1/5 Suspense story: The cabin by the road

Suspense story: The cabin by the

road
By James Olson, August 27th, 2015
My name is James Olson. I’m in my late twenties and I am single. I’m an
only child, so I don’t have any siblings. My dad is a 55-year-old bitter
man who works as a carpenter in Davenport, Iowa. He became an
alcoholic a few months after my mother died. Nothing is good enough for
him. He's constantly angry and blames everyone for everything. He thinks
everyone is taking advantage of him. He’s worked as a carpenter all his
life, but doesn’t enjoy his job. He complains everyday about it. People hate
my father and he knows it.

My mother died when she was giving birth to me. So, my father had to
raise me. I know he blamed me for her death and even though he never
said anything to me, he clearly gave me the cold shoulder and never
cared much for me. So, when I was a freshman in high school, I dropped
school and moved to Chicago, Illinois where I settled down and started a
career as a freelance photographer.

I really love my father. I never hold grudges. It’s so much easier to love
and forgive. So, when I got this letter from my dad, I didn't hesitate. I packed some things and headed
home. In his letter, he said he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and doctors thought he had
only a few months to live. I felt the urge to spend some time with my old man before he passed away.

Davenport, my hometown, looked exactly the same as it did a decade ago when I left Iowa. Here, you
can feel the nature all around: the grass is green, the trees are tall and the lakes are full of crystal clear
water. The place is a real paradise.

As I was walking down the road to my dad’s house, the sky was completely overcast. Any minute the
rain would start to fall. I began to jog as it started drizzling. I could recognize the characteristic smell of
moist soil. I could hear the thunder rumble and I saw lightning cross the sky. It was not only getting
dark, but there was thunder and lightning
too. All of a sudden, it started to rain cats
and dogs, so I had no choice, but to start
running.

As I was running, I noticed a small log

cabin standing near the road. That was the
perfect shelter I needed to hide from the
storm. As I approached the cabin, I
realized the lights were on and black smoke
was going out through the chimney. It was
my lucky day, I thought. The people inside
would probably let me in, would give me a
hot drink and let me stay until the heavy
rain subsided.
2/5 Suspense story: The cabin by the road

I knocked at the door, but no one answered. I knocked a few times more but still no answer. I tried to
open the door, but it was locked. My navy blue shirt, my jeans and my rucksack were soaking wet
and the inside of my black sneakers felt like a pond.

Feeling annoyed by the rain, I went to a window

and took a peek inside, not minding about good
manners or etiquette. There was no one inside,
but I could see some pieces of furniture and a
fireplace made of stone with some logs burning.

Then, the rain turned into hail. In desperation, I

kicked the door. The door swung open. As soon
as I entered the cabin, the door slammed behind
me. I tried to open the door again by pulling the
knob, but it was stuck. Breathing deeply, I tried
not to panic. I searched my backpack in order to
find dry clothes that I could wear. I took off my wet
clothes and put on some dry ones. Then, I placed
the wet clothes near the fireplace to let them dry. I
took a chair; sat down in front of the fireplace and wound down.

After a while, I started to feel drowsy and I could hardly keep my eyes open. A minute later, I was
asleep and started to have dream. In my dream, I could see an open well. I saw myself walking towards
the well. My heart started to beat faster. I felt like I was hyperventilating. I finally reached out to the well
and took a peek on what was inside. I saw nothing in the well, but clear water. All of a sudden, a girl with
red eyes emerged from the water, shouting at me. The clear water started to turn red like blood. The
girl’s hands grabbed my neck; my eyes opened and I woke up. My heart was pounding and I was
covered with cold sweat. I thought it had just been a nightmare, but I had bruises on my neck.

At last, the storm subsided and the door of the cabin opened. I took my stuff and continued my journey
leaving the cabin behind. When I told my dad about my experience, he said he hadn’t seen any cabins
nearby. He also said that a few years ago, a girl had gotten lost in the forest on a stormy night and her
body had never been found.

Next day, my dad and I returned to the

place where I had seen the cabin. Just
like my father said, there were no
cabins. We found an abandoned well
covered with boards though. My dad
helped me remove the boards from the
well. I went down using some ropes.
There, at the bottom of the well, I found
a small skeleton wearing a dirty old
torn dress. My dad and I wrapped the
skeleton in a blanket and headed to the
local coroner’s office.

As we were leaving, we saw a beautiful little girl standing next to the well. Her face was at peace as she
waved goodbye.
3/5 Suspense story: The cabin by the road

I. Glossary.
Set 1
1. a bitter man ( ) (idiom) To ignore someone.
2. To blame ( ) a student in the first year at a college or high school.
3. To give birth ( ) an angry and unhappy man that cannot forget bad things that
4. To give the cold shoulder happened to him in the past.
5. freshman ( ) To be reluctant to do something because of fear or
6. To drop school indecision.
7. To settle down ( ) To hold a strong feeling of anger and dislike for a person who
8. freelance you feel has treated you badly, especially one that lasts for a
9. To hold grudges long time.
10. To hesitate ( ) To produce a baby from a woman’s body.
( ) To quit school.
( ) To say that someone did something wrong or is responsible
for something bad happening.
( ) To start living in a place where you intend to stay for a long
time.
( ) working for different companies at different times rather than
being permanently employed by one company.

Set 2
1. To head ( ) (informal) father.
2. To urge ( ) (of sky and weather) covered by gray clouds.
3. old man ( ) 10 years.
4. To pass away. ( ) The physical world collectively, including plants, animals, the
5. decade landscape, and other features and products of the earth.
6. nature ( ) To die.
7. overcast ( ) To go somewhere
8. To jog ( ) To rain gently and steadily in fine drops.
9. To drizzle ( ) To run at a slow, regular speed, especially as a form of exercise.
10. moist soil ( ) To strongly push, advise or try to persuade someone to do a
particular thing.
( ) wet earth.

Set 3
1. To rumble ( ) a loud, explosive, resounding noise that follows a lightning.
2. lightning ( ) a place giving temporary protection from bad weather or danger.
3. thunder ( ) a small house made from tree trunks.
4. To rain cats and dogs ( ) a vertical channel that conducts smoke up from a fire and through
5. log cabin the roof of a building.
6. shelter ( ) To become less intense, violent, or severe.
7. To approach ( ) To get near.
8. chimney ( ) To rain very heavily.
9. To subside ( ) To strike with the fist or knuckles, especially on a door.
10. To knock at ( ) To make a continuous deep, resonant sound.
( ) (meteorology) a brilliant flash in the sky, caused by the release of
electricity between clouds or between a cloud and the ground.
4/5 Suspense story: The cabin by the road

Set 4
1. rucksack ( ) a backpack with shoulder straps which allow it to be carried on
2. soaking wet someone's back.
3. sneakers ( ) a body of water smaller than a lake, often artificially made.
4. pond ( ) a part of the trunk or a large branch of a tree that has fallen or been
5. To annoy cut off.
6. peek ( ) a quick look.
7. good manners ( ) precipitation in the form of small balls.
8. log ( ) soft shoes with rubber soles worn for sports or casual occasions.
9. hail ( ) the treatment of other people with courtesy and politeness.
10. To kick ( ) To bother.
( ) To hit or strike someone or something using your feet.
( ) very wet, usually because of rain or the weather.

Set 5
1. swung open ( ) a deep hole in the earth usually made to get water from
2. To slam underground.
3. stuck ( ) being in a state between sleeping and being awake.
4. To breathe ( ) completely open.
5. To search ( ) To pump blood rhythmically, contracting the muscles of the heart.
6. To wind down ( ) To relax
7. drowsy ( ) To scream; to yell
8. well ( ) To seek carefully and thoroughly.
9. To beat ( ) To shut with force and noise.
10. To shout ( ) To take air into the lungs and then expel it.
( ) unable to move.

Set 6
1. To grab ( ) (informal) things.
2. my heart was pounding ( ) a long, thin, flat piece of wood.
3. sweat ( ) a trip, usually long and arduous..
4. nightmare ( ) an injury appearing as an area of discolored skin on the body,
5. bruise caused by a blow or impact rupturing underlying blood vessels.
6. stuff ( ) an official who examines the reasons for a person's death,
7. journey especially if it was violent or unexpected.
8. nearby ( ) bad dream.
9. board ( ) my heart was beating fast and hard.
10. torn ( ) near here.
11. To wrap ( ) ripped or shredded.
12. coroner ( ) salty colorless liquid which comes through your skin when you
13. To wave goodbye are hot.
( ) To cover an object completely in paper or other material.
( ) To raise your hand and move it from side to side as a way of
saying goodbye.
( ) To take; to seize.
5/5 Suspense story: The cabin by the road

II. Answer the following questions.

1. James Olson dropped school when he was a ____________ in high school.

a) freshman b) sophomore c) junior d) senior

2. James Olson found _______________ at the bottom of a well.

a) a skeleton b) a gun c) a cell phone d) silver coins

3. James Olson has ___________________.

a) two brothers b) two sisters c) no siblings d) one brother

4. When James Olson was a teenager, he left Davenport and moved to ______________.

a) L.A. b) Chicago c) New York City d) Washington, D.C.

5. James Olson’s father was diagnosed with ________________.

a) diabetes b) lung cancer c) leukemia d) pancreatic cancer

6. James Olson’s father works as a______________

a) photographer b) carpenter c) waiter d) blacksmith

7. James Olson’s _____________ died when he was a teenager.

a) daughter b) grandmother c) mother d) sister

8. James Olson’s father lives in _____________.

a) Iowa b) Illinois c) Arizona d) California

9. When James Olson was walking along a road, he saw a______________.

a) stray dog b) log cabin c) gorilla d) fairy

10. When James Olson had a dream, he saw ____________________

a) a girl b) a cabin in fire c) an old man d) a black bear

11. James Olson’s father is ________________.

a) 65 years old b) a widower c) a journalist d) illiterate

12. Davenport is full of _______________.

a) trash b) swamps c) trees and lakes d) skyscrapers