The Lakeside Cabin(Cory Jerles) (Note that the author was 12 years old when he wrote this story.)


It was June 2, 1984 and it was the last day of school for Regional Junior High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michael Greene and his friend Josh Reynolds decided to go to the old lakeside cabin downtown to go for a swim. Some people say that somebody was killed in the lake.

When they got home from school Michael and Josh got their swimming trunks and went to the lake. When they arrived there they dove into the water and started to swim. After about ten minutes they heard some faint noise. They figured it was just the wind. Then suddenly Josh was complaining that something was pulling him down. At first Michael thought Josh was joking. After about 1 minute Michael figured out Josh wasn't joking. Michael tried to pull Josh up but he couldn't. Michael didn't know what to do because the cabin is about a mile away from another house. Michael tried to get him again, but it didn't work. After Michael finally got him out of the water it was too late. Josh had drowned. At the funeral Josh's tomb-stone read:

Josh Reynolds
March 18, 1972 - June 2, 1984
In loving memory.

After the funeral Michael was upset and wouldn't talk to anyone. The police tried to ask him what had happened at the lake but Michael wouldn't speak. Michael's mother tried make him feel better, but it didn't work. It was about 2 years before Michael ever talked again.

In 1986 Michael started talking, but he wouldn't say very much. Every week Michael would go to therapy to help him get better to start talking again. Michael seemed to improve after every session. One day when Michael came home from school he noticed a headline on the local newspaper that read:

Mysterious Disappearance
Two children have mysteriously disappeared. They were last seen on their way to the lake, but the local police have searched all through the woods and they couldn't find anything. Some of the police officers have reported hearing noises but haven't seen anything. The police will search the cabin later today for the children. If you have any information in relation to this disappearance contact the police station or the courthouse as soon as possible.

Michael wondered what had happened to the children. After Michael had read the article he decided to go to the police station and tell the police that when he was at the lake in 1984 he heard faint noises too. Also that he had never told anybody that he saw a figure inside the window of the cabin. The police thanked him and they went to the cabin to search for the children.

Later that night on the news it said that the police had found the bodies of the two children inside the cabin. The police reportedly heard the noises get louder and louder as they got closer and closer to the basement. When they got down to the basement it was more like a scream. When they touched the doorknob to the basement door the screaming stopped. The police officers think that the children were going for a swim in the lake and while they were swimming they heard a noise inside the cabin.

The next day Michael decided to go to the cabin and when he got there he felt that someone or something was following him. It took him about 15 minutes to walk through the woods to the cabin. Michael figured that there was a soul in the cabin just wanting to get set free. Michael went through the squeaky gate and into the ghostly cabin. When he got inside Michael decided to go to the basement. When he got to the door the screaming was so loud and when he touched the doorknob he fell to the ground.

Suddenly it was like he went back in time, because everything was brighter and cleaner. Michael could see a little child about 6 years old running around outside and what looked like his mother and father inside. After about an hour the little kid's parents went out to check up on him but he wasn't there. They checked everywhere, but couldn't find him. After about 2 1/2 hours of looking they found him in the lake behind the cabin. It looked like something had dragged him in.

Suddenly Michael went back to normal, and was off to the police station to tell the police what he had experienced at the lakeside cabin. When he arrived at the police station Michael went inside to tell them that he was just at the cabin and told them about the little kid drowning and about the screaming by the basement. He also told them that he fell to the floor when he touched the doorknob. Nobody believed him. Everybody thought he was crazy, and that he probably hit his head. They said that's probably why he had fell to the floor. Michael couldn't believe what they had said. The citizens of Ann Arbor, Michigan may never know what is happening at the Lakeside Cabin.

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