Death and loss had become far too familiar a pain for Sam. Tormenting memories of the past two years flashed before her mind as she stared down at the graves of Hannah and Beth. She remembered finding the watch in the caves, and painstaking events that had been haunting her ever since she was rescued. Sam knelt to the ground and began running her hands through the grass above the empty coffins that symbolized the loss of her best friends. The nightmarish fairy tales of Wendigos had turned out to be true. Even now that life had become normal, Sam couldn't forget that her sense of reality had been incorrect all along.
"Sam, I think it's time we head off." Ashley gently placed her hand on the shoulder of her companion. "They would have wanted us to move on. It's hard, I know, but we have to try. We survived for a reason. This is our second chance to live our lives to the fullest." Helping her friend up, Ashley looked over at the grave of the sisters. She was trying to be brave, however she was traumatized. Watching Chris die on the porch changed her forever. She would never forget how his head rolled to the front door. Her eyes began to water, but she quickly shook away the feelings of sadness.
"Do you think the others are okay? We haven't really spoken since- you know." Sam was referring to the night of the interrogation. Everyone had tried to erase the horrifying images of the past by erasing one another. Much like trying to forget the fact that you cut yourself by amputating your arm, they were left with an even larger void. Not hearing from the group just proved the fact that things were different even more true.
Ashley brushed off the question. She was too distracted by her phone. Every time it would ring, it could possibly be the police with more information. The voices in the caves seemed far too human to be a monster. Ashley couldn't help wonder if there was anyone else down there who needed help. The guilt of not checking out the voice was eating her alive.
"Maybe I should call them." Sam said as she started towards the exit of the cemetery. Ashley trudged behind her. "We should all meet up, avoidance hasn't helped us this far. I'm happy we have reconnected since then, I bet the others will be happy to move forward together." Sam opened the door to the passenger side of the maroon SUV. An empty McDonald's bag sat on her seat. She tossed it into the back seat, and lowered herself into the car. The car smelled of French fries and nuggets.
"You can do what you want Sam," Ashley said as she sat behind the steering wheel. She inserted her key into the car and began to turn it. "Personally, I would rather not bring up all the memories, but I will go to support you. Besides, I highly doubt anyone will actually show up. It's not really like we have been given a lot of time to mourn or –"
Sam interrupted Ashley's response with a loud shush. "Ash, do you see that person sitting in front of Beth's headstone?" Sam pointed to the distance. "Yeah, that might just be a relative or something." Ashley responded with hesitation in her voice. She could feel that this person definitely was not a relative. "Okay, well, MAYBE. But we didn't walk past her on our way out, so where the hell did she come from. I didn't see her while I was in the grave yard. Do you?" Sam began opening the car door.
"Sam, what the fuck are you doing?" Ashley grabbed Sam's arm and tried to pull her back into the car. "Let's just go home, I don't feel like investigating right now. I'm really tired of all the drama and mystery. Please, just get back in the car." Sam looked over at her friend and saw the desperation in her face. She wasn't going to force Ashley to go with her, but her own curiosity had taken over. "Fine, go home. I'm going to talk to that person. I'll meet you back home."
Before Ashley could argue, Sam slammed the door shut and began walking towards the figure. "Hey! Excuse me?" she shouted. The woman looked back at Sam, then ran into the distance, finding shelter in the trees. Sam ran to investigate the spot where the woman had been kneeling. As she grew nearer to the stone, she notice a piece of paper leaning on the grave. She knelt down and picked it up. Unfolding it slowly, she read the eight words on the page.
IM SORRY IT HAPPENED. SHE HAD IT COMING.
Sam looked to the tree line, but the figure had vanished. She was alone in the cemetery. Just her, the note, and the two empty caskets.