It was a dark, misty night in the woodlands of Dowsken, Alaska. The tranquil atmosphere was interrupted by the soft crunches of feet on wet branches. Two hikers can be seen walking in the dead of night, with their only companion being the dim moon. As they were walking quietly through the dirt path, one of the hikers stumbled on a rock and was sent to the ground hand-first. “Ouch!” he exclaimed. “What in the world was that?” “That was a rock, Duncan.”, said a soft feminine voice. “Next time, be more careful.” Duncan was helped up by his hiking partner, Lisa. Once he was back on his legs, Duncan began to wipe off all the dirt from his clothes. “That was quite a fall, but I think I’m fine.” said Duncan as he pulled out his water bottle. “A little rinse on my wound wouldn’t hurt.” He opened the cap and began to pour the cold liquid on his arm, which absorbed most of the impact. “Okay, let’s get back to walking”, yawned Lisa. “I am so exhausted.” The two hikers continued on the trail for thirty minutes, saying nothing, but just listening to the placid sound of the crickets singing. All of a sudden, the trail reached a crossroad which diverged into two separate paths. This brought the party to a halt, as they began to wonder which path to take. In this moment of confusion, Duncan brought his flashlight out and turned it on. As the click of the button was heard, a small beam of light shot out from the device and launched itself at the nearby tree. With a sigh of relief, Duncan pointed it at the first path and saw a new-looking sign. It read “Crow Cabin, built in 1952.” Lisa looked at the sign with skepticism and said “Do you really think that this would be a nice place to camp out in? I mean, it was built in 1952!” “Come on.” Duncan began. “Let’s try it out. It might be better than you think.” Lisa knew that it was futile to argue, because once Duncan wanted something, he would argue with all his might to get it. After they passed the sign and began to walk in the path, the two started to feel good about their decision. Once they were out of sight, a strong gust of wind blew the sign down, revealing another sign, except this one was more worn out. In red, dripping letters it said “BEWARE OF CROW CABIN”. Duncan and Lisa were walking down the path, when the sounds of crickets and owls were stifled by an eerie echo of crows cawing. The hikers’ breathing pattern significantly increased as the trees around them began to cover most of the moon’s light. All of a sudden, Lisa stopped and pointed at a large clearing in the woods, her face filled with awe. Duncan’s jaw looked like it fell to the floor. The moonlight, which was initially blocked by the trees, flooded the clearing and was shining directly on the cabin. The newfound light gave the cabin a spectacular appearance. The wood was beautifully carved and was in excellent condition. On top of the oak door, there was a big sign in black letters that read “Welcome to Crow Cabin.” The pair walked up to the door, and with a shaky, yet excited hand, Duncan opened the door to the cabin. As he looked inside, a shiver went down his spine. The cabin had nice beige walls, two old splintery cots, a stove and in the middle of it all, a majestic fireplace. It was huge and was surrounded by the finest and most polished marble he had ever seen. The most troubling part to Duncan, however, was the fact that the fireplace was currently active and there were fresh logs inside of it. When Duncan turned around to tell Lisa this creepy news, she was gone and was nowhere to be found. Duncan’s heart began to race, and his breathing became very shallow and abrupt. Afraid and confused, Duncan walked inside the cabin, seeking safety near the hearth. That’s when a large crow-like figure began to come closer and closer to Duncan. Duncan walked into the corner of the cabin in fear of the mysterious figure and when he had no where else to go, the figure pounced. A second later, Duncan woke up, gasping for air as he started to come to his senses. The sky was still dark and he was surrounded by the tall and lush forest. “Duncan, are you alright?” a familiar voice asked. “Who are you and what happened to Lisa?” Duncan exclaimed. “I am Lisa! Wow, that fall must have really knocked you out cold.” “Anyways, the path split into two, so, which one do you want to take, the path with no sign or this path with a sign saying Crow Cabin?”
