maybe I saw it before falling asleep and forgot everything about it. It feels so heavy I tried to get out of the bed but my legs gave out. I did feel a little numb I took off blanket completely and saw my legs were chained up.
My sensed alerted but my mind is still hazy like I'm drugged and I tried to get rid of it but it's so heavy it looks like normal chain but it's so heavy. I started to search for my phone.
And that's when I noticed him. I don't know who he is but I'm terrified and this place is too dark to make out anything. It's not Allan looking at his height, and Finn brothers are both a bit muscular. I could hear him cursing me and throwing things, but I'm not able to make out anything he says.
He came closer, a tall and skinny person, with an old rim glasses holding a knife in his hand. He started to drag me from bed, everything looked distorted. I was not in control of my body or mind.
I see blood as he dragged me and suddenly I was in the woods inhaling mud as far I can see there's only forest. Being dragged away in forest the night sky never felt that terrible the trees, the owls, getting scratched up by branches and stones it felt like it would never end. I fainted midway.
When I opened my eyes I was in a dusty small space like a closet it looks like it's underground. I can barely open my eyes. If it were a dream shouldn't it be over by now? And it dark and cold. I was dizzy but I kept banging the door to open up. No one answered.
My whole body is hurting and bleeding I don't know what's happening nor what I can do. I'm hungry and I don't have the energy to escape even if the door were to magically open. Not knowing how many days it has been all I can remember is that I'm always hungry and weak. I could bang a door the first day now I can barely move a finger.
I woke up to the light rays from above and people talking distantly and sometimes I would forget what happened a minute ago. Feels like life was sucked away and I just wanted it to end. I wanted to die but I was unable to even kill myself. What did I do to deserve this who had such a grudge against me, do they even know me? I just want it to end I closed my eyes accepting my death. The complete darkness this time I'm praying to devil to take my life.
I would rather die right now than suffer one more day. I opened my eyes and there he was ready to kill me this time I know it will happen, my body is too weak to even get a one hit. And I see someone in white night gown and a pink robe standing far away. He opened the door and started stabbing the pain was unbearable, it was hard to even breath or fight back. He is covered in blood and his eyes are dark like a puppet.
"Wake up Nora, is everything alright? Nora please." Allan was literally screaming while he held my face.
As slowly open eyes and noticed I had a nose bleed. And my body felt heavy.
"Oh gosh I was so scared." Allan sighed and wiped his tears.
Allan was next to me relived me. Maybe he recused me I don't have to be alone. The air seems fresh and the so much light. I slept without having nightmares.
I woke up feeling much calmer and I sat there for few minutes feeling fresh air and bright sunlight and scented flowers next to me. And Allan came to check on me.
He smiled as soon as he entered. I can't explain the emotions I had, have I ever felt these bottled up emotions, I hugged Allan when he came closer and started to cry and he held me tight tapping my head.
His body feels warm and I want to sleep more without letting him go. My breathing got much steadier and his heartbeat got relaxed eventually he kept caressing my head.
Finn stopped by,
"you woke up?"
"I guess I will give you some space. Have some lunch and I will be back by evening." Finn backed out.
I tried to move away but Allan held me closer. And I had stopped crying by this time.
After a long pause he asked.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Allan asked, much more gently.
"No" I said with a strained voice.
"I will bring you lunch here and let's leave after you eat." He spoke and stepped back his arms. I nodded and pulled back. Now things seemed a bit awkward as he stepped away.
He bought me water and food. After all the sobbing, I freshened up and felt much lighter.
We ate in quiet and reserved manner. And I could not stop thinking about what had happened in my dream. It kept playing in my head. He packed all of my belongings and we were about to go.
"Will you be staying?" I asked Allan as he picked my bag.
"Yeah, I still got a job to do right?" He laughed even though he looked sad.
"I could have called Mike." I spoke.
"Nah don't worry, I can drive no problem. And Mike is still hung over."
"He called me this morning to check up on you." Allan spoke looking at the ground entire time.
"Oh thanks." I spoke and we looked at each other for a split second and he panicked.
"I... I should go get my keys." He went to the room he was staying in.
I looked around one last time it wasn't a scary looking place. It looks like they really cared for the house it's sad whatever happening in this house taking everything away from them. I found photo frames hanging on ceiling and table and the couples and the brother.
Some were taken in the cabin while they decorated the place and in one picture Mrs. Finn held glass of orange juice to give it to Finn as he was painting something. And Mrs. Finn in a white night gown with pink robe.
"let's go" Allan was back to his old self.
We locked the door and kept the keys in a pot and drove through the woods.
Allan kept quiet, focused on driving and I kept thinking about how eerily similar was that night gown from dream and Mrs. Finn.
What happened to Mrs. Finn will happen to me too? Did we have the same dream? No wonder she didn't talk about it. And will I have same nightmare over and over. I had a chill down my spine when I imagined it.
"Allan did anything happened to you?" I asked to know his side of story. And breaking our minutes of silence.
"Erm.. Nothing major just knocking and distant thuds it could be anything." Allan hesitated to answer. Is it because of what happened.
"Could you drive us to Mrs. Finn? I want to ask her few question without Mr. Finn's knowing." I added.
"Sure. I do know her and she is staying with her parents. I'm not sure she will answer any questions and let's not push her too much okay?" he spoke excitedly and rerouted his car.
We were in the city outskirts, and Mrs. Finn parents' house was lively. Filled with lots for plants and flowers and also a treehouse house and a kids playing the yard.
We walked in when Mrs. Finn was reading a book outside. Trying to keep a watch on kid as she did her things.
"Oh hey Allan. It's been a long time." She smiled at both of us and directed us towards empty chairs next to her.
And the kid cheerfully called out Allan uncle. And he gave them his bag filled with chocolates and snacks.
"Reading a book I see." Allan pulled a chair for me.
"Hi I'm Nora." I introduced myself.
"Nice to meet you." She gave me a warm smile and put down her reading glasses, poured a cucumber water into three glasses on the table.
"So how are you?" Allan asked.
"Did Finn put you up to this?" Mrs. Finn asked.
"Actually I had some question." I spoke looking at Mrs. Finn. She was surprised from what I just told. Rested her arms on her lap and back to chair.
"What is it?" she asked. Allan looked restless and gabbed the glass.
"I'm Allan's friend, we stayed over in your cabin last night." I looked at Allan and continued.
"I had a very bad dream and remember everything clearly. Finn mentioned that you were having nightmares in the cabin. It might be rude to even ask I really need to know if we had same nightmare." I spoke.
Mrs. Finn sighed,
"He told you about my nightmare?" she looked away clearly disappointed.
"Mrs. Finn I know it's not easy to talk or remember that but when realize that I you get dreams every day I am so scared that would happen to me again. I would do anything to stop that from happening.
Mr. Finn was only concerned about you. I'm sorry if I'm out of line or caused any trouble." I teared up and hands kept shaking.
"Sweet heart I know that feeling. As for what you are trying to do I'm afraid I don't have all the answers myself. And I'm not able to make it go away." Mrs. Finn spoke.
"What did you see in your dream?" She asked me holding my hands tight.
"I woke up in my dream and I was in a different room, bigger room with painting and toys lying around. I was chained up; it was so heavy I couldn't move." I wiped my tears and Allan started writing down everything I said with his head down controlling his emotions.
"Then a guy was screaming and yelling. He was tall and slim with glasses. He dragged me away I was in woods all of the sudden then he took me to basement in the small space." I stopped midway, after few seconds I continued.
"Then it was horrible living every day in dark, cold and always hungry. I had given up on living. Days passed by." I couldn't stop crying as if I relived the entire thing.
"Then he came back for me and chopped me up and that it. I woke up and I could hear Allan and saw him for a second and fell asleep." I spoke and wiped my tears.
"I wanted to die and wanted whole world to end with me." I sniffled and head started to hurt.
"We had to break the door and call in doctor, she shaking and burning up." Allan spoke. We all took a minute to digest that. Allan was angry and sad at the same time. And I couldn't stop crying.
"It was a little different for me most of my nightmares are watching someone die mostly young girls, not being able to help twisted my stomach. Different women different times some of them were not even from here, some of them were alive and fine the next day.
But their screams were horrible crying for help not letting go life. I could hear screams even when their heads were severed. I have been growing numb these day. Both in dream and real life. That's the only way to survive.
Could I have even helped I don't know. I prepare myself to fight that guy and help the girls but my body won't move. The guilt is so heavy for not helping them, I know it's a dream but everything is real for me." She gave blank face.
"we are so sorry to bring this up." Allan spoke.
"It's alright. It's the first time I spoke to someone about it."
"But it was different the first time though, it was much more real but also I only remember pieces, I was waiting to catch who was stealing my chips and then I ended up behind stairs underground hiding from someone. I have never been there.
The smell was distinct but I don't remember what. Then I saw a man chopping up a girl I didn't have the courage to help her I escaped to get help but I don't remember the rest. It's also long time back having these nightmares I feel like I have lived hundred years now." She answered.
"Were you wearing a white night gown with pink robe that night you got first nightmare." I asked trying to connect the dots. Allan and Mrs. Finn paused.
"Yes why do you ask?" she asked freaking out.
"I saw something like that in my dream. Your photo in the album looked like the woman in my dream, she was standing in far that was the last thing I saw before I was dismembered." I clarified things which complicated the current situation.
"It's weird. Same situation but two perspectives." Allan talked.
"Yeah it's weird." Mrs. Finn started to think deeply.
"We will get back to you of anything else happens, and please do call if you remember anything else." Allan got up the chair. Signaled me to say goodbye.
"Thanks for having me. It felt a lot better talking to you." I thanked her.
"If there's anything you need just call me." Mrs. Finn hugged me.
"Just hold on tight, it's nightmare it ends." Mrs. Finn spoke with strong will.
"yeah I will stay strong. You stay strong too." I spoke and hugged her back.
"Take care of her now Allan." She spoke to Allan walking us to the gate.
"I will, she is my girlfriend after all." Allan spoke.
"He is a big liar. I already have boyfriend." I grunted.
He winked at her and for the first time Mrs. Finn smiled.
We swung our hands and drove back to the cabin. On my way I called Mike and spoke throughout the driveway.
"Damn couples don't shut up." Allan was annoyed as soon as I hung up.
"phew. I'm beat." I stretched arms and legs.
"hey, why did you leave in a rush." I asked.
"I will tell you if you won't cry." Allan looked at me.
I stared into his soul with the darkest face I could make.
"Okay, okay. I will tell you, let's go inside." Allan looked around the cabin no one was there.
We took the key from the pot where we hid and went inside. Nobody had entered of left other than us.
And sat on the couch and opened his note.
"what do we know so far?" he asked me. I walked around the cabin.
"you heard knocking and I had nightmare like Mrs. Finn." I spoke.
"What if Mrs. Finn didn't dream it?" Allan pointed.
"I know that's the first thought I had when I noticed that gown. But how do you explain she dream of alive people being assaulted and killed in her dream." I asked.
"It could be trauma I'm sure the first night it started was real. I think she actually witnessed a murder and her mind is blocking all important details." Allan spoke trying to convince me on his theory.
"You know what you are implying right. Mr. Finn would have noticed if they had a girl in a basement screaming. Not to mention they renovated the whole property themselves. It could only be inside job." I raised my eyebrows.
"I know what you are saying. It could be something that happened years ago or just a dream." I spoke scratching my neck.
"No. Not after what I saw last night." Allan smirked.
"You said nothing happened. Are we lying to each other now?" I threw his jacket on to his face.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to burden you more. I felt bad dragging you out like this." Allan stood up.
"So what did you see." I asked taking deep breath.
"Last night I checked all the doors and windows before getting ready to bed. I found nothing strange except a lot of metal music and a lot of garbage. I slept after midnight I woke up with knocking sounds more like metal clacking.
I started to listen closely and flowed it was coming. Trust me it was from under bed. All the surface was normal except one of them was chipped." Allan spoke.
I nodded for to continue trying to piece it together.
"that's all. I tried to move the bed I couldn't. I didn't want to wake up everyone. So I tried to be awake eventually I slept off. My guess after talking to Mrs. Finn is that there is a secret door leading to basement or a dead body making under that bed." Allan shared his view.
"how could you have slept after thinking there's a body underneath?" I asked.
"never mind that. I think that's where she saw murder. And my primary suspects are Finn and his brother." Allan wrapped up his theory by closing his note.
"Then what are we waiting for?" I asked tying up my hair.
Allan pulled his jacket back and we went to investigate Finn's room to get any evidence. The room looked normal with Finn and his brother and wife's photo. Neat and simple for two to stay.
Then we checked out the room Allan stayed. It looked normal he barely had anything except of canned food and drinks and his music instruments.
We started the main event pushing away the bed. We tried, tried and tried it wouldn't budge. But I noticed something weird usually any heavy bed would have budged a little not this bed somehow it left it was tied up to the wall. I walked towards the shallow place and found small button and pushed it.
"it's weird to see these types of beds. Don't you think?" I asked Allan.
"Actually these kind of bed became famous after some animal break out few years ago. They used to hide under bed and live there. The one came up with these bed became so rich in a year." Allan explained it.
"And you wrecked your brain not able to budge the bed?" I asked.
"I have never used one. I have only heard about it." Allan spoke.
The bed started to get inclined, moving upwards enough to clean under bed or kick an animal out, in our case enough to crawl into the secret door.
Allan and I looked at each other giving us the look, was it this easy all along? We started to look for a door or any other buttons but we didn't find one.
"hey look at the chipped wood I was talking about." Allan pointed at the floor.
Removing the wood piece one by one we had our door leading towards ground with a lock on it.
We took a step back as we heard Mr. Finn back home. We put the bed back and went to living room where Mr. Finn was there.
"How are you Nora. We were worried. Especially Allan." Mr Finn walked towards us.
"I'm fine now." I answered a little bit scared if is also involved in a murder.
"Great! what would you like for dinner." He asked.
"We had dinner." Allan spoke doubting is good friend.
"You are acting weird Allan. Are you alright?" Mr Finn grabbed a knife as he entered kitchen.
We both stepped back as he kept getting closer to us. I hit one of the album. I saw a photo of Finn and his brother. I looked back and forth at Finn. The door to underground was small Finn can't fit in. Mrs Finn yes, she is tall and skinny but not Finn or his brother. My instincts tell me he is a good guy. But Allan seems to be taken his theory very seriously.
"Mr Finn you don't happen to know any underground layout for this cabin right." I asked.
Allan jumped in scare.
"No, underground basement gives me creeps. We closed it off, it's in the backyard." Mr Finn spoke.
"So if we check every inch on this property we won't be able to find a way that leads to basement or a secret door." Allan asked.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Of course not we brought the best carpenter had closed it off." Finn brushed it off. And started cutting tofu and onions.
Allan I kept looking at each other.
" I will call the cops just in case. how is the idea?" Allan whispered.
"I don't think it's him shouldn't we check it out first." I mumbled.
"Alright let's have it your way, I will wait outside you guys go down there and check it to your heart's content." Allan smiled angrily.
"Fine, let's do both. You go call cops, then let's tell him what we saw." I spoke and went outside to call cops.
Allan went outside to make the call, and I asked about other things.
" so does your brother live her often?" I asked.
"Actually he like this place a lot when we were renovating. Especially the forest giving him break from everything else and help him relax a bit. So brought all of his junk and music. But he said he feels a lot disturbed and uneasy while playing music here. So he dropped that idea and focused on his studies." Mr Finn spoke.
Allan came back, nodding his head giving me sign he called cops.
"Mr Finn we have something to show you in your brother's room." I spoke.
"what is it?" Mr Finn dropped his knife and turned around.
"Follow us. I heard sounds from underground last night. So we tried to investigate today." Allan spoke and lead the way to secret door leading to underground.
Mr Finn wouldn't have fit in that. Allan took a video as he bought tools and smashed to create more space for him to enter.
"Nora stay outside. Call for help if anything happens." Allan spoke and they got inside.
And by the time I came back inside both of them had finished their investigation and started to puke in different directions.
" I guess I it was bad" i talking to myself walking away from the room.
Soon the police checked out the cabin. And forensics started to collect evidence.
"I never expected to experience such a horrible things. We had so much fun and good times when someone was getting assaulted right below is. Maybe if we had paid enough attention we could have saved that girl." Mr Finn wept truly distributed by that horrifying crime scene.
"It's wasn't your fault, in a way you stopped something bad happening for others." Allan consoled.
"Mr Finn your wife possibly witnessed the crime scene on that day. I know it's tough to talk about it or believe it. Could tell about this incident it might give her some peace." I asked him.
"If that's true I will never forgive myself to put her through it.", he sniffled.
"Everything will turn out fine. Help her get through this sending her to her parents house won't solve everything. Maybe you should stay with her sometime.", Allan spoke patting Finn shoulder reassuring.
"Thank you for everything Nora, Allan" Finn shook his hand and gave a gentle smile with tears in his eyes.
"Don't mention it." I spoke.
"Chicken soup for me." Allan laughed.
Police called all three of us to give a statement of everything that happened.
They suspected many rotting body pieces, which had been rotten before the family purchased the cabin. They have not ruled out cooperating with the killer. Everyone in their family had to be questioned, and heaps of forensic data had to be examined.
In addition, I tried to share as much information as I could about my nightmare's. I'm not sure if that's relevant or not, but it made me feel better.
We drove back to our home.
"That was fun we should it again sometime." Allan spoke humming a song whole driving.
"The part where I got the worst nightmare or the part where you couldn't stop puking." I asked being pissed and no way in hell I want to experience something like that.
"Ha ha, nope you are focusing on wrong things. What I meant was the part where we solved a case Mr Finn gave us, and we gave a breakthrough clue to an active serial killings and I can add the part where you cried on my shoulders." Allan blushed as his words led to me with a silence making both of us awkward.
"This is the last I ever going to step on your car" I looked away.
"Your car then or are we driving in your boyfriend's car." He joked.
"You are so stubborn. Don't you know how to treat a girl. Dragging me to place like that." we kept talking back and forth.
We reached my place at 9pm.
Mike was waiting outside apparently he called but both of our phones were dead. Allan got serious after seeing Mike's face was like facing the girl's dad you took on a date. Well that's a weird analogy.
" Hi Mike. I will call you tomorrow Nora." Allan handed over the bag. Mike waved.
"Yeah" I smiled and he drove off.
" What happened there?" Mike asked as soon as he left.
"I will tell you everything." Mike kissed my cheeks.
" Only if dinners ready." I took off Allan's jacket.
"I just have to reheat, give me five minutes." Mike carried me to the shower.
I was worried that I would get nightmares so far no nightmares. And I keep thinking about how Allan was next to me this morning and the peace I felt when I was reassured he is next to me. With that feeling I slept.