Book excerpt: The fall had cast its chilly grip over the woods, a foreboding silence settling over the landscape as five teenagers drove down the winding road. Excitement thrummed in the air with each mile they closed in on their secluded cabin, but an undercurrent of unease rippled beneath their laughter. The year was 1980, and with Halloween only a few days away, they had planned this getaway—an escape from their everyday lives full of responsibilities, homework, and the looming threat of adulthood. As their car wound through the increasingly dense forest, the teens were oblivious to the watchful eyes that followed their progress from the shadows between the trees. Twisted shapes slithered just out of sight, their forms barely distinguishable from the gnarled branches that clawed at the darkening sky. They were armed not only with snacks and a few bottles of cheap beer but also a VHS tape of what they believed to be the scariest movie of all time: *Horrifying Tales From The Dead*. The tape sat innocuously in Jason's backpack, its presence a constant reminder of the thrills that awaited them. Little did they know that the real horror would far surpass anything captured on that magnetic strip. "Almost there! Can you believe we actually did this?" Jason shouted, bouncing in the back seat as the headlights flickered over treetops. His enthusiasm was infectious, but Jamie, sitting beside him, couldn't shake the feeling that something was...off. The trees seemed to lean in closer with each passing moment, their branches reaching out like grasping fingers. "I still can't believe my parents let me come," Rachel admitted, her laughter more playful than nervous. "They said 'sure just don't burn it down.'" As she spoke, a chill ran down her spine, causing her to shiver involuntarily. She chalked it up to excitement, unaware of the malevolent forces already closing in around them. "Just don't do anything stupid like last year's party," Mia chimed in, rolling her eyes dramatically. The memory of that night flashed through her mind—the acrid smell of smoke, the panicked screams, the feeling of suffocation. She pushed the thoughts away, focusing on the adventure ahead. "Hey, that wasn't my fault! The fire extinguisher was empty!" Rachel laughed, but her words seemed to hang in the air, echoing strangely in the confines of the car. For a moment, the laughter died, replaced by an uncomfortable silence as each of them contemplated what might have happened if things had gone differently that night. As the car pulled up to the cabin, its weathered wood screamed of secrets untold and a thousand ghost stories spent in whispered tones. The structure loomed before them, a dark silhouette against the twilight sky. Windows- like hollow eyes stared down at them, and for a split second, Ben could have sworn he saw movement behind one of the curtains. They stepped out into the cool, crisp air, the crunch of dead leaves beneath their feet sounding unnaturally loud in the stillness of the forest. As they gathered their belongings, a distant howl echoed through the trees, causing them all to freeze momentarily. "Just a wolf," Jason said with a nervous chuckle, but the tension in his voice betrayed his unease. "Nothing to worry about." They made their way into the cabin, the old floorboards creaking ominously beneath their weight. Dust motes danced in the beams of their flashlights, giving the air a thick, oppressive quality. The smell of mold and decay assaulted their nostrils, a stark reminder of the cabin's long abandonment. As they settled in, Ben began setting up the old television that had been blessed with a dusty VHS player. The ancient appliance hummed to life with a sound not unlike a death rattle, its screen flickering with static that seemed to form fleeting, nightmarish shapes. "Alright, who's ready for some scares?" Ben grinned, rubbing his hands together. But even as he spoke, a sense of foreboding settled over him like a shroud. "Me! But keep the lights on. I hate jump scares," Mia said, suddenly wary. She glanced around the room, her eyes lingering on the dark corners where the lamplight didn't quite reach. Was it her imagination, or were the shadows moving? "Too late! It's Halloween; it's time to get terrified!" Jason barked with enthusiasm as he slid the tape into the player. The machine accepted it with a mechanical groan that sounded almost pained. As the movie started, the cabin filled with the flickering light from the screen, dancing shadows stretching ominously across the walls. Their laughter quickly evaporated as Count Drac Von Stoller appeared, his long face twisting into a ghastly grin. Dressed in a tattered cape and a mockery of elegance, he seemed to breathe life into the very air around him.