Chapter Thirteen

Sam's POV

I climb up the rocky wall, looking down with a smile once I reach the top. "I beat you. I beat you!"

I allow myself to catch my breath for a moment before heading deeper into the mines, finding a set of stairs. 

As soon as I climb up the stairs to a wooden walkway, rocks fall from the mine's ceiling, taking away my ability to turn around. I jump in surprise but am able to gather my bearings and continue down the wooden walkway, pausing when I hear a rumbling.

"What was that?"

I keep going, turning left on the wooden walkway before being greeted with more of the mine's ceiling falling, this time right in front of me. I quickly grab the railing of the walkway, allowing me to retain my balance before jumping over the new hole in the walkway. I look behind me at what I just jumped, sighing in relief before continuing. 

Then I hear a screech.

It's close.

Too close for comfort.

I find a pipe nearby, grabbing it so I have some sort of a weapon. I keep walking until I reach the end of the walkway, jumping down onto the mine's floor. I start walking towards the metallic door right in front of me when Mike comes running in.

"DAMMIT! STAY OUT THERE!" he yells, trying to slam the door.

Before he can, a flamming Wendigo squeezes itself in between the cracked open door, pushing the door further open and causing Mike to fall to the ground.

"Mike!" I cry, rushing towards him. "Oh my gosh!"

The flaming Wendigo jumps on Mike, screeching in his face.

"HEY!" I challenge. "FATTY! OVER HERE!" I bash the Wendigo in the head with the pipe, causing it to fall back.

When the Wendigo comes back for more, I bash it with the pipe again, this time taking its head clean off. 

It's dead.

Mike rushes to the door he just came in, closing it all the way and putting his gun in for a makeshift lock.

Once he takes a second to lean against the door and catch his breath, he turns to me. "Whoa. You alright?" He puts his hands on his knees to catch his breath some more.

I can't imagine what he's been through.

"Uhh, define alright," I say.

"Alive, for a start."

I nod. "Yeah. Yeah, alive's good."

"The hell are you doing here, anyway?"

"I was gonna warn you about the Wendigos."

Mike chuckles. "I think I got it."

"Yeah..."

Mike walks towards me, gesturing forward. "Let's find a way down to where this thing lives." 

Josh's POV

I clutch my head from my fetal position on the ground, breathing rapidly.

I hear my therapist, Dr. Hill, come over and kneel right next to me. "I wonder how much these 'sessions' are of any help to you now. You just won't listen to me and things seem pretty..."

I hear a noise nearby.

"... Fucked up," Dr. Hill continues, chuckling. I hear him stand up. "So, I'm going to leave you now, Josh. It's time you learned there is more to be afraid of than can be dreamt up by the unhinged imagination of a self-indulgent, spoiled little brat! You had so many people who cared about you... Who were willing to help! But at every turn you chose to push them away... And now you're all alone. Though by the sounds of things, you won't be alone for long. No you won't be alone for long. Deep breaths, Josh. Deep breaths."

And with that, he's gone.

I turn on the ground, trying to pull myself together.

Then I hear singing.   

I hear Hannah's voice. "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques. Dormez vous?"

"No," I plead. "No, no, no."

Then Beth joins in. "Frere Jacques, Frere Jacques. Dormez vous?"

"Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines. Sonnez les matines. Ding dang dong."

I scootch on the ground as far away as I can until I'm up against one of the mine's walls. "No, no, no."

"Dormez vous? Sonnez les matines. Sonnez les matines. Ding dang dong," Beth sings.

"Ding dang dong."

"Not again!" I cry. "Get away! Get away! Get away from me!" I keep scooting on the ground away from what I think is the origin of the sounds.

"Ding dang dong."

I stand up, clutching my head again. "No! You're dead!"

"Sorry," I hear Dr. Hill say.

"You're dead!!"

"You can't change what happened last year."

"Josh," I hear Hannah greet.

"SHUT UP!"

"We miss you, Josh."

"No! You're dead!"

"Come with us."

"You're a murderer!" I hear Mike yell.

"... It's not ready..." I mumble, feeling my mind slipping just as it's done countless times before.

"What the hell, man!" I hear Chris roar. "Matt, Emily, and Y/N are out there, missing! They went to get help because of you! Y/N was like a sister to us, man! I thought you cared about her! I thought you cared about all of us. But you gave Y/N so much pain by having her watch you die! You made me choose between you and Ashley! Some kind of wingman you are. But I guess you're just a hopeless cause in the love department, right? I mean, you scared Sam here half to death. I don't think she finds that very attractive."

"No, they're gonna love it..."

"Are you insane!?" 

"I want us to have a good time," I hear myself say.

"They're gonna love it when it's ready," I mumble.

"OH NO! OH NO! OH NO! CHRIS! GET US OUT OF HERE!!" I hear Ashley scream.

"Hello there," I hear the psycho voice greet.

"I don't take orders from you," I say. "You can't tell me what to do..."

"Chris, what do we do!?" I hear Y/N cry. "JOSH!!!!"

"How does it make you feel?" the psycho voice asks.

"You can't tell me what to do anymore!" I yell.

The psycho laughs. "Time has run out for Josh."

I clutch my head again, willing for it all to stop. "Okay... Okay..."

"Come with us," Hannah begs.

"I trust you..."

"We're out of time," Dr. Hill tells me.

"I trust you..."

I start walking, freezing when I see a decrepit Beth standing in front of me. "Josh!"

"No! No, no, no." I shake my head repeatedly. "You're not real!"

"We were all alone down there."

"No, no... no, no not again."

I try to walk again, but Hannah just appears right next to Beth. "All alone. But you're with us now."

"No, get away!" 

"Family."

"Get away from me... get away!!"

"Why didn't you save us, Josh?" Beth asks. 

"I didn't..."

"Why did you want us to die!?"

"I didn't want you to die! I swear!" I try walking again, wanting to find a way out, but I'm just met by a wall of flesh. 

A knife cuts across it, opening it up to reveal a pig's head.

"N-No!"

The pig squeals at me and I punch it in the jaw, causing it to fall to the ground, where it continues to oink for a while before going limp.

I look up from the pig's head to see guts spilling out of the flesh, falling to the ground as well.

I put my hand up to my mouth in shock and disgust, gasping.

I watch in horror as Hannah and Beth spring up from the guts. "Please! Please no! Please no!"

"Josh!" Hannah says.

"No, no, n-n-n-no... I don't... I don't take orders from you!"

Hannah reaches up and rips the skin off her face. 

"No..."

"Is this what you want?" she demands.

"NO! NO!!! Why are you doing this!? Leave me alone!! Why are you doing this!?"

"Why didn't you save us Josh?" my sisters ask.

"You're dead..."  

"Why did you want us to die?"

"You're dead!"

"Josh!" I hear Hannah drone. 

Then I watch in horror as a terrifying monster head comes out of the flesh, screeching. 

Mike's POV

"I was not prepared for how ugly that thing would be up close," Sam says as we walk through the mines.

"Yeah..." I pause, causing Sam to stop in her walking. "So I noticed something weird about it." 

"Uh... what?" Sam asks.

"The Wendigo. It had a scar."

"So?"

"I've seen it before."

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw some pictures of some guy with that same scar... and he was transforming into a Wendigo."

"You're kidding."

"It was one of the miners who'd been trapped, back in the '50s... in the cave in. Which means that thing is 80 years old. At least."

Sam continues to walk again. "Spunky for an old-timer."

"They cleaned this place out..." I continue as I walk with her. "Killed a lot of people."

"They? You mean there are more of them?"

"Oh yeah."

"How many?"

"Too many."

"I think we're close. To the lair."

"How can you tell?" I ask her.

"I don't know... I just... feel really terrible all of a sudden."

"Ditto."

Sam looks at the water to our right. "I really don't want to go in there..."

"There's no other way through."

Sam ignores the water for a bit and continues to walk, finding a ditch. "Mike... Is that what I think it is?"

"Shoot," I say. "Looks like a grave."

Sam climbs into the small ditch, picking something up and climbing back out. "Oh my gosh, Mike... This is Beth's! This is her watch!"

I don't believe her.

"What?" I make Sam hold it up so I can see it better. "Let me see..."

Sam points to the ditch she found it in. "Look... there was a cross here."

"So this is where she was buried."

"But... who dug her up?"

I look around anxiously, getting a really bad feeling as I shine my flashlight into the darkness. "Let's keep moving."

Sam and I walk back to the water, Sam sitting down on the ledge we're going to use to drop in. "Fine. I'm going in."

I sit next to her, but when Sam hesitates, I decide to be the first one in, dropping into the freezing cold water.

I wince at the temperature but look up at Sam reassuringly. "Come on. It's okay."

"You sure?"

I chuckle. "I'm not dead yet."

"Famous last words." I hear Sam drop in right behind me. "Brrrrrr. It is freezing. I can't feel my fingers."

"Holy crap." Despite the cold, I walk through the water.

"Wait a minute," Sam says, panicking. "I thought you'd reached the deepest part."

 "I didn't say that, I said it was okay, meaning like there weren't any sharks or anything in here."

"Sharks? Great! Thank you." 

I follow as Sam approaches a tucked away area. 

Sam and I climb up onto dry ground, shaking ourselves off a bit.

Sam then walks over to what looks to be a journal. 

"Oh, shoot," I say. "This looks like Hannah's writing."

I watch as Sam silently reads the journal, eventually reading an important part out loud. "'I'm sorry, Beth... I have no choice. It's the only way I can survive any more. If someone finds this, I'm sorry. I had to... I had no choice.'"

"What does this mean? Jeez."    

Sam begins to silently read again, standing up once she's finished. "Oh my gosh. It makes sense! I think... Hannah dug up Beth. It was Hannah!"

I feel my breathing pick up. I shake my head. "No that's... that's ridiculous."

"Michael... Michael, it has to be. It's the only thing that makes sense. Beth died in the fall..."

"So what? What does that mean!?"

"So Hannah must have buried her."

"Dammit... Dammit..."

"Hannah was down here... for..."

"I don't believe any of this!!" I yell.

"She would have been starving... She would have been desperate!"

"FUCK!"

I can't believe this is happening. 

And it's all my fault. 

"We need to find Josh," Sam tells me. "Right now."

We hop off the ledge and back into the water, walking through it once again. 

I gasp. "It's getting deeper."

"Yeah, uhm..."

"Okay, okay. Hey! It's slopping up again. We're gonna make it!"

"Gosh! Don't jinx it!" Sam pleads.

Finally, we reach the ledge, climbing up and finding a metallic door in front of us.

"Come on, come on," I say, shaking myself off. "We made it."

Sam reaches the door first, pulling on the lever to open it.

The door comes flying open, water gushing out of it along with... a head.

"Woah!" I scream, falling down with the impact of the water. "Oh whoa, whoa."

Sam gets up from her fall, screaming at the head. 

"Jeez. Jee..." I say, following Sam into the lair.

Once inside, Sam pauses. "You see that?"

"Yeah..."

"A body."

"Yeah. Yeah, the flamethrower guy's."

Sam clutches her stomach at the repulsiveness of it all, gasping. 

"Oh... Oh my gosh..." I realize that this is where we'd be if we hadn't lived. 

This is where Chris and Matt would be if they had never made it back to the lodge. 

This is where Emily would be if she never made it out of the mines.

This is where Jess, Matt, and Y/N would be if they hadn't made it out of the mines either. 

This is where we'd all be.

"I'm gonna be sick," I tell Sam, having to look away from the dangling body in front of me. 

Then I notice something.

"Wait, wait, wait!" I gesture for Sam to come over. "Hold on. I think I saw something."

Sam looks through the wooden boards with me.

It's Josh.

"No... no, no... no, no, no... I don't... I don't take orders from you..." Josh says.

"Josh!" Sam cries.

I find a wooden door nearby, pushing it open to get to Josh, Sam close behind. 

"I don't take orders from you. You can't tell me what to do," Josh continues.

I advance towards Josh. "Hey... Hey, Josh!"

"You can't tell me what to do anymore!!"

"Josh? Buddy?"

"You can't tell me what to do! Okay... okay... I trust you... I trust you... I trust you."

 I walk until I'm right in front of him, but he still can't seem to see me. I take ahold of his arms, shaking him, but he still doesn't notice I'm here.

"What's the matter with him, Mike?" Sam asks, concern lining her face.

"He's tripping or something," I tell her. 

With nothing else to do, I slap him hard across the face. "Josh!"

Josh finally locks in on my face. "M... Mike?" 

I take ahold of Josh's arms again, making sure he's truly come back. "Josh... Hey, man."

Josh looks at me with wide eyes. "Don't h-hit me, p-please!"

I back away from him. "You were deep in it, man. Full mental jacket."

"We didn't think we'd get you back," Sam says. "Josh... Hannah was down here for... weeks... a month!? She dug Beth up!"

"Sam..." I try, not knowing whether this is really the right time to tell him that.

"Mike..."

"Let's just get out of here!"

Sam turns to Josh again. "Okay... Josh, do you have the key for the cable car?"

He nods. "Uh... Y-yeah. Here." He pulls the key out of his pocket and hands it to Sam.

I sigh with relief.

Maybe we can actually make it out of here now. 

Sam's POV

Once I get the key from Josh, I walk over to another cliff face with light at the top. "See that over there? That means there's a direct way out. Come on."

I glance back to see Mike lead Josh to follow me. 

Mike eyes the exit. "There's no way Josh is going to make it up there."

I'm about to suggest to Mike that he helps me up so I can go back to tell the others we're okay, but then I pause, remembering my promises.

I promised I wouldn't split up.

I promised I would tell Josh...

"Sam?" Josh questions. "You alright?"

I turn away from the rocks and look at Josh. I shake my head. "No, Josh. I'm not alright. I'm not alright because there's something I have to do. There's something I have to do right now."

Josh cocks his head in confusion, about to open his mouth to speak when I walk towards him and pull him into a kiss.

I can feel Josh's body tense in shock as I drape my arms around his shoulders.

But, to my surprise, he relaxes, wrapping his arms around my waist and kissing me back.

When Josh pulls away, he whispers, "Sammy, we shouldn't. I'm dangerous... What I did... I'm sorry."

I put a finger up to his lips. "Shh. I forgive you. Everything's gonna be okay."

I kiss him again, this one lasting longer than the first. Josh and I don't let go of each other until we hear Mike clear his throat.

We jump, remembering that he's still there.

"I hate to interrupt this tender moment here, but we need a plan," Mike says.

I nod, scratching the back of my neck nervously. "Sorry... I... Alright. Let's bring Josh back the way we came and we meet the others at the lodge."

Mike nods, gesturing forward. "Alright, let's go."

We start walking in silence until Josh says, "You didn't... you didn't have to hit me so much, man."

Mike sighs with regret. "Ah, yeah... I'm sorry about before, man. I thought you killed Jess. I was wrong."

Mike continues walking at the front of the pact, me walking slowly behind him with Josh. 

Once we go back through the wooden door and into the lair, I take Josh's hand and give it a squeeze, knowing that what's inside is going to scare him. 

Josh looks at me in confusion before looking up to see why I'm trying to reassure him.   

"No... No!" Josh cries. 

I squeeze his hand reassuringly again before noticing something on the ground. 

A flamethrower.

It's the stranger's flamethrower!

The Wendigo must've torn it off his body before stringing him up, but it looks like it's still intact.

It looks like it's still usable!

I momentarily let go of Josh's hands and rush to the flamethrower.

"Mike!" I call. 

I watch out of the corner of my eye as Mike turns around, noticing the flamethrower for himself. "Nice find, Sam! Now pick it up and let's get out of here."

I nod, slinging the flamethrower over my shoulders and positioning the straps so that it's secure.

With the flamethrower properly affixed on my back, I take Josh's hand again and follow Mike out of the lair.

"I know, I know, I know, I know. Okay," I hear Josh mumble next to me.

I squeeze his hand again, bringing him back to reality.

We reach the water, Mike immediately dropping down. 

I let go of Josh's hand again, motioning towards the water. "Go on in, Josh. Follow Mike. It's going to be alright."

He nods, following Mike in.

Mike and Josh start walking through the water, but I feel uneasy. "Mike?" I ask.

Mike pauses, turning to look at me. "Yeah?"

I point to the flamethrower on my back. "The water isn't going to like, extinguish it or anything, is it?"

Mike shrugs. "I mean it's in a container, so I don't think so. Why don't you just follow us?"

I shake my head. "No. I have a strange feeling. I think I'll just stay here until you guys walk out of sight. This thing looks like it has long-range, so if anything were to happen near you guys, I could get the Wendigo from here."

Mike sighs. "Alright, but I really think we're fine here."

Mike continues through the water, Josh close behind. 

I watch nervously, noticing a ripple a ways ahead of them.

No. 

No, no, no.

"Mike!" I hiss. "Mike, stop! Josh!"

They can't hear me. 

They're too far away. I don't think my flames could reach them.

So, I quickly take the flamethrower off my back and hold it above my head, getting in the water. The flamethrower is heavy and uncomfortable to carry like this, but at least I'll still be able to use it to save them.

I quickly walk through the water to catch up with Mike and Josh, able to make good time since they're moving so slow. 

I am almost within Josh's hearing range when Mike gets pulled underwater after yelling, "OH F-"

Oh no, no, no.

I quickly keep moving, getting closer and closer to Josh, who has now paused. But then when he moves an inch closer, a Wendigo emerges from the water.

"NO!" Josh screams. "You're not real! No, you're not!"

The Wendigo shifts, making a move to grab Josh.

"Hannah?" Josh asks.

It's then when I notice the butterfly tattoo on the Wendigos arm.     

It is Hannah.

But I don't have time to think about it any longer when, just as the Hannah Wendigo was about to grab Josh, Josh gets yanked underwater by something.

The Wendigo screeches, looking up from where Josh was taken to see me coming towards it.

I freeze, but it's too late. 

The Wendigo has seen me.