The Abandoned Cabin

Here is a story in English about three friends who get lost while hiking and find an abandoned cabin. The aim of the story is to improve your listening and reading comprehension in English and increase your English vocabulary. Don't worry about understanding every word in the story. The more you read the story, the better your comprehension of English will become.

The Abandoned Cabin

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The Abandoned Cabin
Matt, Hannah, and Sarah were best friends who loved hiking. They decided to spend a weekend exploring the mountains near their town. They packed their backpacks with food, water, tents, and sleeping bags, and set off early in the morning.
The first day was sunny and pleasant, and they enjoyed the scenic views of the towering trees, the sparkling lake, and the colorful flowers. They followed a marked trail and set up their camp near a small stream. They cooked some dinner, sang some songs, and told some stories around the campfire. They went to sleep feeling happy and relaxed.
The next day, however, things took a turn for the worse. The weather became stormy and it started to rain heavily. The trail became muddy and slippery, and they lost their way. They tried to use their phones, but they had no signal. They started to panic and argue with each other.
"Great, just great. We're lost in the middle of nowhere, with no map, no phone, no nothing. Whose idea was this anyway?" Matt snapped.
"Hey, don't blame me. You were the one who wanted to go hiking in the first place. And you were the one who said we didn't need a guide. You said you knew the way." Hannah retorted.
"Guys, guys, calm down. Fighting won't help us. We need to stick together and find a way out of here." Sarah intervened.
The storm was raging, and the three friends were shivering in the cold. They had been hiking in the forest for hours, but they had lost their way. They had hoped to find a ranger station or a campsite, but all they found was a dark and eerie cabin by a lake. The cabin looked old and abandoned. The windows were boarded up, the roof was sagging, and the door was hanging from its hinges.
"Whoa, look at that!" Matt exclaimed. "Do you think anyone lives there?"
"I doubt it," Hannah said. "It looks like it's been deserted for a long time."
"Maybe we should check it out," Sarah suggested. "It could be interesting."
"Or dangerous," Hannah warned. "You never know what could be inside. Maybe it's haunted, or infested with rats, or booby-trapped."
"Come on, don't be such a scaredy-cat," Sarah teased. "It's just an old cabin. What's the worst that could happen?" She walked towards the cabin, followed by Matt, who was curious. Hannah hesitated, but then decided to join them. She didn't want to be left alone by the lake.
They knocked on the door, but there was no answer. They tried to open it, and it was unlocked. They pushed the door open. It creaked loudly, and a cloud of dust flew out. They coughed and waved their hands, trying to clear the air. They stepped inside, and looked around. The cabin was small and dark, with a single room. It was dusty, cobwebbed, and the floor was covered with dirt and debris, but it had a fireplace with some wood beside it, a table with some chairs, a couch, a bookshelf, and a bed. The walls were decorated with paintings and photos. They decided to stay there for the night, hoping that the storm would pass and they could resume their search for the trail in the morning.
They lit a fire in the fireplace, and warmed themselves up. They found some canned food and water in the kitchen, and ate some. They felt a bit better, and decided to explore the cabin a bit more. They noticed that the bookshelf had some old books, some of them looked very old and rare.
They continued to explore the cabin, finding various items that hinted at the previous owner's life. They found a diary, a map, a compass, a knife, a fishing rod, a lantern, and a radio. They also found some clothes, some food, some medicine, and some money.
"Wow, this is like a treasure trove," Matt said, picking up a book. "Look at this, it's a first edition of The Hobbit. This must be worth a fortune."
"Look at this," Hannah said, pointing at a photo. "It's a picture of a man and a woman. They look happy. Do you think they lived here?"
"Maybe," Sarah said, looking at a newspaper clipping. "But look at this, it's a headline from ten years ago. It says 'Missing Hiker Found Dead'. And there's a picture of the same man."
They gasped, and read the article. It said that the man was a famous explorer, who had gone on a solo expedition in the mountains, and never returned. His body was found by a search party, near a cliff. He had fallen and broken his neck. The article also mentioned that he had left behind a wife, who lived in the cabin by the lake.
"That's so sad," Hannah said, feeling sorry for the woman.
"Maybe she's still here," Sarah said, looking around. "Maybe she's hiding somewhere, or watching us."
"Don't be silly," Matt said, shaking his head. "She probably left a long time ago. Or maybe she died too."
They felt a chill in the air, and decided to leave the cabin. They walked back to the door, and tried to open it. But it wouldn't budge. It was locked.
They panicked, and pushed harder. But the door didn't move. It was stuck.
They looked at each other, and realized that they were trapped.
They eventually calmed down, and realized that at least they were warm and dry. They decided that they might as well spend the night in the cabin, since the storm was still raging, and try and find a way out in the morning.
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The next morning, they woke up to a clear sky and a bright sun. Hannah tried the door again, and this time it opened. They felt a surge of hope. They packed their things, and left the cabin. They each remembered fragments of terrifying dreams, and convinced themselves that the had all just dreamed that they had been locked inside the cabin.
They walked along the lake, and soon found the trail. They followed it, and reached their car. They drove back to their town, feeling relieved and happy. They had survived a scary situation, and had a memorable experience. They had also learned something about themselves and their friendship.