The three of us had continued our way down the mine. Mike and I had discarded our guns considering they didn't have any bullets in them. Sam walked in between Mike and I. Knowing that my leg was still hurting, they kept any eye on me. I kept thinking of where Josh might be and how he has the key card for the cable car. Truthfully, I was a bit anxious to find him because of what he did to us. He was alive because I didn't see any blood where that stool was when Chris and I went out with the stranger. That wendigo hadn't killed him. I shivered through my now torn jacket because the temperature in this mine was dropping quickly and it wasn't helping my injured leg and I was starting to feel nauseated. "Hey, guys. Can we stop a minute?" I ask, seeing the need to sit down for a minute until this wave of nausea passes.
Sam looked at me and saw the nausea show on my face. "Sure. Mike, let's stop." Sam said, finding me a stalagmite stump that stuck from the floor. I sit down and let my headrest in my hands. Sam kneels beside me and had her right hand on my back. "What's wrong, Lilly?" Mike asked, walking up to us. I shook my head in hopes that'll fight off the nausea. "Feeling a little sick. Sorry, if I'm slowing you guys down." I say, swallowing heavily. Sam rubs my back to provide comfort. "You're not slowing us down, Lilly. Seems like that cut's getting to you." Sam said, pointing out the cut on my leg. "Was it when those fucking things was chasing you?" Mike asked, looking down at the cut on my leg. "Yeah… I didn't see a cliff and I fell when I was running." I said. "Now we have another priority. Getting you off this place to get that treated." Mike pointed out. True because this cut on my leg was starting to get to me but we didn't have anything to patch it up right now.
A few more minutes pass before we change the subject. "Hard to believe that thing used to be human." Sam said to us, starting off the conversation. "That one that tackled me earlier might've been that guy who wrote that note that I found." I say, getting their attention. "What note? From of the miners?" Sam asked. "Probably. He was dying down there… it said, 'They're dying outside. I hear screaming and crying. This hell's my only legacy. God has punished me for my mistakes. No escaping my fate. Death awaits me now.' Reading that note made me feel so sick and upset." I said, biting my bottom lip. "Jesus Christ…" Mike said, turning his back to us for a moment. "There was so much weird shit happening up that wouldn't even begin to surprise me." Mike mentioned, getting Sam and I to look up. Did he see more things in the sanitorium while I wasn't there?
"What kind of weird shit?" Sam asked, taking interest in what was in the sanitorium. "Like… what was in there that I missed?" I wondered. "Someone was… capturing the wendigos. Had 'em all tied up in these restraints… Lilly, you didn't see the fucked up shit that I saw." Mike answered. "Wow…" Sam replied quietly. So that wendigo that Sam and I saw earlier was one of those said restrained wendigos. They turned there against their will and they couldn't do anything to prevent it from happening. "I must've let them all out when I blew the place up." Mike said, seeming embarrassed at this. "Smooth move, Einstein." I say, rolling my eyes. Afterwards, I was feeling somewhat better. It was enough for me to start walking again.
I hadn't realized that I had gone ahead of Sam and Mike. It was as if my feet were leading me somewhere that I wasn't expecting to find myself in. They led me to what appears to be a dug up grave in the ground. In the dirt, it looked like there were bones there as well. But… there was also something else that caught my eye. Off to my right was something laying in the dirt. I bent down to pick it up and I inspected it closer. It was a wristwatch. More shockingly… Beth's watch. I backed up a little bit with my mouth covered in shock. "Guys… guys! I found something…" I said, still in shock that I have found Beth's watch. Sam and Mike rush towards me at the sound of my frightened voice. "What is it? Oh god…" Sam asked before noticing what I was holding. She takes ahold of my hand and looks at it. We look at each other in both disbelief and surprise. "This is Beth's watch…" Sam breathed, backing up a bit. Mike caught up with us and saw what we were holding in our hands.
"Let me see…" Mike said, having a look at Beth's watch. The least we could've done is keep it to return to their parents because I've heard people doing things like this. It's the respectful thing to do. "There was even a cross here. Do you guys think this is where Beth was buried?" I asked, trying to put two and two together. Could Hannah have survived that fall and she buried Beth? Who else would've buried her here? That old flamethrower guy? Probably. "Could be but… who would dig her up like that?" Sam questioned, now curious. Mike was trying to put off the truth and told us to keep moving. He took the lead. Sam and I look at each other for a second. We were equally freaked out about finding Beth's grave and trying to find out who in their right mind dig her up. And the fact Beth's watch was just laying there in the dirt proved that she was definitely buried and exhumed.
Afterwhile, we walk up to where Mike was. He was waiting for us by a open space that was filled with water. In inspection, this was our only way to get anywhere. "Okay, who's going first?" I asked, hesitant of going in. Mike was the first to jump in while using his hand to help him down. "Come on, it's okay." he assured. "You sure…?" Sam questioned. "Not dead yet." Mike replied. I scoff before sitting down on the ledge. "Famous last words I must say." I say, pushing myself into the water. The minute my body touched it, I exclaimed out of shock. The water was like ice and the touch felt like a thousand needles poking me all at once. "Fuck, it's freezing!" I shout, finding myself unable to move for a brief second. "I can't feel my fingers." Sam said, getting in as well. We begin to move to move through this ice cold water, our arms raised enough to where the water wouldn't touch it.
"Hadn't we reached the deepest part yet?" I ask, shivering. "Well, I didn't say that. I said it was okay, meaning there isn't any sharks or anything in here." Mike answered. "Sharks. Great. Thank you!" Sam exclaimed. I roll my eyes at this and just follow Mike's lead. We soon come to another part of the mine and I see something laying on the ground that might be worth looking to. "Hey, there's something over there." I say, pointing off to the left where that object was laying. We go in that direction and get ourselves out of the water. The air that consumed this mine didn't make it any better. It was still frigid and I quivered the second that air made contact with my now wet clothes and body.
Sam and I end up finding what I saw from afar in the water. I knelt down and got a good look at it. Sam too knelt down and began to flip through the pages of this makeshift journal. And what was written on those four pages will forever haunt me… "My little sister is dead. The fall killed her… I watched the color drain from her face. My leg is broken. I'm all alone, stuck here with Beth's body. Someone will come soon. I've never been so HUNGRY. My stomach feels like it's twisting around inside. I took Beth's sweater. Much warmer now. She's still looking out for me. I'm sorry Beth… I have no choice. I'm DYING. It's the only way that I can survive anymore. If someone finds this. I'm SORRY. I have no choice. Forgive me Beth. I'm sorry. My hands feel so unclean. My nails fell out. PUSHED OUT. I am aching but no more COLD NO PAIN. I'm getting stronger!" After reading that last page, it made me walk away in shock.
I was starting to feel queasy because of what Hannah had to do in order to survive down here… She had eaten her own sister just to stay alive. And the fact she turned into a wendigo down here sent me chills to the fucking bone. She suffered alone… and in great agony. This wasn't fair for her and it wasn't fair for Beth either. "Oh god… it makes sense…" Sam breathed, putting two and two together. I turn around to face her and Mike. "It was Hannah… she dug Beth up. It has to be." I say, still shaken up. "No, that's ridiculous!" Mike exclaimed, being in denial. "Michael… Michael, it has to be. This is the only thing that make sense… Beth died in the fall." Sam inquired. She did die in the fall from what Hannah was saying in the journal. "So what… what does that mean?" Mike asked, confused on what we were saying. "She was down here for... for…" Sam quavered. Mike was still in denial. But with what was written in here, it was true with every word.
"I don't believe any of this!" Mike shouted. I shook my head and put my hands on my head try to clear it. "Mike, she was starving down here! She was hopeless! She had no choice!" I declare, lowering my hands. "Guys, we need to find Josh. Now." Sam urged, tugging us in the direction to the water. Since I got out of the water, it felt warmer to my body. We continued on with going to find our way to Josh. Coming to another ledge, there was a large metal door. Once we got out, I walked to where Sam was. She took ahold of the knob and barely twisted it.
The second she did that, the door suddenly opened. A large gush of water spills out, knocking all of us to the ground. Water wasn't the only thing that spilled out… It was decapitated heads. Sam screamed at the harrowing sight of them. I, too, was horrified at the sight of them. "Oh fuck! What the fuck?!" I shout, seeing the decapitated heads of the flamethrower guy, Jess's, Matt's head roll out. A sudden wave of heavy nausea struck me like lightening and I went as white as a bedsheet. I heaved at this and quickly went to the side of the ledge and ended up vomiting into the water while holding my stomach. God… I've never felt so horrified in my entire life. I never thought I'd see a dead person, much less their own heads ripped clean off their shoulders. "Oh whoa whoa…" Mike breathed in a terrified way, "J- That's Jess. That's Jess…" Looking back at Jess's head, I noticed that… her bottom jaw was missing. "Oh my god… Oh fu-..." I groan, feeling utterly terrified at this. Sam rushed over to my aid and helps me up to my quivering feet.
We walk over to the now open door that lead into another part of this mine. I wish we had never gone in there. Going in there would be one image that I wish that I could unsee for the rest of my life… Up above us were Jess's, Matt's, Emily's, and the Flamethrower guy's bodies… They were hanging there as if they were ready to be cut up and served to others. "You see this…?" Sam uttered, just as scared as I was. "Bodies… a lot of them…" I quiver, gripping my stomach tightly. It took all I had to not vomit again… "Oh… Oh my god…" Mike gasped, sounding like he was on the verge of throwing up as well. "Noooo…!" Sam cried in disgust. "I'm gonna be sick…" Mike groaned. He then noticed something in between the boards of this horrid place. "Wait a minute… I think I saw something…" he said. The three of us come to the boards of wood boards and we peer through.
"Josh!" Sam exclaimed. I took note that something wasn't right here. He was muttering something that was incoherent, stumbling around while gripping his head as if he was in distress. "What… What's wrong with him?" I question. We find a door that gave us access to him. "I don't take orders from you, you can't tell me what to do anymore!" Josh screamed, still gripping his head. As we inched our way closer to him, I could tell something was definitely wrong with him. Was he seeing something that we weren't? "You can't tell me what to do! Okay… okay… I trust you… I trust you… I trust you…" he said more softly. Soon enough, the three of us were in front of him. He looked so freaked out about something. "What's wrong with him, Mike?" Sam questioned. "He's got to be tripping or something. Josh!" Mike answered, slapping Josh in the face to help bring him back to reality. "M… Mike?" Josh stumbled on his words. "Josh… Hey man-" Mike said calmly. "Don't h-hit me, p-please-" he uttered, shaken up greatly. Seeing him like this honestly made me feel so horrible. Even though he had hurt us, I can forgive him for this.
"You were deep in it, man. Full mental jacket." Mike stated, relieved to have Mike back. I sigh with relief and look at Josh. "For a moment, we didn't think we'd get you back." I say to him. Josh looked at me for a moment as if he regret hurting me the way he did. "Listen Josh… we found out Hannah was alive down here for… over a month… Starving to death. She had dug Beth up!" Sam said thoroughly. Josh did have the right to know what happen to his sisters. Especially after a year after their disappearance. "Let's just get the fuck out of here." Mike urged, not wanting to spend another minute in this hellhole. "Okay. Josh, do you have the key for the cable car?" I ask urgently. "Uh… Y-yeah. Here." he answered coherently as he takes the keys from his pocket and he hands them to me. "Oh good…" Sam said, pointing to a rock wall. I knew what her intentions were going to be.
"See that over there? That means there's a direct way out." Sam pointed out. To this, Mike protested. "There's no way Josh can make it up there." Mike said, making a good point. "Okay, you can help me and Lilly up so we can go back to tell Ash and Chris we're okay." Sam said. I agree with her on that one. "Bring Josh back the way we came and we'll all meet at the lodge." I instruct him seriously. Mike didn't take long to process what I said. "Sure thing. You two be careful." Mike said, giving both Sam and I a boost to help us climb the wall. "You two." Sam said as she climbed the way. I'm not usually religious but I pray that they make it over there safely and that they keep their eyes open.
I was still very unnerved by leaving them back there, especially with those wendigos out there. After Sam and I climbed over many rocky ledges, we had begun making our way back to the lodge. Going back there made me feel uneasy because we had no choice but go through the depths of the dark and frigid woods. My stomach twisted within me and I kind of slowed my pace. I trembled greatly with both fright and from the cold. I couldn't get that images of the bodies of our friends out of my head. Seeing them in that state, made me feel so nauseous and terrified. It also made me feel so sick that those wendigos not only had a sick sense of fashion by having our dead friends as decorations, but they were their food source as well. Seeing them in that state will never leave my head. I gazed down at my feet with wide eyes and I hugged my aching stomach with shaky breaths.
"Lilly, you okay?" Sam asked, getting me to look up. She looked at me with a look of concern and worry. "Sorry… I'm just… a bit shaken up is all." I answer, still feeling sick. Sam came over to me and pulled me into a hug. Having her hug me made me somewhat better. I hugged her back with my arms wrapped around her waist. "We'll be okay… Don't worry." she said in a quiet yet comforting tone. When we pull apart, we begin to walk again but this time hand in hand. The wind began to pick up and it made me shiver. Soon enough, we came to a small body of water. "C'mon." Sam urged. She didn't have to let me know that we'd have to cross it. As cold as it was, this water would only make it worse.
When we got in the water, I let out a shriek of utter surprise because of how ice-cold the water felt against my skin. It made my jeans stick to my legs so the water went right through the fabric. Sam too shrieked at the cold water also. "Oh…! Jesus, that's cold!" I shivered. We begin to slowly walk through the water with our arms in the air like the last time. While we made it to to the end of the lake, an eerie sound filled the air. It got me to freeze for a brief moment. Sam first gets out and turns around to help me out. The frigid air made the water more cold than it already was. But I couldn't focus on how it was, I had to focus on getting back to Ashley and Chris. Hopefully Mike and Josh make it back as well.
We were still hand in hand as we make our way to a high ledge. Looking down, I swallow hard from the height. The two of us try making our way down as carefully as we could, but it was far steeper than we thought and the rocks were frozen over. We begin falling down the cliff in scared yells. The ground soon met up with my body as fast as lightning strikes when there's a storm happening. I met the snow covered ground face first and didn't feel the pain of the impact right away. But for a brief moment I ended up blacking out from the fall. "Lilly! Lilly, wake up!" Sam urged, shaking me awake. With a sudden gasp, I shoot up to a sitting position. "Oh thank god, you scared me!" Sam said quickly. "Sorry…" I breathe. She sighed of relief that I was coherent and conscious.
We were back on our feet and back on the trail, once again hand in hand so we wouldn't lose each other. About 5 minutes later, we walk past the old shed where Chris, the flamethrower guy, and I were prior. The wind was beginning to pick up again and it caused me to shiver. It howled in my frozen ears. Before long, the shrill loud sound of a close wendigo caused the both of us to stop in our tracks. "Sam…?" I quiver, feeling that same fear course through my body. She looked at me for a moment. "RUN!" She cried, beginning to take off into a sprint. I quickly followed suit behind her. I had never run so fast in my life before. There was a few obstacles here and there that we had to get through. It was a fallen tree and some jars scattered in the snow that we had to jump over.
The lodge was in our sights and we didn't hesitate to bolt there. We make it to the front door. Sam quickly grabbed onto the doorknob and tried to open the door. However, it wouldn't open. "HEY! COME ON OPEN UP!" she screamed, banging on the door desperately. I start hitting the glass of the door in hopes of drawing attention. The way I banged on the door showed how terrified I was feeling at that point in time. That wendigo was right behind us and it could tear us to pieces any minute. "PLEASE! LET US IN! IT'S RIGHT BEHIND US!" I cry, my voice filled with sheer terror. Our cries for help were fallen on deaf ears but that didn't mean we were going to give up.
"Sam… Lilly…" a voice quietly said from behind us. We both jump out of our skin and quickly turn around. It didn't take us long to realize that it was Mike. He had more bruises on his face and neck than he had previously. "Shit Mike! You look terrible…" Sam said, taking a breather. I calmed myself down and tried to get my shaking to slow. "Gonna look worse if we stay out here." Mike panted. I turn around and bend down to pick up a stone that was sitting on the side of the door. With a strong grip, I smash in the glass that was on the door. It caused a loud shattering sound. I reach in and find the lock to the door and unlatch it. We all walk inside the lodge. It was dark and a bit warmer.
It soon dawned on me, something was off. "Mike, where's Josh at? Wasn't he with you?" I ask him. He looked down at his feet and stumbled a little. "It got him." he answered forlornly. I cover my mouth in shock and sadness. The guy I once had a crush on was dead… the guy Sam and I would be there for when he lost his sisters was dead. Was it Hannah that got to him? I don't want to know… "Damn, what an awful way to go." Sam inquired sympathetically. She then proceeds to turn on the light. "Not good." Mike said, turning the lights back off. "What do we do now?" I wonder, looking up at them. "We should check the basement… might be someone left down there." Mike suggested, beginning to walk ahead of us. The three of us proceed to walk through the cinema room in silence. Let's hope that someone is still down there.
"How do you two rate our chances of survival?" Sam questioned us. "Let's not think about that, Sam." I say with a tired sigh. "Good call, Lilly." Mike agreed on it. Before going through the other door, we were suddenly bombarded by the forms of both Chris and Ashley, running for their lives past us. "RUN! GO GO! GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted in panic. "GO! RUN!" Ashley screamed, running by us. The three of us then see what they were running from. My eyes bulge out of my skull at the sight of at least three wendigos coming to the doorway. "OH FUCK!" I exclaimed in terror before quickly turning back where we just came from and taking off in a sprint. The shrills of the wendigos filled my ears and that was all I could hear behind me. I bolt up the stairs that led to the lounge room in heavy, panicked breaths.
Then, I see those same wendigos in here with us. I instantly freeze with complete and utter fear. There was one on the chandelier observing the area. My breathing was heavy from how scared I was. Seconds after getting here, my eyes dart to my left to see Sam rush in here. "Don't… move. Don't fucking move a muscle…" Mike whispered to her. I clamp my mouth shut as tight as possible to keep my breathing quiet. I couldn't take my eyes off the wendigo on the chandelier. Words couldn't express just how terrified I felt. So much so that I wanted to vomit. I stared at it in fear. It quietly snarled and hissed as it moves it's head.
Then, my eyes catch that that two more wedigos that Mike released came through the corridor. It turns it's attention at one of them and jumps at the miner wendigo. The two begin to fight and the first one overpowered the miner one and throws him from the stairs, then over at the fireplace to which it broke a gas pipe. Gas was starting to fill the air and that sparked an idea into my head. Turns out I wasn't the only one to get this idea. I slightly turn my head to gaze at Mike with my mouth partially open. He notices there's a naked light bulb by a side door. He could break it and whoever turns on the light, the place would blow up and the wendigos would be gone for good. I look to Sam and she nods in agreement.
Slowly, I lift up my right foot and set it down behind me to take a step back. But that step created a loud audible sound, alerting the wendigo. My eyes squeezed shut in fear because I knew the wendigo heard this. It screeched loudly in my direction and it moved over to me. My heart paused for a moment and when I opened my eyes… that fucking thing was in front of me. It was a few inches from my face. Oh fuck, fuck, fuck… Don't kill me… oh god please… I don't want to die… not like this…
Tears started falling down my face and the twisting in my stomach increased. Every muscle in my body locked. Some people say when you're scared out of your wits, you can't scream. That was right. I couldn't move… or breathe… or think. It would surely kill me if I made one false movement. "HEY!" Sam shouted, catching the wendigos attention. It moved away from me quickly. I look over to Sam, looking just as scared as I was. I wanted to cry out to her but knew I couldn't. Unless I want to get myself killed. Every breath drawn from my shaking and panicked body was full of fear. My confidence with Sam and Mike saving us was high and I then quickly turn around and bolt out of there. I dove into the snow and quickly back away from the lodge. I was out of there however, i was scared something might happen to Sam and Mike while they were in there.
Ashley and Chris were out of there as well. None of us said anything because of the fear of the possibility of attracting those fucking things. Not long after, the lodge suddenly explodes before my very eyes, causing Sam to fly out of there from the impact. She screams and falls into the snow. In an instant, I come to her aid. "Sam! Oh my god, are you okay?" I question, helping her to her feet. She panted heavily and held onto me for balance. "I'm fine!" she exclaimed, trying to keep her balance. Soon enough, I realized that Mike didn't make it out… He died in the explosion.
Just then, the blades of something overhead caught our attention. We look up to see a helicopter flying above us. "Holy shit… We actually made it…" I say, looking up at the copter. "Yeah… We did. Let's get the hell out of here." Sam said, pulling me into a much needed hug. I hug her back tightly. Relief was an understatement. We were so happy that we're finally being rescued out of this hell hole. This nightmare was finally over… And I couldn't be more happy. I know that we'd never forget this night and how much we all had to do just to survive it. What started out as a simple weekend getaway for remembering our lost friends to a night of fighting to survive. All I know is… We sure as fuck ain't coming back here again. Fuck. This. Place.
(Lilly's Police Interview)
10:35 AM Room 1
I sat down in a steel chair with a new cast around my wrist and some bandages for my cuts on my face and arms and leg. My head was spinning gradually and I couldn't think straight. I looked down with a waned smile on my face. I started telling the police what I know.
"There wasn't a time where Josh wasn't hurting from the loss of his sisters. He'd always come to Sam and I for support… For comfort… I… Oh god… I don't know what to think anymore. He hurt us and I...don't know if I can forgive him." I say, looking down.
"Do you need someone to talk to, Lilly? We can-" the interviewer asked.
"No. I don't need to talk to anyone." I spat.
"Sam she'd… Oh god I can't tell you how much stronger she is than me. She pulled me through all of this shit. I wish I was as strong as she is." I say, looking up slightly.
"Look, you must listen to what I'm saying now… You people have no idea what's going on down there. The horrors of those mines… Go down there. You'll see what I mean. I
There's so much down there… I'd give anything to wish I haven't seen it…" I quiver, looking up with a tired yet serious look in my eyes.
Things have changed now… All I know now is that… Sam, Ashley, Chris, and I won't ever forget what hell we went through. Not ever. And hopefully never again.