M.A. Kleen

When a weekend getaway turns into a nightmare, four friends must confront an ancient curse and face a grotesque infestation to escape a cabin’s dark secrets.

Please enjoy this horror short, part of a series experimenting with artificial intelligence. I fed the location, characters, scenario, and mood into ChatGPT and asked it to craft a story, then used Stable Diffusion XL to create illustrations. How did it turn out? Well, you be the judge.

In a clearing, surrounded by the ancient and seemingly endless forest, there stood a cabin that the locals referred to as the “Lonely Homestead”. The reason for its desolation was not known, but the stories told of it were many. It was not uncommon for locals to point to the thick canopy around the cabin and whisper tales of ghostly figures and strange creatures that inhabited those parts.

It was in this very cabin that Amelia, the high school’s prom queen with shimmering golden hair and an aura that suggested she ruled the world, decided she would spend their weekend. She believed a place like that would be the perfect setting for the selfies and stories she could flaunt back at school. The cabin was dark and gloomy, made of thick wood that creaked with the slightest movement.

With her was Charlotte, the cheerleader with a spirit that always lifted others, her bouncy brunette curls, and fiery spirit making her a favorite amongst the boys. Derek, the guy who somehow always found himself in panic-mode, was easily frightened and was dubbed the “cowardly dude” by everyone who knew him. Last but not least, there was Eddie, who was known for his contagious laughter and quick-witted jokes that masked a perceptive nature.

“Why here, Amelia? This place gives me the creeps!” Derek looked around nervously.

Amelia rolled her eyes, “We’re here for an adventure, Derek! Don’t be such a killjoy.”

Eddie chimed in, “At least it’s not a graveyard! Hey, Char, remember when we pranked Derek there last summer?”

Charlotte giggled, “How can I forget? His scream could be heard from miles away!”

Derek mumbled, “I told you, I saw something that night.”

The night fell, and a silver moonlit sky framed the canopy. Inside, the cabin was adorned with old portraits, worn-out rugs, and antique furniture. There was no electricity, so they lit candles, giving a soft flickering light to the surroundings.

As Eddie began to narrate ghost stories, aiming to tease Derek further, Charlotte suddenly stood up, her face pale.

“Do you guys see that?” She pointed to the window.

A large, grotesque spider, with thick hairy legs and beady eyes, was making its way across the glass.

Eddie laughed, “Charlotte, it’s just a spider! And here I thought Derek was the scaredy-cat.”

Derek shivered, “That’s no ordinary spider, Eddie.”

Charlotte whispered, “There’s more of them.” She pointed to the corners of the room, where several spiders were creeping in, each larger and more grotesque than the last.

Amelia, trying to keep her queenly composure, said, “We need to find a way to get rid of them. Maybe there’s something in the cabin to help.”

Derek, looking more petrified by the second, whispered, “We should stay together.”

The group moved to the center of the cabin, away from the encroaching spiders. Eddie tried to make light of the situation, “At least they’re not ghost spiders, right?” But his joke fell flat as the spiders started to weave webs, thick and seemingly unbreakable, blocking the windows and doors.

Suddenly, the candlelight illuminated an old journal on a wooden table. Charlotte grabbed it, her voice shaking, “It says this cabin was once home to a woman who practiced forbidden rituals. She could command creatures of the dark.”

Eddie replied sarcastically, “Great! Maybe she left her number somewhere?”

Amelia quickly read a passage aloud, “To control the weavers, one must find the heart. Only then can the spell be broken.”

Derek gulped, “We need to find this heart. Whatever it means.”

Together, the group searched the cabin. Underneath a loose floorboard, Amelia found a small, ancient-looking box carved with spider symbols. Inside was a heart-shaped stone, pulsating as if alive.

Charlotte exclaimed, “This must be it!”

But as she held it, the spiders seemed to grow agitated, moving faster, their webs covering more and more of the cabin.

Derek yelled, “Maybe we need to destroy it!”

Eddie nodded, “It’s worth a shot.” He took the stone and with all his might, smashed it against the hearth. The stone shattered, sending a shockwave through the cabin.

Suddenly, the spiders began to retreat, their webs disintegrating. The cabin was free of the infestation.

As dawn broke, the group, exhausted but relieved, stepped outside. The forest seemed to have come alive, with birds chirping and the early rays of the sun filtering through the trees.

Amelia whispered, “I had no idea this would turn into a real-life horror story.”

Eddie grinned, “You know, despite everything, it was quite an adventure. But next time, let’s just stick to camping.”

Charlotte laughed, “Or maybe a beach?”

Derek sighed, “Anywhere but a cabin. Especially one with a creepy past.”

As they made their way back home, the cabin stood silent, its dark secrets once again hidden. But for the group, it was a weekend they would never forget, a testament to their courage and unity in the face of the unknown. And somewhere deep in the forest, a whisper could be heard, the age-old trees telling tales of the brave souls who faced the weavers in the wood and emerged victorious.