Dread
Back in the lodge, the rest were taken aback by the mysterious voice they heard on the phone in the dining room. They knew it wasn't Ashely or Francesca, or anyone else they know on account of the accent. It sounded country, presumably from one of the southern states. However, the four remained silent until Sam decided to be the first to break the impregnable silence that filled the room.
"Who are you?"
"No time to explain. Only thing I can tell you is that all of you are in danger."
David then asked. "In danger? What are you talking about?"
"My family and I are… contaminated. Our bodies can't leave the mountain."
"Contaminated from what?"
"Something deadly. Something dangerous."
There was something about her accent that caught their attention as Matt suddenly asked another question. "You don't sound like you're from around here. What are you doing here?"
"I could say the same about y'all. I don't why all of you came back here after what happened six year ago."
Her statement got the four of them at unease and very suspicious of the mysterious caller. How could she have known what happened."
David was the first to ask. "Wait, six years?"
"You mean with Hannah and Beth?" Emily also asked
Matt inquired. "How could you know that without being involved?"
"Or responsible?!" Sam accused as she casted a glare at the phone
"I don't appreciate these accusations you're making, especially since I'm the one trying to help your friends at the moment." The voice said with a frustrated tone
"If I could guess you're from Mississippi, right? Maybe Texas?" David trailed off for the mysterious woman to reply
"Louisiana. As for what's going on, I'd suggest you look for clues in that lodge of y'all stayin' at. Start by checking the office and look for the name: Winters. It'll be your best bet. Maybe your only bet." There was a long pause. "Shit, I gotta go! I'll call you back when I find out where the rest of your friends are! As for the rest of the clues, I'll point your friends in the right direction!"
"Hey! Wait!" Sam received a dead phone line as her answer. "Great. Just great." She said sarcastically
"So…" Matt stared at Sam, David, and Emily. "Should we trust her?"
Emily frowned and narrowed her eyes at Matt. "Matt, are you serious?"
"I mean- she knows where the others are. She can help us. And there seems to be something going on in this mountain. I mean we saw those dead corpses tied up."
"Corpses?!"
"They were animal corpses." Matt stated. "Tied to a tree like a spider. Whoever called here on the phone is helping us."
Emily scoffed at Matt. "Yeah, of course she is. But in case you haven't notice, she's being vague." She looked to Sam and David with a serious look. "We need to go get some professional help. Like now."
"Hold up." David said to Matt and Emily. "We need to know what the hell we're dealing with here to make sure we don't get half- cocked. If we're not careful, we could get somebody killed."
Emily shook her head dismissively. "No, we need to call for help instead of relying on a total stranger we don't know anything about." She replied. "You two can search the lodge for clues if you want, but we're heading to the cable car station to get help and come back."
David slapped his forehead over Emily's solution. "Have you not seen horror movies? You never split up from the group!"
"I don't know if you notice this David, but this isn't a horror movie. This is real life."
"Maybe we should at least-" Matt was stopped by Emily
"Why are we arguing about this? Let's go!"
Matt reluctantly followed Emily, heading out the lodge leaving only just Sam and David in the dining room. David just shook his head and a mock salute as he walked out of the dining room with Sam behind him. He had his hands on his hip in complete thought, pacing back and forth.
"What are you thinking about?"
"That voice."
Sam quirked an eyebrow as she placed her hand on her hip. "Our mystery caller? Do you trust her?" Sam inquired
David shook his head and replied. "Not really, but she knows where the rest of the guys are. And whatever the hell is going on with this damn mountain." He then looked at the photo of the Winters family. "And that photo had the winters name on the back."
"That seems to be our only option at this point. Let's search Mr. Washington's work office for anything useful."
Sam and David headed for study of Josh's dad. Hoping to find out the connection between them, their friends, and the Winters family. Sam had no idea where to look for anything related to the Winters family in the office or not, but for the sake of their friends her and David had to try. For David, he was wondering what the mystery caller knew about what happened to Hannah and Beth. It could have been about their death, but David had a strange feeling that there was more to it. He couldn't shake whatever feeling this was, but he knew it was a bad vibe. They began searching, going through every cabinet and drawer looking for anything related to the Winters. It was upon the last two drawers of the desk cabinet that Sam found some information. It was the payment of the rent the family gave to Josh's father along with the living arrangements. But aside from the family of three, there was also a few more guests invited to the lodge.
"So it seems like there was more than just a family Christmas getaway." Sam remarked as she checked. "Did you find anything?"
David shook his head. "No, I got nothing- wait. I found a CD. Hold on, two of them." He held two CDs by his index and middle finger. "Any idea what we'll find on these?"
Sam shrugged. "No idea, but there's a DVD in the living room we could use. Let's see what's on them."
Exiting the office, Sam and David headed back to the living room. David set up the DVD while Sam turned on the Flatscreen, waiting for her boyfriend to put in one of the CDs. She had her hand on her hip wondering what the CDs would tell them. In her mind she was thinking what the connection this family and the Washington lodge was. What did this have to do with Josh and his sisters. What was the mystery with the Winters family on what was happening on the mountain Sam and the majority of her family were staying at. The video play showed a Christmas tree being decorated by the husband, now putting up the Eveline off her feet to add the final touch to the tree.
The father smiled at the Christmas while he held his daughter. "Wow. Look at that. That's a good looking Christmas tree, huh Mia?"
"Yeah, I'll say. Thanks to your little helper over here." The mother said, now pointing the camera to her little girl. "You excited, Evie?"
"Yes, mommy."
"Our daughter's a big fan of Christmas."
The little girl smiled more cheerfully. "I get the best presents."
"The same applies to your birthday there, kiddo."
"But I get more presents when it's Christmas." She replied earning a laugh from her parents
"Are you sure it's a good idea for a Christmas party tomorrow night, Ethan? This lodge may not even have enough room."
"It'll do. Besides for those that can't stay for the night, they'll just make hotel reservations." Ethan then scoffed. "The price I pay for being everyone's secret Santa for this."
"And skip." David said pressing the fast forward button on the remote
Sam sighed. "David!"
"What? We're trying to find out what the connection is with this family." He said skipping the video of the Christmas tree. "I mean, we don't have the luxury and time in watching home movies, Sam."
"What if we miss something, babe?"
"Then, I'll pause the video. All there is the family setting up a Christmas tree."
Sam took the remote from David's hand gently. "I'll still take the remote. Just in case we catch a hint. Or something off." She suggested, pressing the play button
"Alright then."
Sam casted a worried look out the window. "Maybe you should go check on Matt and Emily? Maybe they haven't left for the station yet."
"No, thank you. Besides, I'm pretty sure they're off the mountain right now." David said as the video came to an end
"And that appears to be the end of that." Sam looked to David. "Let's play the other CD. Why don't you go back to Mr. Washington's office and see if we didn't miss anything?"
David planted a kiss on Sam's cheek. "Be back in a bit after I see what we can find." He said
The other CD showed a Christmas party, which started at eight o' clock. From what Sam and David could gather watching the video was that there seem to be more than meets the eye with Eveline's parents. Mia, her mother was a researcher in some organization while her father Ethan was a system engineer. Nothing useful was shown in the party, all corporate talk and stock marketing. The camera panned over the Winters couple as a man with brown hair walked by them, they were talking and whatever it was sent the mother into a panic. The camera man followed the three, encountering a fair skinned man outside with graying hair and a beard.
"Where the hell is my goddamn daughter?" Mia demanded
"How should I know?"
"Pete, you're the last one who saw her." The brown haired man stated
"So did you, Andre." Pete accused. "You were suppose to keep an eye on the brat and make sure she didn't wander off."
"WHERE IS SHE?!"
"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Pete shouted back. "I have no idea where your kid went, lady."
They suddenly heard the scream of a young girl through the woods.
"EVIE!"
"It came from over there." Andre looked to the camera. "Clancy, you're with me. Let's go."
"Yeah, sure."
The camera then panned to both Andre and Clancy, looking down at a dark hole under their feet. The cameraman shined a light down, leaving the two men to shockingly gasp at the sight of a little girl down below northeast of the cave and unconscious. There were bruises and scratches on her arms and leg. The camera pan over to Andre.
"Holy shit, how the hell did she get down there?"
"I don't know. Let's go tell the Winters we found their kid."
"But first, how do we get down there?"
The two came back with Eveline's parents and rope to head down into the hole. Ethan and Andre tied part of the rope to a strong tree nearby. Ethan and Andre were the first to descend, with Mia and Clancy keeping watch as they descend further until they reached the bottom. They cracked the light sticks, having four of them apart as a circle before advancing forth to where Eveline was when Pete appeared behind Mia and Clancy. They waited for minutes as the camera panned to Mia walking back and forth, worrying about the condition of her daughter along with her husband who hasn't responded back. They heard the sudden sound of an animalistic screech coming from the cave, putting the three in a frightened and horrified state.
"Ethan!"
"Andre! Shit!" Clancy grabbed a piece of rope with one hand and headed down. "I'm going down."
The camera zoomed over to where Ethan and Andre were, northeast. The camera came to a stop when a screech.
"What the fuck…?" Clancy trailed, seeing something slowly appear before him.
Whatever it was that caused him to drop the camera as a blood cluttered scream was heard throughout the cave. The last thing being shown was a dead Andre whose eyes were bloodied and bleeding along with a missing jaw. Sam rewind the video to see what terrified the cameraman, but whatever this Clancy saw it was too fast to caught what it was. To Sam, it sounded like a wild animal. Judging from the screech, she knew it couldn't be a bear. She set the video in slow motion to see what Clancy saw, only to see quick white blur. However. Sam could see that whatever attacked Clancy and kill Andre had claws.
"What the hell is this thing?" Sam then heard a booming sound. "David?" she ran to Mr. Washington office. "David, David!"
Before Sam could do anything, she was suddenly grabbed from behind. A sharp pain to her neck was felt, slowly shifting the young woman into an unconscious state. A whistle was followed as Sam's attacker carried her while David was dragged by a dark hand.
Outside, Matt and Emily head for the cable car station.
"I can't believe the others got taken." Emily said
Matt looked at her and asked. "Do you think they're okay?"
Emily shrugged feeling tense. "I- I don't know. Since we came back here to this mountain, none of this makes any sense."
Once they arrived, the couple noticed an ax lodged to the door to the cable car station.
"There's an ax. I feel a lot better with an ax." Matt said, pulling the ax out from the door as Emily stepped forward to try and open the door.
"Oh what now?" Emily tried to get the door open but it wouldn't bulge. "This is locked Matt!" she stared at the ax in Matt's hands. "Well, break the door, will you?"
"Hold on a second. We start smashing shit down and whoever took the rest of the guys will hear us." Matt told her
Emily rolled her eyes. "You got any better suggestions?"
Matt looked around for another way inside the cable car station, spotting ajar window beside the bench
"There." He pointed
"That's great, Matt." Emily said with a hint of sarcasm. "I could fit my lip balm through that little slot."
"No, come on."
"You will never fit, big guy."
"I won't." he paused as he looked at Emily. "But you will."
"Are you serious? You're going to shove my ass down that little hole?"
"I've seen you slip into some pretty tight jeans, Em."
"Excuse me?"
"It's a talent."
Emily sighed loudly. "Fine. Move."
She shoved Matt as she used the bench to give her a boost. Emily opened the window to the cable car station a bit just to get inside, with her feet kicking once she was in the cable car station. Matt could hear Emily groaning hearing nothing but a clattering sound, being grossed out over cobwebs as Matt shook his head. He looked toward the door to see open from the inside by Emily. He saw that the station itself devastated, trashed, and graffiti adorned the walls as Emily only looked down.
"God damn…"
"It was like this when I got in here." Emily said. "It's probably whoever took Chris, Ash, Josh, and Fran."
"I'm starting to think this is the work of our mysterious caller's family." Matt concluded. "They're responsible for this. They have to know this is the only way out."
Emily groaned, shivering in fear. "Don't say that."
Matt spotted the cable car, hanging a distance out from the station. "Look, the cable car's all the way up there."
Emily looked also and bit her lip. "I mean… it's not that fair right… you can jump it Matt?"
Matt scoffed at that. "I'm good Em, but I'm not that good… flattered though."
"Well, Matt, if you can't jump that, what are we gonna do?!"
"I don't know…" Matt trailed off looking around the decrepit station and sighted a map of the area. "Hey, look. Fire tower." He then noticed the controls for the cable car and a flashlight. "No keys, no cable car." He flicked the flashlight on as a light shined. "Let there be light."
"Wait. You mentioned the fire tower. Maybe there's a radio there."
"Assuming if there is."
"Matt, we need to get to that radio!"
Matt shook his head. "No, I think we need to get back to the lodge. We've been out for too long."
"Seriously? What is up with you wanting to go back to the lodge? You just wanna go there and hide!"
"There's strength in numbers."
"Matt, you idiot! For all we know, that's where they expect us to be!"
"What about Sam and David? If they got caught, we're just gonna leave them?"
"The best we can do for everybody is head to that radio tower." Emily said back. "If you stop acting like a useless meathead, you'd know that."
Matt groaned in irritation at Emily. "You know what? I can't do this anymore with you."
"And what's that suppose to-?" she was cut off by Matt
"Let me point it to you shortly, I know about what you and Mike did." Matt accused
"What are you talking about?"
"I saw you two through the telescope!" Matt retort pointing at Emily. "I was damn near ready to scrap with him before Fran stopped me back at the lodge! You lied to me!"
Emily glowered. "You think you own me because we're dating!"
"Don't try that bullshit with me!" Matt snapped in a frustrated tone. "You've been trying to do the same to me! When I do it, I'm the bad guy. But when you do it, it's okay. God, you're such a spoiled little princess!"
"Fuck you, Matt!"
"Oh you can try and turn this all around at me if you want, but it was you who-"
"If that's how you feel about this, then we're through!"
"Nothing would please more than-"
Matt was cut off when he and Emily heard a loud, guttural and eerily sound coming from outside. It became distant at first, but then the sound was getting closer and closer. It was that moment they saw a shadow outside the door, along with something black moving aside the snowy ground. A foot stopped out as Matt readied the ax while Emily covered in a frightened state. Once they saw what was behind the door outside, their eyes widened with horror at the sight before them. It was a molded covered creature with nothing but ooze and human bones. They don't know if the creature before their eyes see them, but they got their answer when its arms suddenly lunge out trying to grab them.
Matt was able to evade the grab, but it caught by the leg dragging her near the creature. Matt chopped off the limb which grabbed Emily, but it snatched the ax in Matt's hands along the way. He held him by the throat as its jaw opened elongated and wide, with saliva dripping from its mouth. Before it caught take Matt's head off, its head was hacked from behind by Emily.
"OH MY GOD! What the hell is that thing?!"
They heard more of the same guttural and eerily sounds from outside.
"I don't know, but something tells me it brought friends!"
Emily noticed a ladder behind Matt that was out of their reach. Matt helped her up the ladder carefully. She was able to release the ladder which sled down to a ledge below as Emily was the first to head down while Matt took the ax with him in hand. She let Matt to the one in front before reaching the end of it.
"Now let's find that radio tower and hope those things don't follow us."
Being on constant alert of the insane family that had abducted her along, Francesca stuck beside Mike as they walked through the asylum halls with caution. So much things were going through her mind right now while she walked the sanatorium with Mike, both of each were wary after their encounter with Jack. From being taken from the lodge including Josh, Ashely, and Chris. How her mind wondered where they were and having a worrying thought. Were they okay? Did they get away from the family? She didn't wish to think any of them were dead. Her mind then went to Josh, wondering if her significant other was still alive. Ever since the seance, he had become unhinged in a panic and stormed away from the others before she was taken. Francesca had found him in Hannah's room sitting on the foot of her bed while he stared at a picture of him and his sisters. She remembered telling Josh that she will always be there for him no matter what.
Before her and Josh's conversation went any further, they heard a noise coming from downstairs and everything changed from that point on. She was also wrestling with the thought of Jessica being died. Even though she heard it from Mike, she just couldn't believe it. She wanted to tell him that Jessica could still be alive, but Francesca knew Mike didn't want to hear any of it. All that was on Mike's mind was to find the others, avenge Jessica's death and get out of the sanatorium alive. Their thoughts were put on hold when Mike and Francesca saw a shadow pop out away from them in the distance to the next corridor. They quickly went into an abandoned room left of them, quietly closing the door once they entered. The two of them remained silent and still as the footsteps became closer and louder before coming to a stop, then continuing onward after. Mike's finger felt a switch to his right, as he flicked it casting a light inside the room. It was an office room, filled with dirt and a desk covered in dust follow by two worn out chairs.
"You think that was papa bear out in the hall?" Mike asked her, referring to Jack. "I mean you put a few bullet holes into him, even one in the head and he was still kicking after that."
Francesca replied. "I don't know." She leaned her back by the wall. "It could be Marguerite or that creep Lucas. Not a comforting thought in any case."
"So, it's just the three of them. Well, hopefully it's just two of them." Mike said. "I don't plan on fighting a resurrected Jack anytime soon."
Fran shook her head. "No, there was another one. A girl, but I didn't see much of her when I got brought here. And…" she suddenly paused in thought
Mike raised an eyebrow as he took a step forth toward her. "Fran?"
"I saw this old woman on a wheelchair with them." She admitted
Mike formed a confused expression on his face and asked. "What the hell is an old lady doing here with a pack of psychotic assholes? Is she one of them?"
Fran shrugged and replied. "Honesty, your guess is as good as mine. Though I wouldn't be surprised if she was another freak like the rest of them judging from that dirty look she threw my way." She shivered in fear if the elder of the family was the same. "If I see grandma crawling on the walls of this place, I'd wanna get the hell out while I still can."
"I'll second that. I've had my fill of crazy shit to last a lifetime." Mike saw Francesca walk toward the dirty desk, opening the cabinets to look for any useful information. "What are you doing?"
"Looking for anything that can tell us more about this place. Maybe someone left a map behind before the psycho family moved in." Fran began checking the file cabinets. "Here's hoping they haven't been that long to notice."
"Fran, this place has been here since the fifties. I found that out before I saw Jack about to kill you. There's no way that…" Mike stopped talking when he saw Fran had a puzzled expression on her face over an envelope. This envelope bared a strange insignia which caught Francesca's attention. "What is it?"
"I recognize this symbol. It's… the Umbrella logo."
"Umbrella?"
Fran scoffed and shook her head. "You don't remember the lesson we had back in high school, do you?" she opened the folder. "Umbrella was this big, major Pharmaceutical corporation working on anything they can think of. But they were also into the making biological viruses and weapons business on the side without the public and international authorities knowing."
"It's all coming back to me now. They were responsible for that Raccoon City incident, right?" Mike asked as Fran nodded her head. "There was a reporter name Alyssa Ashcroft who was there when it happened."
Fran looked through the papers for anything that have valuable information. "One of their viruses was exposed to the point of turning every living thing into zombies, killing anything in its sight. Turning anyone into either like them or something far worse." She stated
"After what happened in Raccoon City, people started to get worry it could happen to them once it started to happen in a European country and some other places." Mike recalled from the Outbreak aftermath. "That's why the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance was created to prevent shit like that from happening again. Or the very least stop it in case it spread out of control if it did."
"After what we saw with Jack, I'd say we call them." Fran declared
"Before that we need to find Josh, Chris and Ash. When was the last time you saw any of them?"
"I only saw Chris since I've got brought here, but before Jack killed that ranger he was already gone." Fran stated. "And as for where Josh and Ashely are... I don't know."
"Maybe one of these fuckers grabbed Chris when you let that ranger inside this place." Mike theorized to her
"You don't think…" she trailed staring worryingly at Mike
Mike noticed the expression on Francesca's face. "What? No, no they're not dead. God I hope they're now, at least. They're still here somewhere like the two of us."
"And the others?"
"Probably still at the lodge wondering where we are. But it won't be long before the crazy hick family decides to pay them a visit." Mike moved aside Francesca, checking for anything useful inside. "So we need to find them before they do and warn them."
"Is there anything useful in that desk?" Fran asked
"A map of the sanatorium." Mike answered. "They bought this place over in the early nineties."
Fran laid the map out on the desk giving the two a view of where everything was set. The facility contained a psychiatric ward, restraining area, a morgue with a functional crematorium. Along the way was a clinic, administrative, staff, and security offices. Dormitories, cell blocks, and an armory. She was surprised this place was built under a geothermal hot spring in the early 1920s and a hotel merged with it in the 1950s, but more shocked when she found out that they lead back to the Washington lodge through a tunnel passage. Mike noticed the layout of the map, especially the tunnel leading directly to the lodge.
Mike muttered. "Shit. That's how they got in the lodge."
"What now?"
"First we need to-" Mike winced in pain as he had his hand on his chest, courtesy of his confrontation with Jack
Mike sat on the desk as Fran lifted his shirt up and said. "I think the first order of things is heading for that infirmary."
Mike shook his head. "Fran, you can't go there alone."
"I'm taking you with me, Mike." She declared. "That showdown with Jack obviously did a number on you." Her hand on the wound mark. "I'm surprised you're even standing."
Mike noticed Francesca staring off at his well fit athletic physique. "Fran, my eyes are here."
She snapped back to reality with flushed cheeks, then shook the thought from her head as she had pressing matters to worry about. "Right. Come on, let's head for the infirmary."
"And here's hoping we run into one of our friends along the way." Mike concluded as he and Fran left the office, heading for the infirmary