Mike and I had traveled down through the basement and I could feel that the temperature was beginning to drop the further we went down the basement. I had my shotgun with me just in case we run into those things. I'm not taking my chances. "Lilly, now that you're with me, you just follow my lead and use your trick shot to blow those fuckers away." Mike instructed, turning to look behind him to look at me. I grin and shiver from the cold. "You know me too well. They won't come within 10 feet of us." I respond, partly joking yet partly majored. We make it to a heavy set of doors and he locked them behind us, which confused me because why bother with that? "Mike, why did you lock that behind us? Don't we need that door to get back to the others?" I asked, watching him lock it while holding my shotgun firmly in my hands. "Yes. We're going back this way however, I don't want them following us." he answered, walking away from the door. I sigh and follow him through a traverse to get to what looks like a chapel. The place, in my eyes, looked very run down and abandoned with debris fallen everywhere, a set of stairs out of use, a couch with a single old table and 90's tv.
It seemed both creepy yet kind of fascinating to look at. I noticed how snow was making its way in here and it was leaving large patches of snow on portions of the worn out tile. "Jesus... what the hell is this place?" I question, looking around the room. "This, I think used to be a chapel. Can't really tell though. But... Ho-lee shit... this place didn't look like this when I left." Mike said, walking around the place. With a furrowed, I walk around while looking around at the decaying building. It was very cold and I constantly shivered when a small gust of wind blew past me. "Huh... what happened to the wolves?" Mike muttered but I was able to hear him. I jerk my head to look at him. "Wait, there's wolves here?" I question him, seeming slightly concerned. Mike looked back at me and walked over to me. "Yeah. That flamethrower guy had two wolves with him that he used for his personal guard dogs or something. And I just happened to make friends with one of them." he told me, holding some shotgun shells in his hand.
He extended his hand and gave me some to put in my shotgun. "You think he's here still? Cause you know I'm a wolf lover and I always wanted to meet one." I say, taking the shells and putting them in my pockets. He gave me at least 10 shells to hold me over. "Alright, over here. Stick close to me because those fuckers could be anywhere. And you and I both know that Sam would never forgive me if I let you get eaten up." Mike said, leading me over to a locked door. I chuckle because of how true that is. "Damn straight. You lead the way." I say, following behind him. He took me to a door with a large heavy duty lock on it. Mike held up his gun to shoot it off however I knew that it would make too much noise and it could attract those wendigos.
I put my right hand on the barrel of the shotgun to stop him from firing it. "Wait Mike. We don't want to draw attention. Let me do it." I say, looking at him. For a moment, he didn't seem to agree but his face changed. "Alright. Be my guest." he said, stepping aside. I smirk before turning my shotgun to where the butt of it was facing downwards. I raise the gun above my head and use all my strength to hit the lock with a grunt and the impact hurt like hell. I grimaced and end up dropping my shotgun to the floor and it clattered on the cracked concrete. "Agh! Shit!" I curse in pain, holding my wrist. "You okay?" Mike asked, in concern. "Note to self, don't do shit like that with a splinted wrist." I partly joke. "Let me do that." he said, slightly pushing me aside so he could do the rest. Turns out the impact I did cut through half way. He cut the rest of it and the lock fell off. He pushed the door open and it creaked open. Just as we walked in, that wolf that Mike was talking about walked from behind some old equipment. "Hey big guy." Mike said in a friendly manner as he bent down to pet the wolf. I stood there for a moment as he did so. The wolf looked at me in a cute way. "Hey there." I say, kneeling down to pet him. The wolf's grey fur felt so soft on my hand and he nuzzled into it with a whine. "See? He's not vicious. Quite the friendly fella." Mike said, standing back up. I chuckle and stand back up while smiling at the wolf. Mike had told the wolf about what we're supposed to do and as to why we're in here to begin with. When Mike was finished, the wolf lifted his head in interest which made me chuckle.
"Couldn't have said it better myself. Atta boy." Mike said breathlessly. The wolf turns around and begin to lead us through the run down and abandoned sanatorium. It felt good to have a wolf on our side. We followed him through the corridor. He seemed to know where he was going and that felt good also. We move through an old fenced door that led in another part of the sanatorium that seemed to lead from what I could read as the Psychiatric Ward. Suddenly, the wolf barks and snarls viciously at something. It started me and I jumped out of my skin. "Whoa! Easy boy!" Mike said, keeping an arm out in front of me as if he were to protect me from whatever the wolf snarled at.
"Whatever that was... it sounded like it was close." I say, feeling a little shaky. "Shit... We need to be careful." he tells me, lowering his arm. The wolf then walked ahead of us again, slightly wagging his fluffy wolf tail as he trotted on the cold stoned ground. We begin to follow him once again off to the right. We kept going until we lost sight of the wolf. "Wolfie, wait up!" I call, not wanting to lose sight of him. That is until the sound of the wolf's whining coming from the right. What he was whining about made my stomach turn greatly. There was another wolf... completely gutted and his head barely on his shoulders and he was hanging on a cage door. It made me feel so sick that I nearly threw up. "Ah... shit. This was the other wolf I saw..." Mike said, shining the light on the dead wolf. I held my stomach and tried to control my breathing. "This is... fucking horrible. I think I'm gonna be sick." I said, clamping my mouth shut. I hated seeing animals get hurt like this and this was too much for me to handle.
"I need a minute. Will you wait up for me Mike?" I asked, seeing the need to take a breather because I can't stand to see this wolf being used as a horrific decoration for those things. "Okay. I won't go anywhere." Mike agreed. I then go into another room and take a breather with my eyes shut. I set my shotgun down on the table and leaned down on the table to catch my breath. Just seeing that dead wolf strung up like that made me feel so sick and I couldn't bear to look at that.
However, once I did catch my breath, I straightened up and picked up my shotgun and I walked out of the room. And I noticed... Mike was gone. Both him and the wolf. He said he'd wait up for me... "Mike! Mike!" I call, walking past the dead wolf and into another part of the sanatorium. I was shaking drastically and my breathing was hard and ragged from how scared I was. The further I went down the aisle, the more cold the temperature got. I shivered and looked around frantically. "This is fucked... why did I decide to do this? Oh god... this has got to be a fucking dream. It's got to be! Mike, I'm gonna beat your ass for this!" I cry, turning into another corner.
I go into what looks like an old office with an old desk, card shelves or something like that. There was also a chair which was laying on the floor on its back, seeming to collect snow and dust. Something caught my eye and I decided to check to see what it was. It was a... suicide note from one of the supposed miners that worked in the mines a long time. I pick up the old paper and inspect it closely. The name written on one side was Jefferson Bragg and "To whom it may concern."
"What the fuck...?" I breathe before turning it over to read the back. It made me feel sad and I read the writing on the back of the paper. "They are dying outside. I hear screaming and crying. This hell is my only legacy. God's punishment for my mistakes. No escaping my fate. Death awaits me now. Jefferson Bragg." "Jesus... This is horrible… Wonder how long you were here for… and how you were… God..." I say, shaking my head as I set the paper down. I knew I had to continue one and find Mike because there's no way he would've left me here and not have realized it. I'm gonna fucking punch him when I do find him.
When I walked out, a blood curdling screech echoed around the hallways, causing me to freeze and clench my fingers around my shotgun, my fingers seeming to freeze around the metal. I kept my index finger wrapped around the trigger, ready to kill anything that startles me. "Fuck... what the fuck...?" I quiver, hearing that screech again. Before I could continue on, my heart suddenly stopped because one of those things suddenly appeared, climbing on the wall like a damn spider. I suddenly froze like a statue in seeing that damn thing. I felt so scared... I was shaking from how scared I was feeling at that moment in time. That wendigo then jumps on the wall that I was leaning on. My breathing was soft yet shaky at the same time because it was closer to where I was. I couldn't take my eyes off of it's abrupt, rapid movements with its limbs was so unnerving and it made me even more terrorized than I already was. My heart was pounding out of my chest and my stomach twisted tightly to the point of me almost vomiting.
The more I stood there, the more I thought I was going to die at this place. I didn't want to become a meal for them. I'm NOT becoming some food resource. "Dear god please make them go away… I don't want to die tonight..." I thought, praying for the first time in a long time. I don't want to die here. I can't here without Sam worrying about me and I don't want her mourning over any of us. I squeeze my eyes shut and relied on my hearing to figure out where the hell they were. Just like I prayed, the wendigo had gone away to a different location. I didn't want to stay there any longer. I've had enough and I took the opportunity to run the fuck out of there. I panted heavily as I bolted the fuck through the corridors. My loud footsteps didn't go unnoticed. There was more loud screeching behind me as I sprinted. While running, the sound of wolfie barking as well as those damn fuckers chasing me through the corridors in their hellish screeches that sent shivers through me.
Just ahead of me, I could see one of those flammable barrels sitting by the doorway and as I run towards it in a heat of adrenaline, I heed what that old guy told me about using fire to my advantage to make those fuckers more vulnerable. It's fire that weakens it and you can kill it afterwards. I quickly raise up my shotgun and pull the trigger, sending that bullet into the barrel, sending me flying out of the building in a gust of wind with a ear piercing BOOM! "AGH!" I scream, hitting the snow face first with a hard hit. I didn't stay on the snowy ground for long as I used my good arm to push myself up. Quickly looking back, I didn't waste any time getting back up to my feet to get the fuck away from that sanatorium. Plus, I prayed that Mike didn't get killed in that explosion but that didn't matter to me anymore because, with the panic and adrenaline that I was feeling at that moment in time I didn't even think twice about going back for him.
I ran through a thick part of the woods and the more I ran, the more I could feel my legs starting to get weaker and weaker. It was getting harder for me to catch my breath and it turned to wheezes. I struggle to keep myself standing and I didn't realize that there was a steep cliff coming up in front of me. The ground was coming incredibly fast and when it made contact with my exhausted body, I let out a shriek of pain because I didn't come out of that fall in one piece. The immense pain in my wrist uproared again and I can't explain how painful it was. Tears welled up in my eyes as I started to move because it hurt so much. When I tried standing up, a shooting pain fired up my right leg and it caused me to fall back down. In looking through my blurred vision to see that my right leg had a long cut on it. The blood coated over the fresh cut.
I had to get the hell out of here because those fuckers are still coming… Even though my leg and wrist hurt like hell, I needed to find Sam and the others. When Mike shows up, if he does, I'm going to fucking kill him for actually leaving me after I told him to wait up for me. After struggling to stand up, the adrenaline that coursed through my veins forced me to start running the hell out of there. The blood was dripping off my leg and onto the snow below my feet and it left a blood trail behind me which didn't help me in the slightest because I know that I would be followed.
In taking a sharp left turn, I bursted through a stray door that resulted in a loud bang out of instinct because the shrill screech of one of those wendigo's was right behind me. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I exclaim, quickly turning to shut the door. I was panicking and the fact my palms was starting to sweat was making it difficult to close it. Then, the full weight of that wendigo pushed against the door with an extremely loud, alerted screech. "No! Go away!" I scream at the top of my lungs as the wendigo forced the door open with all its might. Once it opened, the fucker tackles me to the floor.
I quickly grab a stray piece of metal that was laying on my right side and I used both of my hands to hold it to keep it off me. My breathing had a mix of screaming and sheer panic and terror and my wrist was hurting even more because of the fight I was putting up against this burned up wendigo. "HEY! Get off of her!" the voice of Sam shouted protectively. I turn my head to look up to see Sam bolting towards me to help me. "SAM! Help!" I cry, feeling the full fear of being mauled to death by this thing. Just as fast as that wendigo pounced on me, it was quickly knocked off of me. It's weakened head was easily knocked off it's shoulders and it fell to the side of me. "Lilly! Oh thank god you're alive!" Sam exclaimed, quickly getting down to my level and she helped me sit upright. For a moment, I was shaking so bad that I didn't even see that it was her.
"Lilly, talk to me…" Sam said, grabbing onto my shoulders. I shake my head vigorously as I cleared it in gathering what the fuck just happened. My eyes pan over to a worried Sam; the concerned look in her hazel eyes instantly got to me because it's rare to see her this concerned. I opened my mouth but couldn't find any words to speak. All I could do was hug her with my arms wrapped around her, to which she hugs me back a bit tighter than me. I could tell from her grip that she was very scared that something happened to me because she did see that I left with Mike. When we broke the hug, Sam held me by the arms to help me stand up.
"Where the hell is Mike? You went with him!" she asked me. "He left me. I told him to wait for me… um… because I… something caught my eye and… oh god you have no idea how terrified I was. I had to leave because those fuckers were going to kill me!" I exclaim, feeling my hands shake vigorously. Sam saw how upset I was getting and she winded up hugging me once again. "We got to find him. Those things are still out there and we can't wait any longer." Sam said bluntly, helping me to my feet because she could see how shaky I was. My legs still felt feeble but I was able to stand. "I know… I'm so going to kick his ass for actually leaving me like that." I say, feeling my anger bubble over. "Even when you're freaked out, your badass attitude is still there." Sam partly jokes. I couldn't help but release a slight chuckle because despite me being pissed, my humor is still amazing to her. But I'm still pissed at both myself and Mike because he said he'd wait for me but there was something so glamorous that he had to saunter off to investigate. And I'm outraged at myself because I was too panicked to find him.
"That's a nasty cut there. Can you walk?" she asked, taking notice of the nasty cut on my leg. "I… I think I may need help. Care to escort me?" I joke. She chuckles at my joke and she lifts me up by my arm. "It's my pleasure. How about I carry you down the threshold as well?" she joked, throwing my arm around her shoulders. She held my good wrist so that I wouldn't slip and she wraps her other arm around my waist. "How about after we get out of here?" I respond, getting the both of us to chuckle. As much as it was flattering, that quote un-quote wedding would have to wait until this all blows over. We continue our way through the musty and damp mines. The more we went in, the more unnerved I was feeling. Those wendigoes are still on our asses and possibly behind us. That thought alone, was very, very unpleasant.
We turn to the right and find that a pair of rickety old stairs was there. "You sure that's safe, Sam? I mean, they look rickety as hell." I point out, unsure about those stairs. We stop and she observes it. "If we hurry across them, maybe we'll make it." she said. "With this leg? Yeah, I'll try my luck on that." I say, rolling my eyes. We walked up the stairs as quickly yet carefully as we could. With each step, it made a loud creaking noise that sent shivers through me because I was afraid we'd fall through it. The minute we make it up there, a bunch of boulders fall behind us. "Jesus Christ!" we exclaim, jumping out our skin. We look back to see that set of steps were now gone. Before I could comment on them, a strange sound hits our ears.
"What was that?" Sam wondered, sounding on edge. I look around to figure it out. "Whatever it was, I don't like it. Could be one of those wendigos." I answer, wanting to keep moving. And with that, the two of us kept moving through this mines. Just as we were going upwards, the ground shook from underneath us and it caused the both of us to fall to the concrete ground. The hard impact had hurt my leg and wrist. "Agh! Shit!" I yell out, now feeling the full pain in my leg and wrist combined. "Lilly! Are you okay?" Sam asked, helping me sit up after that rockfall. "Yeah… I'm good. Just wish I wasn't hurt like this. Bet I'd just slow you down." I say to her. "Lilly, I'm getting you the hell out of here. You're not slowing me down in anyway. What kind of friend would I be if I just left you here?" Sam sternly stated, helping me back up the same way she did before. "Okay, okay. You've made your point." I say, smirking. And with that, we continue to where that opening.
"Shit. Looks like we're going to have to jump." Sam suggested. "Are you nuts?! I won't be able to make it!" I exclaim, automatically protesting the moderate jump. "I know, Lilly but we have no choice." Sam said. We back up a few steps before we make the leap. Sam makes it but I almost don't. I was hanging from my fingers and I didn't dare look down below me because I knew it was certain death if I let go. "Sam! Sam, help!" I exclaimed, struggling to hang on because of my splinted wrist making it difficult. "Oh shit! Lilly, grab on!" Sam shouted, quickly turning around and extending a hand down to where I was. I didn't know which one to give her because it would hurt my wrist either way. But without much thought, I give my splinted wrist to Sam and she grabs above the splinted area. With one hoist, she gets me up to the ledge. I panted heavily and look down. She stayed by my side as I caught my breath. "Thanks." I pant, looking up at her. She grins at me for a brief second. "You're welcome. Let's go." she replied, helping me to my feet. She helped me stand with my good ar over her shoulder and her arm around my waist. We continue to move before we hear a noise, causing us to perk up. Could that be Mike fighting his way to get back in here and those wendigos are after him?
"You think that could be…?" I wondered, looking around. "Probably. Mike might've found his way back here. C'mon." Sam urged, now worried. The more we walked on, the stronger I felt that I was able to walk. As much as I appreciated Sam helping me, I figured I could try and walk on my own. "Hey, Sam." I say. "Yeah, what is it?" Sam responded back concerned. "I think I can walk now. You shouldn't have to lug me around." I tell her. "You sure?" she asked, loosening her grip on me. "Yeah. I'm sure. Besides, don't think you can defend yourself if your hanging onto me." I say to her. We stop walking and she stands in front of me, holding me by my shoulders. I put a little pressure on my wounded leg and winced. "Ow…" I groan. "You sure you can walk?" Sam said, still hanging onto my shoulders. "Yeah. Yeah, I can. Even if it's a limp, I can still walk. Once we get out of here, I'll get it treated first thing." I assure her. She smiled at me for a moment. I knew that kind of smile from her. That showed she had complete confidence in me.
Just then, that same sound arose and it bounced off the walls of the mines. Sam quickly picks up a pipe and I wield my shotgun that I had. "Let's go." I tell her, beginning to limp forward. It wasn't a heavy limp but enough to show that my leg still kind of hurt to use. Sam followed right behind. "Mike's still at the sanitorium. Even though I'm scared shitless to go back there, we can't leave him there." I retort, feeling my hands shake from how timorous I was feeling. Sam grabbed a hold of my hand and I glance over at her. "You've got nothing to worry about. I'm here with you okay? Besides, with that shotgun, as handy as you are, it should be easy." she said, being optimistic. "Yeah you're right. Those fuckers don't stand a chance against us." I respond, wielding my gun. And with that, we continue on our way.
Even though my confidence wasn't going through the roof right at that moment, I knew I couldn't let it go because Mike could be dead in the sanitorium. We had to get him out of there so we could get the key together. It took us about 10 minutes to find the front entrance to the Sanitorium. Seeing it again sent chills up my spine but I quickly shook it off. "He's gotta still there." I tell Sam. The snow crunched under our feet as we got closer and closer to the Sanitorium. There was a lip buried in the snow which I didn't see and I trip over it, hurting my injured leg. "Agh!" I yell out, catching myself in the snow. This caught Sam's attention as she was just a couple of steps behind me. "Lilly! Are you okay?" she asked, helping me back up. With a groan, I nod at her. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just tripped over something." I tell her, trying hard for her to not be concerned for me at this point. We needed to be focused on helping Mike.
Just then, we were suddenly started by a wendigo that was chained behind a grilled window. It jumped at the both of us with a loud screech that echoed through the opened area we were in. "Jesus!" I yell out, jumping back a bit. "Holy shit!" Sam exclaimed, jumping back with me. That rush of adrenaline suddenly came back to me. "Mike's got to be inside still! C'mon!" I shout, holding up my gun. Sam didn't argue and she followed me in a run to the back entrance. Once we were in, the first thing we see is Mike being tackled by one of those wendigos. Looks like it had been burned like the one I had been tackled by. "Mike!" Sam and I exclaimed. Sam got in front of me and raised the pipe she picked up before and was ready to hit it. "Over here!" I shout defensively, holding up my shotgun. Sam used all her strength to hit it across the face to stun it and I pulled the trigger to blast it's head off. But it wasn't over there.
"Lilly, look out!" Sam shouted, alerting me. I look off to my right and didn't have time to react when another of those wendigos decided to tackle me to the ground. "SHIT!" I growl, using my gun to hold it off. It was a different wendigo this time. He must've been one of those miners that was trapped here. It tried clawing at my face and it screeched in my face, hurting my ears. Despite having a splinted wrist, the adrenaline that was pumping through my veins was helping me. Sam and Mike saw my distress straight away. "Get off of her, you fucker!" Mike exclaimed, using his gun to shoot it off. Sam first hit the wendigo with that same pipe then Mike shot it off me, long enough to stun it. Sam instinctively helped me to my feet because that wendigo wouldn't stay down long.
"That's it! That's it! Come on let's go!" Mike urged, getting Sam and I to run the way we came with him behind us. "RUN!" he exclaimed, hearing the wendigo that tackled me try to catch us. Just then, I hear Mike's gun go off again and a sudden wave of air sends the three of us flying out of the Sanitorium. I landed face first in the snow once again and push myself up to a sitting position. Looking behind me, I see that the entrance to the sanitorium was in flames. "Got any marshmallow?" Mike said, in a cocky tone. Even though we saved him, I was still mad that he had left me in there for the wendigos to get me.
"Mike, I got to ask, why did you leave me behind knowing that those fucking things were in there?" I ask, my voice on edge. Mike rubbed the back of his neck out of slight embarrassment because he knew I'd ask him about it. "Something had caught my eye. I was hoping you'd be behind me. But when I saw you were gone, I did come back to try to find you but you were already running. Those wendigos were on your ass and you had gotten them away from me for the time being. Thanks for going back actually. I did need the help." Mike said, rubbing the back of his neck. My anger slowly died away when he said that. So I hadn't realized that I had saved him. We all begin to walk back to where I had reunited with Sam after my first wendigo attack. "Sorry I had left you there, Mike. I was so scared to go back." I said truthfully. Mike playfully shoves me. "Don't sweat it. Now c'mon, let's find a way to where this fucker lives." Mike said, not mad about the incident. Now, we had to find Josh and we had to find him now if we want to get out of here alive.