Finally, the stranger turned toward us, "Ha!" He laughed at us, "first, the Wendigo, he'll immobilize you," I gasped at his words and he wasn't even to the worst parts, "and then he strips the skin off your muscles, piece by piece," Mike closed his eyes and turned his face toward my hair, "and then he keeps you alive, and aware as he feasts upon your organs, one little piece at a time."
I gagged, turned toward Mike while he turned his head to look at Chris, "the Lodge?" He suggested.
"The Lodge," Chris agreed while I nodded my head.
"Yes, go now," the stranger agreed, "it might still be near."
We had only walked for a few moments before we had to freeze in our tracks. Something was close, too close for comfort. Just to be safe, Mike placed his hand upon my lips, making sure I didn't scream as he and Chris stood very still.
"Don't. Move. Be very quiet," the stranger whispered to us as wildlife scurried by causing a twig to snap, "RUN!" The stranger shouted at us, "GO! NOW, NOW, NOW!"
A Wendigo appeared in front of us and I screamed while Mike and Chris cursed at it as the stranger fired off his flamethrower shouting at the creature to back off, "we're right out in the open, we gotta get outta here!' The stranger shouted at us.
Swoosh!
Something streaked past and sliced at the man; he dropped to his knees, his head falling off into the snow.
I screamed bloodymurder as Mike and Chris yelled obscenities
A Wendigo appeared in front of us and Chris shot at it, temporarily disabling it enough so we could start running away, Mike had to push me to get me started.
"Just run! Don't stop! Don't stop until we reach the Lodge!" I screamed at them as we ran, never stopping until we reached our destination; we ran as fast as we could, all slamming against the door in a panic.
"Ash! Ash!" Chris called for Ashley.
She appeared, "let us in, Ash, hurry!" I screamed as she opened the door and Mike pulled me inside, pushing Chris inside too.
"Oh my God, what happened?!" Ashley cried.
"It's a long story! Tell you later!" I replied in a raised voice.
"Move!" Mike pulled me as Chris grabbed at Ashley.
"That thing's right behind us!" Chris shouted as the Wendigo crashed through the glass door.
We ran as fast as we could to get to the old hotel, where Sam and Emily were waiting for us. The latter was the first to greet us when we rushed in, Mike had already detached from me by the time we were visible. He shut the gate behind us. I was breathing hard, unable to stand any longer. I collapsed to the floor too busy with my lungs to be happy that Emily made it back to the lodge safely.
"What took you so long to get back?" Sam demanded, she had been worried.
"It's not so good up there right now, Sam," that was Chris.
"The understatement of the night," Mike commented.
"Ya think?" I chimed in.
Sam asked about the stranger with the flamethrower as I pulled myself up by the desk behind me, I winced from the effort and the memory of what had happened.
"He didn't make it...." Chris answered.
"A Wendigo sliced his head clean off, right in front of us," I sobbed.
Ashley joined me, Emily merely said 'oh no' and Sam merely said 'oh God'.
"Alright, are these all the doors?" Mike asked and Sam answered, questioning him, "another way out," he said simply.
Sam protested at this, "I really don't think that's a good idea," her idea was to stay here until dawn because we were safe here.
"Sure," Mike said, "all wrapped up like a pretty present with a bow on top for that thing to tear us open."
"Someone will come for us in the morning," Sam said with slight uncertainty.
"Wait, what?" I gathered myself shifting to stare at Sam.
"You don't sound so sure," that was Mike and that forced her to confirm with Emily.
"Yeah, I mean, right?" Even she wasn't so sure.
"Yeah, well, you can wait," Mike said.
"You've got to be kidding me?!" I groaned at the whole situation.
"I'm leaving," that got my attention to shift to Mike.
"Like hell you are," I said out loud, not caring if anyone heard me or not.
"There's no key for the cable car," Emily warned.
Mike turned back, "Josh," he said simply, "he's got to have it," he was sure of it, "with that little game he pulled," he said, "one of his dirty little tricks."
"Well that's not a very positive thought," I chimed in.
"Great, great," that was Sam.
"If that fucking thing, whatever is it," that was Mike, who I proceeded to cut off.
"Wendigo," I said.
"Whatever," he moved toward us, "got a hold of him, we're shit outta luck," he finished his sentence.
"I dunno, it's possible," Emily said, "it may have taken him down to the mines."
"The mines are a fucking maze," I started to complain but then realized that our missing friends were most likely down there, "Matt and Jess are probably down there," I turned toward Mike, I reminded us of my promise.
"Elaborate, Em," Mike told her.
"I saw some horrible stuff down there, I-I think that's where that thing lives, the-the Wendigo," Emily cut off, picking up a book.
"Fuck it," Mike didn't care, "I'm gonna go down there, take that fucking key from that damn thing's bedroom, find Matt and Jess and get us the hell outta here," he said triumphantly.
I stared at him, he was gonna do it alone? I was pist off at that point but I didn't have time to protest before his attention was on Sam and Emily, who were looking through the stuff from the stranger's bag.
Mike asked about a map, Sam replied that he was prepared for anything.
I moved closer, noticing what they were looking at, "wait, Mike," I touched his bicep and he remembered.
"Vanessa and I were down there," he said when I had touched his bicep.
I removed my hand, "yeah, we were," I agreed.
"It was horrible down there," was all he said about it.
Emily had to instigate an argument, then she mentioned the tunnel that led from the sanatorium back to the lodge.
"That's how Vee and I got back here," he exclaimed.
"Yeah, that's the same damn tunnel!" That was me.
Ashley noticed Emily's shoulder, "Em, wha-what is- what is that?!"
"It's nothing, it just bit me," Emily said defensively.
I knew it was nothing, and agreed with her, "don't worry about it," I tried to reassure everyone but no one was listening as per usual.
Ashley started freaking out. Sam was the only one concerned about Emily but I was more worried about what was going through Mike's mind that very moment, "Mike.... whatever is on your mind, don't do it," I warned but he ignored me.
Mike was thinking that she could turn into one of them just from a bite, like a zombie, when that was totally false. Ashley spouted information she didn't understand, freaking out, crying, and flailing around. I started to shake my head, repeating the word 'no'.
"You can't be down here with us," Mike stated.
"No, Mike, that's not how it works," I tried to get them to listen to me as everyone started to freak out over that statement, "Wendigos aren't Zombies! It's not the same thing!"
Mike continued about how she was putting us all in danger but if he would just listen to me, he wouldn't feel that way. I kept trying but he was ignoring me as usual.
"Like hell I am!" Emily shouted.
Sam was the only one listening to reason, trying to listen to me since I was the voice of reason. She urged them to listen to me but Chris piped up, "I've seen what these things can do, and I don't wanna see it again," he said in a low tone of voice.
Emily was freaking out, rightfully so. Mike was letting her voluntarily leave but she retorted that he was just trying to make himself feel better about sending her to her death because the Wendigo was out there, ready to rip us to pieces if we ever left. Ashley interjected, screaming at Emily to leave.
"NO! She fuckin' stays, will you all listen to me for once in your pathetic lives!" I screamed at them, making Ashley cowered away from me as Mike picked up the pistol, I knew shit was going to get real.
He pointed it at Emily, pushing Sam away when she tried to get him to think rationally. Emily just cowered away back toward the desk, beginning to cry and pleading for her life. Mike was serious but he was apologetic, though I acted just as he pulled the trigger....