Disclaimer: I do not own Until Dawn, nor any of the characters.
Chapter 9: Revelation
PREVIOUSLY ON; YOU ARE NOT ALONE…
The Stranger grabs Emily, making her scream, but the man tried to shush her "Shh sh sh! Quiet!" "No! Stay away!". But then, both heard more screeches, and a large humanoid creature, crawling down from the walls! The Stranger saw the monster and let Emily go and tossed her his bag of flares "Use these! And get the hell out of here… now!".
04:01 – Mines
(Three hours until dawn)
As the Stranger used his flamethrower to try and burn the monster, Emily crawled backwards, but then felt down a ledge!
After a few seconds she lands on her back on the ground. The flare bag lands on her stomach, making Emily grunt. She breathed heavily of what had just happened. First she thought that this Stranger was going to kill her, but now realizes that he was trying to help her from some… thing that crawled through the walls of the mines.
She got back on her feet and took the flare bag, putting it over her shoulder "Oh shit… alright" she took one of the flares out and lights it "Yeah! Oh my God! Alright Em… alright let's go".
With the lighted up flare, Emily was now able to see things better. She walked further through the tunnel, hoping to find a way out. But then she notices some stuff inside a made wooden closet. Emily inspects it, finding some old romantic postcards, probably to one of the miners. She put the postcard back and went on further.
Despite the same warning sign from before, telling of structural collapse, Emily drops down to another tunnel with some train tracks, hearing more screeches from these monsters nearby.
Emily was starting to get really scared.
Before she neared the end of the tunnel, she was sure she just saw some movement in the area that was boarded up, making it for her impossible to reach.
Then Emily saw a gap between the rocks. She started to shimmy in the gap to reach the other side "Ok… ok this is gonna be the way".
It was quiet… too quiet. All what Emily heard was the sound of her own breathing and her burning flare. Her heart rate started to increase while she went further.
Then all of the sudden, a monstrous hand bursts through the boards and tried to grab Emily, but misses! Emily screams as she burst off into a sprint "Shit! Shit!".
As she ran as fast she could, another monstrous hand came from another opening, but Emily was able to avoid it in time! "What the hell is that?!" she said to herself while she kept running. She then approaches a bridge with a gap. Emily jumps over it, but dropped her flare. She picked it up quick and ran further with the monster right behind her!
As Emily reaches the point where a sign hanged for the elevator pointing to the left, the monster jumped right in front of Emily, screeching loud, ready to devour his prey!
Emily screamed as she saw the monster. Time seemed to have slowed down from all the adrenaline, but Emily could see what this monster looked like. It had no hair, was nearly twice the size of a man, with long legs and arms, with long clawed nails and razor sharp teeth.
Emily was able to quickly turn left, with the monster chasing her by crawling fast over the ground and the walls like a spider!
She looked back for a second, not seeing the monster as she reaches the elevator. she quickly pulled the lever with a groan, making the elevator going up.
Meanwhile, Emily tried to calm herself as she nearly sat on the ground, trying to breath easily "Come on! Breath out… breath in…". She begged in her mind for the elevator to get out of the mines as fast as possible, but also tried to keep her head cool "Okay, okay… snap out of it, Em".
Then the elevator stopped "Shit!" she said to herself, as she had to go further through the mines to get out. She sprinted through the tunnel, hearing the sound of the wind from outside as she threw away her burned out flare! She was almost out.
But then she heard the monster again while it screeches! Emily ran even faster!
She saw a chain. Without thinking twice, she quickly pulls it, releasing big bunch of rocks falling in front of the monster. The monster went around the falling rocks and kept chasing Emily, who quickly climbed the stairs up. Emily then saw some barrels in front of her and quickly tips a barrel over, and then another, making it leak out oil. Emily then lights up another flare and tossed it on the oil, creating a small fire. The monster screeches as it went to another way. Clearly it was afraid of fire.
Emily then reached a conveyor and quickly pulls a lever, activating the belt. She crawled up the belt "Oh come on…" she told herself, begging for this whole nightmare to stop. She stayed on the belt, leading to an ore grinder! But, Emily managed to jump over the grinder in time, reaching the other side!
Emily ran into a wooden building and looks back, seeing the monster coming closer! "Ah! Oh please… oh please oh please please please!" was all she could say as she runs through a door and closes it. After locking it, Emily leaned to the door, trying to catch her breath. She stood there still, closing her eyes for a moment. But then….
The monster breaks through the door and bites Emily in her right shoulder! "AAAAAH!". She then jumped to a apparatus and started to ziplining on a powerline, leaving the monster far behind!
Emily ziplined very fast, till the apparatus breaks on impact at the end of the powerline, making her fall into the snow below! As she rolled down and finally stopped, Emily stands up slowly while she held her left hand on her injured right shoulder "Urgh! Dammit!". As she heard more monstrous screeching behind her, she looked back and then started to run, back to the Lodge!
04:21 – Washington Lodge
Chris, who had recently returned to the Lodge a half hour ago, was sitting on the same couch close to the fire, with Sam and Hannah. Ashley shoves next to him. Though Chris was feeling great that he and Ashley were a couple now, he was still on his mind of how his best friend, Josh had betrayed everyone. Worse, he killed Jessica, as what Mike claims he had done.
Chris held his hands on his face while he signed deep. Ashley softly rubbed his back, asking "Hey, are you okay?" Chris shook his head, as he didn't know what he was suppose too feel "I… I don't know, Ash. Josh was my best friend, almost like a brother to me and…. How could he do this to me, to all of us?! … and to you?" Chris asked Ashley softly, while glancing into her eyes.
Ashley reached her hand to Chris' and softly stroke it, without taking her eyes off of Chris "It'll be alright…. We'll get through this… all of us" Chris gave a small nod while a smile grew on his face "Yeah…".
Sam and Hannah had noticed the change between Ashley and Chris, and both kinda already knew what this meant. Ashley and Chris had finally opened their feelings for each other and were now a couple. Both smiled, seeing how happy Ashley and Chris now were. Hannah whispered in Sam's ear "It's about time". Sam nodded, agreeing with her girlfriend.
But their romantic moment was disturbed when all heard Emily screaming outside, while running to the entrance "AAAAAAAAAAH!". All four stood up from the couch.
Mike, who was watching Josh, who was still tied up in the shed, also heard Emily screaming in the distance.
"Oh crap, what now…?" he asked. Josh just gave a shrug while giving a big smirk. Mike ignored him and ran back to the Lodge, leaving Josh behind.
Back at the Lodge, Emily heavily bangs on the front door "Let me in! Let me IN!".
"Is that-?" Ashley said before all ran to the front door "It's Em! Chris, open the door! Quick!" Sam said to Chris, who opened the door immediately for Emily. Emily fell inside "Shut the door! Oh my God- shut the door!". Ashley and Sam drag Emily inside and helped her up. Chris shut the door and all made their way to the main room "Oh, thank God… I didn't think I'd make it…" Emily said while trying to catch her breath. Everyone had never seen Emily so scared before and wandered what had happened to her. But also, where is Matt?
"Em, are you alright? You were screaming bloody murder" Chris asked "What happened? And where is Matt? Did you guys split up?" Hannah also asked, despite she was still angry at Emily for what she and Jessica did to her last year, she knew that now it was not the time for arguments and that they needed to know what had caused Emily to be like this. And also where Matt was.
Emily was shaking from her near death experience, while Ashley and Sam helped her to sit dwon on the couch "Are you okay? Come sit down- sit down" Sam asked.
"You look totally wiped-" Ashley said before Emily tried to tell what had happened to her "There was something… Something's out there. A monster! It's a fucking monster!".
This surprised everyone, as Emily claims that she was nearly killed by a monster "Wait! What are you talking about?" Chris asked confussed.
Emily tried to explain "I said, there is something out there-!" Sam then tried to ease her up, as it was Josh who had been doing all of this "Ash, relax… it was Josh, it was Josh who did all of this. We got him tied up, and-" "No, no no no you guys need to listen to me! IT was after me. And it wasn't human".
For Hannah, it didn't make any sense to what Emily was saying and asked her confused "Em, can you tell us exactly what happened?".
Emily signed as she was telling "I am trying to tell you. We were climbing up the tower and it fell. The whole tower just fell! Right into the mines-" "Whoa whoa whoa, what mines?" Chris asked.
"There are these mine shafts all over, running under everything, when the tower fell we ended up down there" Emily told how she and Matt ended up in the mines after the radio tower fell.
"I don't understand, the tower fell?" Ashley asked. Sam also wanted to know how the tower could have fallen "How did it fall?" "I don't know, alright!" Emily answered as she had no idea how the tower could have fallen down.
Then Hannah asked Emily again why Matt wasn't with her "But, Em – where is Matt? Is he okay?" Emily just scoffed as she folded her arms "I have no idea where he is. He's probably dead for all I care".
This made everyone a bit confused as why Emily was so heartless about losing Matt "How can you say that?" Hannah said with an angry glare, as the way Emily acts all of the sudden like she doesn't give a shit about Matt anymore. Sam also felt that it was heartless of what Emily said, but before this could turn into an argument, so she asked calmly "What happened, Ash? Are you even sure that Matt is dead?".
Emily signed as she told what happened "We… up in the tower when it nearly crashed inside, me and Matt had… an argument. He broke up with me, right there and then," Hannah already knew that it was because Emily had cheated on Matt, causing him to break up with her and just rolled her eyes as Emily told further "he… he did try to save me… but then the tower fell and…. I really think that he's dead" despite it looked like Emily felt some remorse for the loss of her ex-boyfriend Matt, Emily really didn't cared about him anymore.
But then Emily started to tell them what she had all seen in the mines "I- I was walking down there, in the mines, and it was dark and I found this pile and there was… somebody's head!" "Wait, what?!" Chris asked shocked that Emily found another person's head "It was the head of someone named Tommy, or something" "Wait, who's Tommy?" Ashley asked "I have no idea! Some other person who got stuck down there… together with… Beth".
This had send chills to Hannah's spine when Emily mentioned about her twin-sister "With… Beth? What do you mean?".
Emily told what she had found "I… I think Beth fell down there, in the mines. But the worst part is… I…. I don't think Beth died, like, from the fall, not right away…" "What? What do you mean Beth didn't died in the fall?!" Hannah asked seriously, wanting to know what Emily meant with that she didn't died in the fall. Emily shook her head "I don't know… I feel like she was down there… like, starving to death… for weeks. When the police were here looking for her… we had no idea! I found in there… some things, t that belonged to Beth. I found this little like, it was almost like a camp… I think she fell down there".
"Jesus, that's horrible…" Chris said as how horrible it sounded that Beth had survived the fall but had died of starvation in the mines, and nobody had any idea where she was. Hannah started to cry as she sat on another chair with her hands on her face. Sam went over to her to comfort her, letting her girlfriend sob on her shoulder "Oh… Beth! Oh my God… she was alive down there… and we didn't know! … we didn't know". While Sam stroke her back, Ashley came to her as well, comforting her friend.
Emily then started to tell about her making contact with the radio, inside the tower "Listen. In… in the tower there was a radio and I – I got through to someone – but that was right when the tower collapsed!".
Before anyone could ask about who she was getting through, Mike enters the lodge and sees the rest of the group, and Emily. Both he and Emily were so happy to see each other again "Em! You made it!" "Oh, god, Mike…" both embraced for a moment, before Mike asked "What about Matt?".
"We're trying to figure that out…" Ashley answered before Chris told what Emily had told them what happened to her before she got back to the lodge "And there was this 'monster' that was chasing her…" but then Chris paused for a moment, as he remembered that when he, Ashley and Josh used the spirit board, the spirit of Beth warned them of 'Monsters in the woods' "Oh my God…".
Everyone hadn't noticed Chris being in thought, while Mike said "She's all messed up guys" he mentioned with Emily being in shock and her clothes messed up, with dirt and snow. He held his hand on her cheek and asked "Emily? Hey, Em?".
But before Emily could answer, all heard loud banging from the back door of the lodge. Everyone looked surprised and confused who it could be that was banging the door "Woah" was all that Chris could say "Who the fuck can that be?" Mike wandered.
"Josh? Or Matt?" Ashley wandered if it was Josh, who got out of the shed.
"Maybe Jess?" Chris wandered. But Mike shook his head as it couldn't be Jessica, as she was dead "It's not Jess" "Sorry man… but who is it?" Chris apologized but still wandered who it could be "I don't know… we should check it out" Mike suggested. Chris agreed and slowly walked with Mike to the back door "I got your back" "Good".
As both stood in front of the door, they could see that there was indeed someone behind it. But what both didn't knew, is that it was 'the Stranger' standing behind the door.
Mike points his gun at the door in precaution. Chris gathered some courage as he suggested "Okay. I'm gonna open the door. You ready? You ready?" "Uh huh" Mike nodded.
Chris slowly walked to the door and reaches his hand to the door knob. As he slowly turned it… the Stranger kicks the door open, sending Chris falling backwards!
Mike points the gun at the Stranger, with his flamethrower in his hands as he came inside "Ah! Ho-hold on there! Hold on there, mister. Freeze-" but the Stranger grabs the gun from Mike, making him walk backwards a bit, while Chris stood up "-what the- alright, alright, just take it easy grandpa-" "Ok. Everybody just calm down" the Stranger seriously says before he closes the back door behind him "Now just move over there. Go on, move! Let me say what I came to say".
Without having any choice, Mike and Chris went back inside the main room, joining the rest of the group. All were confused and scared of this Stranger, but the man seemed to be friendly and told with a serious look as he dropped his back near the fireplace "I'm here to tell you what you're up against being back on this mountain. You should never have returned, after what happened to one of your friends last year".
"You mean with Beth?" Ashley asked while she sat down back on the couch, together with Emily, Hannah and Chris. However, Sam stood up, as she suddenly recognized the Stranger "Wait a second! You look familiar… you… you were there! When Beth fell down and I helped Hannah back up! You and… the other guy".
The Stranger nodded to Sam, confirming her suspicion "Yeah, that was me… and my brother" "Your brother?". The Stranger didn't answer, but then glanced at Hannah, telling with some regret in his eyes "I'm sorry, that I couldn't save your sister".
The Stranger then said to the others "I don't know what made you all to come back here. But let me tell you this, I don't take kindly to you kids coming up here to my mountain".
This surprised Hannah, as the Stranger claimed that Blackwood Mountain belonged to him "Your mountain?" she asked as she stood up and folded her arms with distrust "I'm sure my parents are gonna be very surprised to hear that".
The stranger chuckled a bit "Hehehe. Well, this mountain don't belong to me, miss Washington, that's true. But it don't belong to your folks either" then he said with a very serious look, as to who this mountain truly belonged "This mountain… belongs to the Wendigo".
Everybody glanced at each other for a moment, no knowing what a Wendigo is, while Mike chuckled as that sounded ridiculous "Who?" Chris asked "What is he talking about?" Sam asked. Hannah then asked the Stranger "Wendigo? What the hell's a Wendigo?".
The Stranger nodded, as he owned the group some explanation "Now, I'm only going to tell you this once. It doesn't matter to me if you believe it or not. I got reasons I want to… get it off my chest…".
Mike didn't trust the Stranger for a second, thinking he was responsible for killing Jessica "See? He's guilty as shit! Guilty of something!" "Shh. Shut up Mike!" Sam said to Mike that he needs to shut up. Hannah agreed with her girlfriend and also said seriously to Mike "Let him talk".
The Stranger continued telling how serious he's about the existence of the Wendigo "There is a curse… that dwells in these mountains. Should any man or women resort to cannibalism, the spirit of the Wendigo shall be unleashed".
Upon hearing that, Mike suddenly remembered the 'thing' that dragged Jessica from the window in the guest cabin, and the same creature he saw through the binoculars of the riffle when he saw it in the mines where it killed Jessica "Oh crap" was all that Mike said, as he now realized that it was never this Stranger that killed Jessica. It was a Wendigo!
But then suddenly, he realizes that he left Josh alone in the shed "Guys… I ran off and left Josh when I heard Emily screaming". The Stranger glanced at Mike and asked "Where did you leave him?" "In the shed… we tied him up after he-" "Your friend will already be dead" The Stranger said before Mike could finish his explanation of what Josh did to them, knowing that he's probably already killed by the Wendigo.
Hannah gasped, as the Stranger claims that no doubt Josh is already dead. She shook her head while Sam held her "No… no no no no" Chris shook his head too as it was impossible for Josh to be dead "No, he can't be… we were just with him!". The Stranger signed, as he knows what these Wendigo's are capable of "A lot can happen fast on this mountain".
Chris did not wanted to abandon his best friend. Not this time and said while raising himself from the couch "We need to go get him". Everybody looked surprised at Chris. Hannah grew a smile on her face, as Chris still wanted to save her brother. Mike states by what Chris was saying they should do "Whoa, Chris, I don't think…" Emily cut him off by saying angrily and selfish "Fuck Josh! He can freeze his ass to death for all I care!".
While Hannah, Sam and Chris glared angrily at Emily's selfish outburst, Ashley said softly to her boyfriend "Chris… Josh attacked us. He terrorized and humiliated us for his own twisted amusement". That was when Hannah stated softly while defending her mentally unstable brother "Ash... I know what Josh did was completely unforgivable, especially after what he made you and Chris go through and to me and Sam after he filmed us in the bathroom. But it's not his fault! He's just sick. He's been off his meds for over a year".
Chris asked surprised after hearing those words leaving Hannah's lips "Whoa whoa whoa, Hannah… what do you mean that Josh is sick?".
Sam answered for her girlfriend "…He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder" "What? What did you say?" Emily asked while Ashley and Mike turned to each other surprised by the surprising revelation "He's… he's bipolar" Mike said to himself as he remembered the nonsense that Josh blubbered out earlier when he and Chris tied him up in the shed "Now it makes sense".
Chris then closed his jacket, determent to save his best friend "I'm going out there anyway. I'm supposed to be Josh's best friend and I let him down. I don't care whatever is out there, I'm gonna get him". The Stranger then stated "Then I'll go with you".
Chris dismissed the idea of the Stranger coming along with him "I don't need your help" however the Stranger kept persistent "Going alone is suicide". After giving a heavy sign, Chris nodded "Fine".
Then the Stranger told the others "The rest of you – you're going to need to find somewhere safe".
Sam then asked while turning to her girlfriend "Baby, is there any place we can hide? Somewhere in the Lodge where that… thing can't get us?" Hannah nodded as a thought crossed her mind "Yes. The panic room. My parents had a panic room installed when they built this lodge". Mike then asked surprised to hear that there was a panic room in the lodge "Hannah, where is it?" Hannah answered truthfully while pointing to the hallway, leading to the library "It's behind a bookshelf, in the library. There's a fake book that acts as the lever to reveal it".
After Hannah told where the panic room was hidden, Emily ran past the two girlfriends, shoving Sam and Hannah out of the way while knocking them to the floor with Sam shouting "Hey!". While Chris and Mike helped Sam on her feet. Ashley, while helping Hannah getting back up, said while glaring at Emily, who ran to the library "I hate that selfish bitch". Clearly she had become annoyed by Emily's selfish and narcissistic personality. Chris agreed as he stated "You're not the only one".
The Stranger shook his head after that childish behavior and just said to the group "Okay. Get down there, now. All of you. And wait" "For how long?" Sam asked the Stranger with a confused look "Until dawn" the Stranger answered, as they all needed to wait until morning before coming out.
The Stranger then turns to Chris "You don't seem to realize into what kind of mess you're gonna get yourself in" "Well, I'm going to get Josh" Chris answered, still determent to save his best friend. The stranger shook his head "No, I'm going to get Josh. You're going to help me. Do you understand?" he asks, clearly taking the lead.
Chris wasn't sure, but as this flamethrower guy had more experience with Wendigo's, Chris clearly didn't had a choice "Uh…. Yeah… I think so…". Then the Stranger instructed him "Follow me. And do everything I tell you". Both then turn towards the kitchen, to the hallway to the side exit of the lodge.
Before the Stranger opened the door, he gave his shotgun to Chris "This is the end you point towards the thing you want to kill" Chris shrugged as he states "I know how to use a shotgun, man". The Stranger smirked while he shook his head "No you don't" "What? How do you know?" Chris asked confused "Trust me. I know".
As they were about to leave, Hannah and Ashley came over to Chris. Hannah was the first to speak "Please bring my brother back safe, Chris" Chris then ensure her "Don't worry, Han. I will".
Then all of the sudden, Ashley softly kisses Chris on his lips. Hannah formed a smile, seeing her two friend finally opening their feelings to each other. Chris didn't know what to say, as this kiss was something he had only dreamed of for years and now happened "Come back safe…" Ashley said softly, begging her boyfriend to come back in one piece. Chris nodded before leaving "I'll… see you soon".
Ashley closes the door and watched Chris walking into the storm with the Stranger to safe Josh. She held her hand on her chest, begging herself for Chris to come back to her, not wanting to lose him.
While Ashley stayed behind at the front door till Chris would return, Hannah walked to the library, to the panic room. But inside the hallway to the library, Mike was seemingly waiting there for her. First she tried to ignore him and walked past him, but then he asked "Han? Can we… talk for a moment?" Hannah paused for a moment. Her first response would be dismissive "Can't it wait, Mike? We gotta-" "Please, Han. There are… some things I need to… get off my chest. Please? It won't take long".
Hannah signed, allowing him to tell what he had to tell in the hallway "Fine. What is it then?".
Mike then stated with a heavy heart "Hannah… I know what I did last year to you was unforgivable, that when I took part in that stupid prank I broke your feelings and your trust. Worse, you lost your sister because of me…. And when you told me last summer that I wasn't there for you when you had to go through all the mourning, you were right. You had all the right to be angry with me".
"Mike…" Hannah said softly, before being interrupted by Mike "Please, Hannah. I…. All I want to say is… is that I'm sorry. I'm really… really sorry for everything. Can you… can you ever forgive me?".
Hannah felt the same pain that she had to endure all year again. But seeing so much regret in Mike's eyes, she felt that he was really sorry for what he had done. Although, it would be hard for her to forgive the one she once had a crush on and stepped on her feelings and cost the life of her twin-sister.
With some tears forming in her eyes, Hannah stated honestly "I… I don't know, Mike. It's gonna take me some time before I'm able to… forgive you for what you did".
Mike signed deep, knowing that it was a long road for her to fully forgive him for what had happened last year "I understand".
Hannah gave a small nod while she and Mike went down to the panic room, in the library.
Meanwhile with Chris and the Stranger, Chris asked "So… so tell me. You're the expert on these 'things'. What's… uh… what's a guy gotta know…?" "You just be careful and follow my lead" the Stranger answered "Yeah, but… how many times do I have to shoot it with this shotgun before it's dead?" Chris asked while raising his shotgun "Well, you'd be shooting a long time" this shocked Chris "You mean… even a shotgun won't even kill it?" the Stranger shook his head "No… but it'll slow it down. See their skin is like… it's like tough armor" "Well, then how do you even KILL IT?!" Chris said with both confusion and shock, demanding to know how you can kill a Wendigo.
Seeing that there was no way to hold that kind of information, the Stranger explained "The only thing that can kill them, is fire" "How?" "They fear it. Their skin, like I said is like tough armor, unless you burn it off first" "That's gross…" Chris said with a bit of disgust.
For some minutes, the Stranger kept answering Chris' questions about the Wendigo. He explained that the Wendigo do have a pattern, like any animal, or human. Further, Wendigo's only hunt at night, clearly cannot hunt during daylight. Also, even though they can smell their prey, but if you stand still, the Wendigo won't be able to see you. Making yourself to them invisible.
For Chris, this information would prove valuable if they ever come across a Wendigo.
As they were halfway to the shed, something crossed Chris' mind, as the Stranger told about his brother before back in the lodge and that Emily found a head of someone named Tommy earlier in the mines. So Chris asked the Stranger "Hey… do you maybe know a person named, Tommy?".
This paused the Stranger and faces Chris with a near shocking face "How do you know my brother's name?" "Y-Your brother? Tommy is your brother? The one that Sam saw you together with?" "That doesn't answer my question, kid! How do you know my brother's name?!" the Stranger asked with a more serious tone.
Chris held his hand up while he told "Uh… Emily found… his head… down in the mines". The Stranger then signed deep while he shook his head "Lucky bastard".
They moved on, while Chris asked "What… what happened? I mean-" the Stranger interrupted him while telling "Me and Tommy… we have been hunting the Wendigo together for years. That son of a bitch was something, I tell you that. He always took to many risks, risked his life a thousand times. After we… failed to safe your friend's sister, we… we were down in the mines. He could have sworn he heard someone calling for help. I dismissed it, as it was clearly a Wendigo, trying to lure us. But that stupid brother of mine was sure it was someone calling for help" "For help? You mean… Beth?!" Chris asked shocked.
The Stranger shook his head "I don't know. Without even listening to me, Tommy went straight down into one of those goddamn tunnels that was about to collapse any moment. I tried to stop him…. But then, as I feared, the tunnel collapsed. I was able to get out in time, but I lost sight of my brother. I have searched for him for months, but I couldn't find him".
Somehow, Chris felt sorry for the Stranger, for losing his brother like that "Geez. I-I'm sorry, man" "Don't be… he's in a much better place now".
Not long after, the Stranger and Chris arrived at the shed. But when they checked inside… Josh wasn't there anymore! The stool he sat on was broken and a lot of blood lied on the floor "Oh no… dammit! What happened? He's gone…! We're too late!" Chris said while feeling remorse, that they were too late and Josh is probably dead.
But then, the Stranger heard something outside! "Shh! Quiet! We gotta go. Right now". Chris didn't wanted to leave "We gotta find Josh – he could still be out there!" the Stranger however looked fierce at Chris "Ha! First, the Wendigo, he'll render you immobile. And then he strips the skin of your entire body, piece by piece. And then he keeps you alive and aware and feasts on your organs, one piece at a time". Hearing what the Wendigo would do to them if it captured one of them, made Chris grossed out.
He looked back inside the shed, feeling he failed. But knowing that their lives are more important now, Chris agreed with the Stranger "So, the Lodge, then". The Stranger nodded and signaled Chris to follow him "Let's go now. It might still be near!".
But as they had just taken ten steps away from the shed, the Stranger stopped Chris! "Wait! Don't… move…". Chris stood motionless. He tried to look around to see if there was indeed a Wendigo nearby, but being afraid to turn his head, he only looked around with his eyes. His heart rate increased, but the Stranger was somehow calm, clearly he was more used to this.
Then both Chris and the Stranger spotted something moving in, very fast! "RUN! GO! NOW! NOW!" the Stranger called as both made a run for it!
The Wendigo then jumped in front of them, screeching loud! The Stranger quickly used his flamethrower at the Wendigo, but missed as the Wendigo moved too fast "HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK?!" Chris said in total panic after seeing the monster! "BACK! BACK!" the Stranger said while firing more flames to their left, but soon realizes that they were exposed "We're right out in the open, we gotta GET OUT OF HERE-!" but suddenly, the Wendigo lunges at the Stranger and swipes its hand across his neck!
The Stranger stood still for a moment, before he collapsed on his knees to the ground and his head falls off! "Oh my god oh my God oh my God! Oh shit…" was all that Chris could say, as the Wendigo killed the Stranger so fast.
The Wendigo then spots Chris. Even though Chris' breath heavily, he quickly pointed his shotgun at the monster. It lunges at Chris, but was shot by Chris far back!
Chris immediately ran back to the Lodge, with the Wendigo behind him!
He looked back for a moment, and nearly hit his head on a tree, but dodged it in time! The Wendigo was close. Chris aimed his shotgun and shot at it, sending it back hitting the same tree that he nearly hit his head "Yeah! Suck it!" Chris said before running again down the path to the Lodge.
Chris jumped down an edge, but hit it too hard "ARGH! Ahh, shit…" he had hit his right feet wrongly on the ground, making him to limp fast. But then, the Wendigo appeared in front of him again! Before it could grab Chris, he shot it back with his shotgun in time! But a few seconds later, the Wendigo recovered and was about to lunge at Chris again. Chris shot it with his shotgun again!
With the strength he had left, Chris wasted no time to run as fast as he could to the door of the Lodge! He banged on it "Ash, let me in!" Ashley saw her boyfriend and was relieved that he had come back. She opened it fast and lets Chris in.
Chris slams the door behind him "Chris! Oh my God, what happened?!" Ashley asked what had happened, and wandered where the Stranger is. Chris looked at her with fear in his eyes "We gotta go, that thing was like right behind me-" but then, the Wendigo reaches the door and jumps towards it, making both Ashley and Chris shocked "Aah!" Ashley yelled as Chris grabbed her arm to stay away from the door "Go! To the panic room! QUICK!" "Oh God!".
As Chris and Ashley ran to the library, the Wendigo looked through the glass, seeing it's preys escaping. It screeched as it was unable to reach them, but then moved very fast back into the woods.
04:47 – Washington Lodge Panic Room
When Ashley and Chris came inside the panic room, Ashley locked the door behind them. Inside, Mike, Sam and Hannah were happy to see Chris back in one piece. Emily didn't paid any attention to it. But all wandered where the Stranger was?
"Chris! Thank God you're back. What happened?" Sam asked, while Mike asked just as surprised "What's wrong? Where's the flamethrower guy?" Hannah would ask with Sam right beside her "Where's Josh?".
Trying to get his breathing under control, Chris answered "The… the thing, the Wendigo, it… it tore the flamethrower guy apart! Right in front of me!" "Oh God…" Sam said, being shocked to hear what had happened to the Stranger. The other (except Emily) were also shocked. Chris then add with a saddened look on his face while turning to Hannah "I'm sorry Hannah, but Josh… he wasn't in the shed. I think… I think that monster had taken him".
While the rest tried to face the fact that Josh might be dead too, Mike asked while looking around in the panic room "Is this the only way in and out, Han?". Hannah, while being held in Sam's arms answered "Y..yeah, the one and only" "Are you sure?" Mike asked a bit more serious, making Hannah to nod.
"What are you looking for?" Sam asked confused to Mike "Another way out" Mike answered while still looking in the panic room. However, Sam dismissed the idea as she didn't wanted anyone to go out there where a Wendigo is probably waiting for them "Mike… I really don't think that's a good idea. We should stay put, right here, until dawn. At least we're safe down here-" "Oh? Yeah? All wrapped like a little present with a bow on top for that thing to tear us apart on Christmas morning?" "People will come for us. In the morning" Emily said.
This made everyone glance at Emily surprised, but Mike saw that Emily was doubting "You don't sound so sure" "That's what will happen. Up in the radio tower, I got a connection with the authorities. They'll send help when the storm is over. That's… at dawn". Mike asked again "Are you really sure?" "Yes!".
Even though it was better for them to stay in the panic room till dawn, Mike still wasn't going to sit back and wait for the Wendigo to kill them all. But before he could say anything, Hannah would suddenly say "Guys, we need to go after Josh". This took Ashley and Chris by surprise. Emily just scoffed at what Hannah said. Mike nodded at that point, as he was thinking the same thing "I agree with Han. Even though he put us into a lot of mess tonight, he's still our friend".
Hannah was somehow surprised that Mike was supporting her, but was somehow glad that Mike sided with her. Hannah then asks while turning to her lover "Sammy, what do you think?".
Sam was doubting what to say. Should she say that it was too dangerous to go outside or side with Hannah. Even though Sam was upset at what Josh id to her and the rest of their friends… Sam knew that Hannah needed her support and agreed with her "You're right, baby. I think… we should go after Josh. If he hadn't stopped taking his medication, then maybe none of this would've happened".
Smiling that her girlfriend and lover had sided with her, Hannah turned to Chris "Chris, what about you?" Though Chris was still recovering of what he saw, he gave a nod to Hannah "We need to go after him. He doesn't deserve to freeze to death or be eating by that… thing. He belongs in a hospital where he can get the help he needs".
Then Sam then took a look in the Stranger's bag, that he left behind in the Lodge before helping Chris to get to Josh before he was killed. She took out what was the Stranger's journal and a map of the mines. When Sam took a look at the map, she said "Guys, I think… it may have taken him down to the mines" Sam showed Mike the map. Ashley and Hannah looked at the stuff as well.
"Is that a map?" Mike asked "Guess the guy was prepared for anything" Hannah said "Not quite" Mike said as it didn't prevent the Stranger from being killed.
As they all took a look at the map of the mines, Mike remembered what he had find out in the Sanatorium, about what happened to the miners "Oh my God" "Mike, what is it?" Sam asked.
Mike then started to explain what he had found in the sanatorium… and in the mines "I was down there, in the old abandoned Sanatorium. It was horrible" "You were?" Hannah asked. Mike nodded while telling further "They've been caving in during the 1950's, I guess, and these miners got trapped down there. Some of them survived, but like… fifteen of 'em didn't make it. There was this reporter and I think he figured out there had been some, like, big cover-up going on. I found these plans – they knew the mine was a death trap, but they left the miners keep working anyway. And… I'm not sure what it means, but… I found this chair, with dried blood all over the place… like somebody'd been tortured" "Jesus…" Hannah said, feeling disgusted of what Mike had seen in the Sanatorium.
Sam then pointed out on the map "Looks like there's a tunnel leading from the Lodge to the Sanatorium, see?". Mike nodded "That's how I got back here".
Emily had enough of this and said irritated "Yeah, well, you guys can go out and get yourselves killed by that thing! I'm staying here!". While Everyone glared angrily at Emily, Mike tried to tell her "Emily, I know you're scared, alright. But Josh is our only way to get out of this place. Remember that there was no key to the cable car? Josh is got to have it!".
However, Emily would then said darkly "I don't care! That insane brother of Hannah can just rot for all I care!" Mike was shocked at how coldly Emily would just abandon Josh like that. Hannah's anger had now reached its limit as how cruelly she mentioned her brother "You better take that back right now you selfish bitch" Hannah said as she stepped over to Emily, using the only bit of control she had.
Emily was getting into Hannah's face "What did you just say to me you spineless wimp?" "I said take it back you fucking SELFISH BITCH!" Hannah said while she slapped Emily hard across the face!
While Ashley, Chris and mike stared in shock and surprise that Hannah had actually struck Emily across her face… the Asian women glared angrily while slapping her back, which turned into a physical fight! Hannah tackled Emily to the ground where the two girls punched, scratched and kicked each other!
The others tried to separate them "Hannah, stop!" Sam said while she and Chris were holding her back and Mike and Ashely held Emily back, but not before Hannah kicked Emily one more time hard in the stomach "STOP IT!" Mike yelled as he let Emily go, while Ashley still held her "This is not helping!".
Sam tried to ease up her girlfriend softly "Hannah, don't. She's not worth it, even if she's a selfish bitch". Sam's soft words did calm down Hannah a bit.
But then Ashley noticed some blood coming from Emily's right shoulder. She stared in surprise as it was a bite mark "Em…. Em, what is that?" Emily looked at Ashley, not knowing what she meant "…huh?" "What is that?" Ashley repeated as she pointed to her shoulder, as she let her go.
Everyone looked surprised at Emily's bite mark "Em…" Mike said as he too was shocked to see a big bite mark at Emily's right shoulder, while Emily stated "It's… it's nothing, it bit me and-" "It bit you? What bit you?!" Ashley asked, demanding to know WHAT bit her "The ah… the Wendigo".
This made the rest of the group gasp in shock, while Ashley started to panic "Oh my God oh my God oh my God!" "The what!?" Mike asked "It's nothing, really, it's not a big deal…. It doesn't hurt anymore. Really. It's not that bad" Emily stated.
Mike could only think of the worst if the Wendigo had bitten Emily "Em… if that thing bit you…" "I know what you're thinking, and I'm fine…! The bite mark hasn't done anything to me!" Emily kept persuading that she's fine. Mike however wasn't so sure "Emily, if the Wendigo bit you… You could turn into one of those things" that made Emily more frustrated "Guys, I'm fine! I'm not changing into a Wendigo, for Christ sake!".
That was when Hannah stepped in and said "The Flamethrower guy said it was from eating each other, remember he said that!" "Wait is that how it worked, baby?" Sam asked her girlfriend. But before Hannah could answer, Ashley stated, still being panicked "Yes! it happens if it bit you, you're gonna turn into one and then you're gonna turn on us oh my God oh my God oh my God!".
Mike knew that he couldn't risk Emily being down into the panic room with them. He glanced at her with a very serious look "You can't be down here with us" "WHAT?!" Emily said shocked "You gotta go".
Emily couldn't believe that her 'secret boyfriend' would put her out of the room with a Wendigo out there in the woods "Are you kidding me?!" Hannah was with Mike on this one "Mike is right! With you changing into one of those monsters, you're putting us all in danger!" "Like hell I am leaving you bitch!" Emily said with her anger rising. Mike then stated even more serious to Emily "Emily…! You can't stay here!".
Emily shook her head as she was treated like this. She looked around if anyone was still with her. Chris shook his head "I've seen what these fuckers can do. I don't want to see it again".
Then Emily glanced for a moment to Sam, and then pleaded her "Sam, you're the most reasonable, right?! Please, tell them that it's nothing! That I'm gonna be fine, really".
Sam felt conflicted. Should she agree with Emily, to say that it's probably just a bit, or side with the others, to say that she won't risk it?
She choose to side with the others.
Sam shook her head as she took a step back "We don't know, Em. I'm not taking any chances. Not this time". This made Emily's mouth wide open, that even Sam wouldn't tell everyone to cool down. She then became angry and grabbed Sam by her jacket "Dammit, I said I'm fine!" Hannah then angrily shove Emily away from her girlfriend "Back off, you bitch!".
Seeing that now everyone was against her, Emily yelled even more angrily to the others "You… you fuckers! You… you just want to make yourself feel better about sending me to my death! You just want the Wendigo to tear me to pieces, Huh?! Just like it did with-" Ashley then grabbed and pushed her to the floor "OKAY OH MY GOD WILL YOU JUST GO! GO! GET OUT OF HERE!".
Mike then noticed a gun case with a revolver and six 357 Magnum round inside… which he swiftly grabbed, loaded it and aimed it directly at Emily! "This is your last chance, Emily!" Emily stared horrified that Mike was actually aiming a gun at her, while the others were shocked and stepped back "Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mike…" Chris tried to ease up Mike. But seeing the situation, he stepped out of it, while Ashley stood behind him. Sam and Hannah stepped back to the other side of the room.
"If you… refuse to leave, Em… then you're not letting me any choice" Mike said while pulling the trigger, still aiming at Emily.
Emily was with her back to the wall, being shocked that the guy she was in love with for many years would actually kill her "You… you're going to shoot me? Mike… me?". Mike didn't wanted to do it, but felt he had no choice "This is the safe room, Em! It's not safe as long as you're in it…. Not for us!". Emily started to cry "No… don-DON'T DO THIS!" while Mike breathed heavily he shook his head "I'm really sorry…".
Emily was now beyond anger and pleaded while yelling "For God's sake you FUCKING IDIOTS! NOTHING IS GOING TO-" but then… Mike shot a single round, right between her eyes… that stared at him completely shocked before falling dead on the floor! Sam held Hannah in her arms, as she couldn't bring herself to watch. Ashley held her hands on her mouth of what Mike did "Holy shit…!" Chris said shocked as Emily fell dead on the floor, being shot by Mike.
Chris dropped the revolver, realizing that he just killed someone "Oh shit… oh shit… oh shit… what the fuck did I just do? Fuck… fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck…," he then collected himself that it was the only way for them all to be safe "Okay, okay, it's over… it's over. You guys are safe… you guys are safe".
Hannah took a peak at Emily's dead body and gasped horror "Oh my God…" and looked back away, with Sam comforting her "It's over, Han…. Baby, it's over now".
While Mike tried to keep himself together, he said while giving a nod "Okay. I'm going to get Josh, get the key and then I'm getting us all out of here. I'll be right back. When I'm not back in time then… you guys know what to do…".
But as soon as Mike wanted to leave, he glanced at Hannah one more time, trying to ask "Hannah…?". She looked at him, giving a small nod "Please get my brother back, Mike". He nodded "I will…. I will". Mike then opened the only door, leading out of the panic room, walked out and closed the door behind him.
Chris leaned to a wall, feeling his helplessness rising of his near death experience "Fuck me…". Ashley walked over to her boyfriend, stroking his back "Hey… are you okay?" Chris shrugged "I… I don't know, it… it happened so fast" "The Wendigo?" Ashley asked, making Chris to nod "I… I really thought I was going to die there. And… all I could think of… was you, Ash". The young brunette felt touched by that, feeling the same thing. She helped him to sit down on a chair. Ashley then took another, sitting next to him while she rested her head on his shoulder.
While Sam put a blanket over Emily's dead body, Hannah took the journal from the Stranger. She sad down at a chair in front of a desk and started to read what was in it.
The journal was filled with information about the Wendigo, telling that the Stranger and his brother, Tommy were the only ones who knew how to contain these monsters.
Hannah read that a Wendigo can grow out of cannibalism, that once a human is desperate and craves for food, trapped on the mountain in the fierce winter storms and eats the flesh of another human being, the spirit would begin to possess him or her.
"Christ. This guy sure wasn't kidding about the Wendigo" Hannah said while reading further.
In the little history she read about the Wendigo, it turns out that a tribe, that once lived in the mountains known as 'The Cree', respected the mountain and all the animals which lived on it, making the mountain sacred to them. The Cree believed that it was bad luck to harm an animal on the mountain and would therefore hunt elsewhere. When the miners arrived in 1893, they mined so deep into the sacred mountain, that The Cree say that the mountain itself cried out and the spirit of the Wendigo was unleashed.
"There's a lot of history to this, but it all starts to make more sense" Hannah stated as what the journal said, gave more explanation of why the decedents of the tribe were warning her parents not to continue the construction of the family's Lodge on the mountain.
When Hannah read the part of how Wendigo hunts and how it hunts, made the young Washington scared and stated to the rest "It says that… the Wendigos are… mutated… from humans and… when they hunt us they know how to perfectly mimic their prey…. It also said that.. fire is the only thing that can kill these monsters".
The others had listened to what Hannah said, and were horrified of hearing how smart these Wendigo really are.
Then, Hannah read about how the Stranger was able to contain the Wendigo, how he used defenses like, totems, herbs and feathers, that it worked keeping the Wendigo at bay but won't work inside buildings.
But then… Hannah gasped as she read something that shocked her "Oh… no. No no no!". Sam walked over to her, wandering what caused her girlfriend to be so shocked "What? What is it? What does it say?". Ashley also walked over to Hannah "What's wrong, Han?"
Hannah was speechless, as tears were forming in her eyes "What have we done… what have done…?" she started to sob, making Sam worried and asked "Baby? What is it?! Tell me?".
Hannah looked at Sam, with tears coming from her eyes, as she told "It… it says that… the bites…" "What? What about it?! Talk to me, baby!".
Hannah then stated "It says that… if it bites you… it's not infectious. It doesn't do anything".
"What!? Let me see that!" Sam said shocked as she took the journal and read the part that confirms that the bite of the Wendigo indeed is not infectious, as the Stranger's brother, Tommy was once bitten by it and was alright.
Ashley started to cry too "Oh God, no… what have we done?!". Sam too couldn't believe it. they send Emily to her death, while she was going to be okay, all along "Oh shit. Em…".
Chris too was shocked, and walked over to Ashley to comfort her. While Ashley sobbed on his chest, he said softly "Ash, it's okay, Ash… you couldn't have known. None of us could have known".
But then Sam read something in the journal, saying that the Stranger had captured some Wendigo and locked them up, deep in the Sanatorium. Sam knew that Mike was walking into a death trap! "Shit. Shit-shit-shit…" as Hannah wiped away her tears, she asked while standing up from her chair "What Sammy? What is it?".
Sam put then journal down, while looking serious to the others "We've got to get to Mike, like now!". As she walked out of the panic room, Hannah followed her, with Ashley and Chris behind them.
Meanwhile, in the forest…
The Wendigo dragged Josh's unconscious body in the snow, entering the mines.
However, inside Josh's head, it was like he had another therapy session with Dr. Hill, as Josh was constantly on his mind of how badly his 'prank' had got wrong.
The office was looking nearly like the snowy forest that he was dragged through by the Wendigo, with various trees seen inside the office.
Dr. Hill sat in front of his desk, looking very disappointed in him. Josh sat on the other chair in front of Dr. Hill, with his face looking down in sadness.
Dr. Hill signed deep as he started to speak "Oh Joshua… you should have listened to me. Because of your choices people have died. I don't know which is worse, actively triggering events that lead to someone's death, or passive allowing a tragedy to occur. Because you couldn't lift a goddamned finger to help someone else".
The doctor paused for a moment, while Josh shook his head. Dr. Hill then said very serious "Remember last year? Huh?! How you left your poor sister, Beth to die? You did nothing to help her! Paralyzed by your own self centered fear while a real threat was closing in". Josh shook his head as he breathed heavily, still with his head down in guilt "No. no no no… I… wanted to help her. I wanted to help her!". Dr. Hill frowned at Josh "No. it's all about you Josh, it's always all about you!".
Josh started to sob. Dr. Hill wanted to hand him over a tissue, however, when Josh wanted to take it, it was blown away by the strong winds.
Dr. Hill then faced Josh with the hard truth "Your game has not even gone terribly wrong, no. Worse! You put all your friends through some heartbreaking and traumatic experiences, and now… all of them have deserted you. Even your poor little sister, Hannah. You are all alone. Can you feel how cold your loneliness has become? Hannah wanted to be there for you, Joshua. But no, you pushed her away, putting her through the same tortures, while she was the one that was going through much worse then you! Losing her own sister, right before her EYES!".
Josh covered his ears, not wanting to hear anything from Dr. Hill anymore. But despite he tried to mute the sounds around him, he could still hear him in his head "Why, did you hurt them? Joshua, WHY DID YOU HURT THEM?!".
Josh then exploded with both anger and sadness as he slammed his fists on the desk "THEY ALL HURT ME!" he then sobbed as tears fell from his eyes "They hurt me…". Dr. Hill shook his head as he spoke "They didn't hurt you Joshua. Not intentionally. They made a stupid mistake and a terrible tragedy befell, killing your sister. They did not intend for that to happen, it just DID. And they were sorry at least… until you subjected them to your night of horrific torture. What about Hannah, huh? What did she do to deserve all of that? All because you saw her in the bathtub, making love with her best friend. Have you never thought for a minute why she fell in love with Sam? Huh? Because you pushed Hannah aside! Sam was the only one there for her, and they took the next step, while you just wanted to make them all pay so badly. Do you know now what you have caused to her? To the others? To yourself?!".
Josh couldn't take it anymore. Every word that Dr. Hill said in his mind was all true. Hannah never betrayed him, none of his friends did. They all wanted to be there for him, and he pushed them aside. Josh cried heavily, feeling his regret overwhelming him "I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…! Oh God… Hannah, please forgive me…!".
Dr. Hill signed "Let's hope it's not too late for atonement… and that your friends, if they still are your friends, can save you from… something even worse than death itself".
Josh lowered his head, still sobbing of so much regret of his actions.
The Wendigo dropped Josh into a part of the cave. But then, it sniffed something in the air, sensing that one of it's preys was near. It screeches out loud before it left the cave, hunting for the others that dwelled on HIS mountain.
That's it for chapter 9 of this Until Dawn story. I hope the waiting was worth it? Yes, this unknown person named 'Tommy', is the Stranger's brother. You all soon find out more what 'truly' happened to him in the following chapters. And also what happened to Beth….
Emily too is now no longer in the world of the living. Guess karma can be real bitch, huh? XD
I decided to give this chapter to all of you guys as a surprise. So, see this as a partial return to writing fanfics, well… sort of. I will from now on make a few chapters for my stories from time to time. But now, I'm doing something else than just writing my book. I'm right now busy with something important (and possible a career change).
Other than that, I want to give my special thanks to my good friend imerik001, who helped me with some of the dialogues for this chapter. He also came up with the idea for the panic room in the Washington Lodge. So give him a thumps up.
Anyway, don't forget to like and review, and I'll see you guys (hopefully) soon in the next chapter 'Despair', where the rest of the friend group not only try to save Josh, but also have to survive the final hours of the night against a horde of Wendigo.
See you guys then!