Department of Police- Blackwood County, Alberta, Canada
02.02.2015
2228-0652
Blackwood Mountain
Washington Estate Status- Condemned
Blackwood Sanatorium Status- Unknown
Blackwood Mining System Status- Unknown
Offence(s)–
Arson- offender unidentified
Subject 01- Ashley, 18 Status- Alive
Subject 02- Christopher, 19 Status- Alive
Subject 03- Emily, 19 Status- Alive
Subject 04- Jessica, 18 Status- Unknown
Subject 05- Joshua, 20 Status- Unknown
Subject 06- Matthew,18 Status- Unknown
Subject 07- Michael,19 Status- Alive
Subject 08- Samantha,19 Status- Alive
Subject 09- Unknown, Unknown Status- Unknown
Survivor Count- 5
Chapter 02- Resurface
As soon as the helicopter had begun to soar off into the unimaginable distance, Ashley spilled. She wasn't ashamed, she was with Chris and he would understand. She made no effort to hide the tears; she let them roam free across her round cheeks. The need to sob overwhelmed her but she could make no noise anymore. "Ash… It's okay, I'm here." Chris was barely keeping on top of his own thoughts and feelings yet the urge to comfort his love was too strong. He pulled her close towards his heaving torso and held her tightly, sending a wave of positivity throughout her as she buried her face in Chris' chest , unknowingly staining his sweater with her tears. After a couple of minutes of pure silence, she shuffled away, pulling the sleeves of her bloody hoodie up slightly, just enough to envelope her wrist to use to wipe her puffy eyes. "Sorry about that…" she snivelled, eyes falling to the bloodstained snow surrounding her boots.
"Don't apologize." Chris forced a smile, lifting Ash's chin and locking his eyes with hers as they both gathered themselves. The familiar whirring of helicopter blades brought a sense of safety to the pair as both heads rose in unison. "See that? We're fine, Ash, okay?" Chris gently squeezed Ashley's shoulder, smiling as he noticed the glee flow through her face.
"Sam…" Mike attempted to shield a yawn, voice gruff and bearing hints of exhaustion. She twisted her head to face Mike, a growing grin visible across her face. "Yes, Mike?" she sweetly replied.
"I just wanted to say, you know, back in the lodge..." Mike began, turning his head to avoid eye contact which he seemed to dislike when in serious situations. "Mike, you don't need to-" she interrupted but it had no influence on Mike.
"No, seriously, thanks. You saved us all: Ash, Chris… Em. You could've died back there… And, well, I'm just glad you're here." Was the hardened hero of the group softening up on her? Sam gave a light giggle as she tilted her head, glaring at him with squinted eyes. "Well, if I knew all I had to do to turn you soft was to save your life, I'd have done a long time ago." She sarcastically remarked, ignoring the judgemental glare that burned into the back of her head from Emily.
The helicopter came to a halt as it was slowly lowered, landing in front of Chris and Ash. The door was swiftly opened and pulled aside revealing a sight bound to boost the worst of their moods. There sat Jessica and Matt; the desolation in the blonde's glistened eyes just as visible from afar as her wounds. "J-Jess… Oh my God, Matt! You're still alive?!" The words merrily glided from Chris' lips as he immediately broke into a swift jog, holding the hand of Ashley and encouraging her forward with him. He aided her in entering the vehicle before hoisting himself up. Ashley shared Chris' joy as she examined Matt's scarred face. "Matt, thank God you made it, I was so worried!" she smiled at him and in return was welcomed with a relieved smile of his own. "Em! Where is she?" he sat up, pushing himself towards Ash eagerly, holding his weight up with his sweaty palms pushed hard into the soft fabric of his seat. "She's fine." Ash shrugged in a cavalier tone. She leant forward and hugged the jock, before sitting next to him. Her smile faded drastically as she looked over at Jess, examining her properly for the first time. She had never seen anything like it; she was beyond broken, beyond traumatized… She was shattered. She was barely recognisable; her voice was trembling and quivering. It was a total shock to see the girl who was undoubtedly the soul and spirit of the group… To see her like this was disturbing. "Jess… My God, you look awful. Are you okay?!" Chris queried with a sense of caution in his voice. Jess barely managed a nod as she glanced between Chris and Ashley respectively; it was nice to reunite with her friends and in a way, comforting to see the worry on their faces.
The first helicopter landed at the police station, jolting Emily who had drifted into a justifiable slumber to a rude yet heartening awakening. Sam, Mike and Emily were out in a hurry, hoping to be met with thankful family members but instead, they were escorted to an assembly of ambulances. Before they knew it, they were each being examined by hasty paramedics, though the three found themselves in a daze, induced by the sudden feelings of security and sanctuary.
Another half an hour was spent outside sat in the back of ambulances as each of their bodies were roamed by unwelcomed, exploring, paramedics' hands. The three were desperate to feel the warmth of the unfamiliar inside, so understandably, irritation boiled while they endured quite the opposite. Mike's eyes followed each graceful snowflake as it unhurriedly floated to the ground. After tonight, he wished to see no snow again. It seemed each individual flake brought back memories that were slowly being supressed. After the check-ups were complete, the trio were ushered inside. They were sat down in a contemporary, warming waiting room. Salmon pink, leather chairs welcomed each of them as they took their seats. The strong scent of a nearby air freshener felt like more than a luxury to them. Their noses had become familiarized with the metallic smell of blood, the unforgettable smell of death and the bland, 'grey' smell of the mines.
The spectacle was abruptly brought to a close as the first of the teens was taken into their respective interview room. Emily stood at the sudden call of her name and was beckoned into the nearest room. A certain silence spread throughout the waiting area. It wasn't awkward, it was understood, but at the same time, unnerving. Neither Sam nor Mike felt the need to speak. The unsettling silence enabled the close, muffled voice of the first interviewee to be barely audible.
"Now Emily, we just want to ask you a few questions about the events of last night. You don't need to feel intimidated, you're safe here. We ask that you answer these as honestly as you can as that would be most beneficial to everyone. Is that okay?" the interviewer explained with a deep voice. "Yeah…" Emily quietly nodded.
"Firstly, if I understand correctly, there were a group of 8 of you up on the mountain. Did any of those seem to be of any threat to you?"
"Um, yeah! Mike! The douchebag pulled a gun on me!" she spat angrily.
"Could you elaborate?"
"He held it right up to my face, right here, right in front of my nose and he could've shot me, he almost shot me, the prick! I mean you go out with a guy for however long and you think you know him, but man this one really takes the cake…"
"On the flip side of that, who were you closest to?"
"My boyfriend, Matt, he was there. We… We were separated in the mines…"
"I see, why were you in the mines in the first place?"
"About Matt, have, uh, have you found him?"
"No, not yet…" the officer picked up on the avoidance of his question and noted it down.
"Oh God, he's dead… Isn't he?" she sighed regretfully.
"Why do you say that?" the man cocked his head as he suspiciously asked, causing Emily to tighten her grip on the underside of the chair with discomfort.
"Oh no, no, no. It's just, oh my God, I was such a bitch and I, you know, I maybe could've helped him, maybe I could've saved him?!" she felt a knot tighten within her throat and now wished for nothing more than to leave this room. Emily seemed to phase out and the majority of the rest of the interview became a hazy blur, until she picked up on the officer's disbelief.
"No, no, it is not an animal and it is not a person, but it has a home down there and it collects things like a person would and I found all this stuff… It's horrible!"
"What did you find?"
"I found her head, I found Beth's head.
"Beth Washington?"
"Beth freaking Washington."
"Please make a note to investigate further. And Josh?"
"I didn't see him, but there's no way he could've survived so if you haven't found him yet, that's where he's gotta be."
"Note to send some down to the mining area? Emily, thank you for your time, you're free to go." And with that, Emily quickly stormed out of the room. As she closed the door behind her, she inhaled deeply. Nothing could have made her feel worse than to have recollected the tragic events of the past night.
Mike was called in next and he wanted to voice his story no more than Emily but his intelligent mind rightfully prevented him from arguing and challenging the system.
"He was out of his fucking mind. He wanted to hurt us. Yeah, he… and… I thought he was the one who attacked Jess…" He explained, as he hung his head low, much like he intended to for the rest of this interview. "I understand you were close to Jessica? You seem to think she is dead, what makes you say that?"
"I just wasn't fast enough. I was so close, man. If I'd just been… Just a little faster, I… I could have saved her… I could have saved her. So it's my fault. I'm the reason Jess is dead."
With a gentle nod of the head, the interviewer asked, "And what about Josh?"
"Josh helped us, and then… Fuck, man. That thing, okay, the Wendigo… It just came out of the darkness and it just… I don't know. I heard screaming. I got out of there. There was no point in both of us dying."
"Right… Well, thank you, Michael. You may leave. Could you send in Samantha for us please?" the officer crossed one leg over the other as he pressed the tip of his pen against his lip, eyeing Mike as he nodded and left the room. "Sam, you're up. Good luck." He sat down, not even glancing at the blonde as he informed her. "Oh please, after tonight, I think I can handle a little police interview." She smirked playfully. Mike just scoffed, already predicting the disbelieving response of the officer as Sam tells him about their night.
After pointless, futile questions and answers were thrown around, Sam found her eyes slowly lifting at the mention of the name she had tried so hard to submerge into the back of her mind. "Now Sam, could you describe your relationship with Josh?"
"I thought we were close… After his sisters disappeared, he'd come and talk to me, he said I was the only one who understood him. I thought… I thought we had a connection." She felt herself growing increasingly upset just talking about her close bond with Josh, and the interviewers were certainly succeeding in dampening her mood. "If you need someone to talk to-"
"I'm fine…"
"Sometimes, after a traumatic experience-"
"I said I'm fine!"
A quietness fell as the interviewer took notes, as he opened his mouth to speak again, Sam cut him off. "You need to listen to me; I don't care if you believe me or not, doesn't matter, because you will. You need to go down to the mines."
"What's in the mines, Sam?" A small, surprising smirk plastered across the blonde's face.
"I've seen what's down there, and I'd give anything to unsee it."