You turn tail and run, with the thought that you have to get away circling through your mind. You head for your car, hopping in and driving away from the cabin. As you turn the car around on the gravel road, you can see the silhouette of a man in the cabin window. Even though you can't possibly know for sure, you feel with certainty that his eyes are on you.

The night is dark, but you go nice and slow down the gravel and back out onto the highway. When you're on the main road again, only then does it occur to you that all of your stuff is still in the cabin. You have no money and no I.D. and no clothes...

Frowning, you wonder where you could possibly go in the middle of the night without anything and tell them about your ghost. Would anyone even believe you?

A sign looms on the side of the road, and your eyes flick over to it: Ranger Station, 1 mile.

Rangers! Maybe they could put you up for the night if you just tell them you thought you saw a man in your cabin. They don't need to know that it was possibly a dead man.

You put your blinker on and turn down the road, pulling into the station's parking lot. You step out onto the gravel, your bare feet yelling at you now that you're not numbed to pain by adrenaline. Carefully, you pick your way up to the door of the station, which just looks like another cabin to you, and knock.

At first, no one answers, but then the door opens. A handsome man in a ranger uniform of khaki button up shirt and dark green pants opens the door. His blonde hair is loose, and long enough that it falls to his shoulders. He has it down right now, and the golden locks curl loosely around his face. His green eyes widen a bit when he sees you, but he recovers quickly. "Hello. What can we do for you, ma'am?"

As he speaks, he opens the door and steps to the side to let you in. You step into the warmth of the cabin, and instantly feel more at ease. You're not alone anymore. You smile at him. "Sorry to interrupt you so late at night. I need your help."

The ranger listens to your story and offers you a cot in the station for the night. He makes you a cup of soothing tea and makes sure you have everything you need for the night. He says he'll be in the next room over if you need anything else, and that he'll be happy to help you go back to the cabin in the morning for your things.

The cot is surprisingly comfortable, and your sleep is deep and pleasantly free of ghosts.

[Go to chapter: Twenty Four]