Chapter 2: Dawn
Sam ran up the stairs only to find everyone standing still and quietly. She stops. A Wendigo had attached itself to the living room chandelier. It swayed while Sam wanted to collapse, fear flooding her body.
"Don't move." Mike whispered between his gritted teeth. Sam looked at him from the corner of her eye.
"Don't fucking move a muscle." Mike repeated.
Please. Don't move. Mike thought to himself. He couldn't risk her.
It all went down so fast. Mike had devised an elaborate plan and Sam followed along. After spotting the leaking gas pipe, Mike knew what he had to do. He made swift, steady movements, making sure he was quiet, all the while. Until the breaking of the lightbulb caught a Wendigo's attention and it approached Mike's direction.
Sam realized that if the Wendigo got a hold of him it would gather the attention of the other Wendigo's that were fighting in the living room space.
"Hey!" She hollered.
Mike's heart stopped. Sam…no.
Chris and Ashley had ran out of the house when they had the chance, the same with Emily. Everyone had abandoned them.
Sam didn't move. The Wendigo was still distracted and confused, but more aware of the fact that prey was near. She was relieved that Mike was no longer in danger.
Mike stood from the other side. He looked at Sam and she looked back. Sam knew what had to happen but she knew Mike would never leave her.
She mouthed the words to him: RUN.
Mike looked at her while tears swelled up into his eyes. He couldn't move his feet.
Sam's eyes pleaded him to leave. It felt like time had stopped between them. She could feel the Wendigo's breath against her cheek. She wanted to scream. She had never been so petrified in her entire life. She looked at Mike again. He was still there. She knew why he wouldn't move. Risking everything, she whispered quietly to him while the Wendigo explored the railings of the staircase.
"I'll forgive you. Please go." Mike's tears rolled down his cheeks while he got himself together and ran out the door.
Towards the doorway he screamed "SAM!" He bawled in agony.
"Please come back!" He landed in the snow, his head wrapped up in his arms. He wanted this moment to end. Is this really happening? Samantha…I'm so sorry.
He clenched his jaw and winced in pain, internal and external. Nothing was going to be the same.
—
Sam's tears had dried on the hardwood floors. Come on, you fuckers. She thought to herself. One…Two…Three.
She took a deep breath and began to run across the living room towards the light switch by the door.
It felt surreal. Behind her two Wendigo's followed. Nothing will ever be the same. Nothing's ever going to be the same.
She reached the light switch and with one flick she jumped out the door, the house bursting into flames, sending her flying into the snow.
The explosion startled Mike and he turned around only to see the lodge completely dismembered in flames and ash. He screamed.
"Sam!" He couldn't bear the thought of it. "Sam!…." He fell to his knees, begging to something, to anything-that she was still alive. Ahead of him he saw a body in the snow, it shuffled around. It was Sam. He ran over to her. He had never been so relieved to see her again. He wanted to hug her but she wasn't stable. He held her arm, she was stumbling as she looked deeply at the lodge and the fire. The sun creeped behind the silhouette of the lodge, rays of sunlight blinding everyone. They thought this night would never end. Mike and Sam stood next to eachother, watching the lodge. In a way, they both thought the fire was absolutely beautiful. It was almost like a metaphor of diminishing everything that had happened that night, but they both knew that it's not how it works. Without even noticing the two of them laced each others fingers together and they stood there. Not saying anything. Sam only wanted to hold his hand, and Mike wanted just the same. He was so glad she was alive.
In the space of the world, only the sound of the flames and wood cracking and breaking was to be heard, along with the sinuous swooshing sounds of the wind in the distance. But from above, they heard something that sounded like a helicopter.
"We have visual. The main structure is completely destroyed, over."
Sam and Mike stood below, hand in hand. Ashley and Chris stood beside them, also hand in hand. Emily stood behind them. She didn't know where Matt was or whether or not he survived, but despite how much he annoyed her sometimes, she prayed to something that he was still alive-just somewhere.
"Hold on. I'm seeing something" Sam finally snapped out of her daze and she turned to look at Mike, who stood right beside her. She saw the reflection of the flames in his eyes. He looked at her. No words had to be spoken between them. They knew.
"It looks like there are survivors. Let's pick em' up."