Nattmara

Story:

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          The story starts off with a radio announcement that police are looking for four missing people: 10 y.o. Emilie Jensson and Rosa, Barbara and Michael Karlson. It's then reported that there are several reports of strange animal activity, though these are probably along the lines of a "Bigfoot" story.​

          Barbara and Michael are stuck in their cabin with Rosa and Mila as the electricity disappears. Michael grabs his rifle and storms out to turn on their generator. He succeeds, but doesn't make it back to the cabin. Rosa takes off out the door to help him and Barbara follows, though all three are killed by the Creatures. Mila slams the door shut as the generator sputters and dies.

​          Sophie, Carla, Simon, Sean and Aidan, a friend group of highschoolers ("gymnasie"), make their way through snowy roads after deciding to spend New Years Eve in Sophie's parent's cabin smack-dab in the Swedish wilderness. With them on the trip are reluctant classmate Micah and Sophie's friend Anya. Simon teases Micah and Carla tells him how she would much rather have had Lukas, Micah's brother, with them on the trip. Simon notices Anya tensing over the conflict and pokes fun that she's actually just scared of the creatures lurking in the woods around them, telling the whole group the old tale of the gruesome Nattmara that stalk humans, driving them insane before chopping them to bits to consume.

          As the group reaches the cabin and start unloading, Anya expresses regret over coming. Sophie promises to take her to the nearest train station, but not until the next day so she can join the party that evening. Micah sorts groceries in the kitchen while Simon bugs him. Simon teases that Micah only joined the trip to see Anya and mocks him after an awkward interaction with her. Micah get's angry, and Sean and Aidan join in. As Micah goes for Sean, Sophie hands him the keys and tells him to go cool off. Micah storms out. Carla emerges from her room with Microwave the cat in hand.

          That evening the boys set out to an old shed to find matches for their fireworks. The girls stay behind and talk about Micah, yet to return, who is revealed to have been Anya's classmate before switching schools. Carla reminisces a school project about frogs she did with Micah when he first arrived. She promptly runs gagging to the bathroom. Sophie asks whether Anya and Micah have stayed in contact. Anya responds that they haven't, though Micah did give her his phone number on an old receipt at a mutual friends birthday before the cabin trip was organized. Sophie reveals she didn't invite Micah, rather that her parents did seeing he was a family friend. As Carla return, Sean beckons the girls to join on the porch for fireworks.

          The boys light the fireworks in increasingly stupid ways as the girls watch. Micah, retreated to a hill for the night, watches the fireworks in the air. The biggest firework goes off and something in the wood hollers. As the group discusses what animal that could have been, Sophie and Carla notice a Creature by the tree line. Sean and Simon set of another firework in an attempt to hit it, prompting the Creature to attack. The boys continue firing as the girls quickly retreat to the cabin. a rogue firework hits the porch and lights the boards on fire. Micah notices smoke coming from the cabin and promptly starts the car's engine. The headlights turn on to reveal a Creature in front of the car which quickly runs off. Micah makes his way to the cabin but is stopped by a Creature that punctures his tire. He steps out to check and faces a Creature. He stumbles back into the car and accidentally turns on the lights which repels the Creature. Back at the cabin the girls are in a panic. The power goes and Carla runs into a table while trying to lock the porch door. A Creature smashes through the glass windows. Carla goes silent, followed by Sophie. Anya reaches her room and sets a chair under the doorknob as the Creature scrambles closer and escapes through her window. Outside, she is met by a battered Aidan who can't seem to think straight. He tells her to run to the shed and they take off. Anya trips and looks up to find Aidan gone. She reaches the shed and the lights blink on automatically. A Creature looks through the window but is repelled by the light.

          The next morning Anya scouts the now burnt cabin to find other survivors but is unsuccessful. She is surprised by Microwave emerging from the rubble and the two start down the road after confirming the car, and therefore Micah, isn't back. They meet a Creature, though it stays in the darkness of the trees. Microwave distracts the Creature and they run off. Meanwhile Micah tries to call the group, thinking they have played a prank on him. When no one picks up he resorts to walking back. Upon arriving he realizes the cabin is burnt down and tries to call emergency services but is unsuccessful. He runs back to the car to go find help.

          As night falls Anya finds another, locked, cabin. She smashes a window and crawls inside. There is no power, but a small fire in the fireplace. She meets a scared Mila who has been surviving on soup packets. The following morning Anya turns on the generator and finds Michael's rifle close by. While drying Anya's clothes they find the old receipt with Micah's number in Anya's pocket. Mila tells Anya there's an old phone somewhere in the house and both start looking. Meanwhile Micah runs out of gas and comes to a stop. He films a video explaining to Lukas what has happened in case he doesn't survive.

          Anya and Mila find the phone and call emergency services but are cut off as the operator believes they are joking. In a last attempt Anya lets Mila call Micah who picks up. Micah makes up his mind to come find them.

          The next day Micah walks through the woods and reaches a lake. He sees smoke on the opposite side and makes his way across the ice as he hears a Creature bellow. Meanwhile Anya hears pinging. Mila tells her its from the ice on the lake and that Michael always was careful not to take them ice skating where the ice is prone to breaking. Meanwhile The ice pings and cracks as the Creature starts towards Micah on the ice. He pulls out his phones flashlight which halts the Creature, but does not scare it away. He takes off but falls through the ice, cutting his hands and killing his phone flashlight. The Creature takes up speed towards him as he feels himself lose grasp of reality. In a last attempt to survive he ducks under the water as it catches up to him.

          Anya and Mila hear strange noises outside the cabin. Mila hides as Anya prepares the rifle. She shoots as Micah bursts through the door. Micah buckles. Anya pulls him inside and is batted away by a crazed Micah who slowly comes back to reality. As the night goes on, Anya puts Mila to bed and shares a sweet moment with Micah as he admits his feelings for her. The following morning Mila tells the two about the Karlson's car in the garage down the road. The three (and Microwave) find the car and drive away.

          The story ends with a TV report that Emilia Jensson has been found and that she was rescued and dropped off by a young man and woman. Sophie Hildegaard was miraculously found alive in the cabin rubble. There is still no sign of the Karlsons. The report states the young man had extensive wounds, matching those seen on previous victims in the area. Both him and the young woman claim to have seen what they call “strange creatures” in the forest. The police dismiss this, stating they are investigating a possible rabies outbreak.

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Inspiration:

I was staying in a cabin close to a lake in -, Sweden over a Christmas break. I looked out into the woods and thought "wow, how creepy would it be if something was watching me right now? I would never know!".

I started the story imagining someone running from these monsters and bursting in through our door. Nattmara (meaning "nightmare") developed on from there.

Sophie's cabin is based on my cousin's place and the lake and Karlson cabin are based on the one I stayed in while in Sweden. The general "vibe" was based on both *cabin* and *g*, Sweden.

I tried basing the group on the looks, dynamics etc. I have really seen in my time in Scandinavia. Several characters were based on real people.