I now have a newfound admiration for people who write more than 3k words per chapter... m(_ _)m

Writing this took a crap ton out of me, considering that I've been skipping every single descriptive writing assignment throughout my high school years...

Remember kids, don't skip descriptive writing, and stay in school! *Glinting Anime Teeth*

Getting a psychoanalysis is an absolute first in Sam's Things-To-Do-After-Not-Dying list. Even after the long track to the mines where she had time to herself to think about the choice she made, Logic-Sam still has a hard time taking it in. Going in there once was mad enough, coming back here again was well, a defining chapter in her sanity. However, heading to a shrink would be highly unlikely given the things she was prepared to do…

Nonetheless, the metallic shed, which ultimately leads them down to the deathbeds of miners that eventually became monstrous flesh eating beings, raising the number of deathbeds that ultimately made the mines into the House of Hades, was still welcoming comfort from howling winds, so Sam will take it.

Closing the rusty door behind them, Chris stood there momentarily as he took in the landscape of the infamous mine. Even after listening to the descriptions of it from the others, the thought of physically being in the mines itself was still overwhelming. Chris expected a damp and thick atmosphere, but taking it's place were lifeless, crumbled brick walls, stacked together with the deteriorated timber supports, crying out to be released of their misery.

The very action that keeps them alive resonated throughout the cavern, the rise and fall on their chest amplified their presence like a deer in headlights. Even though it was spacious enough for the two of them to walk side by side, the barren walls seemed to caved in on them, eyeing their every movement. Awaiting the day of their deaths so they could fuse with their bodies, like they did with the corpses of others, 50 years ago…

Sam instinctively switched on her headlamp, illuminating the path before them. However, it failed to ease their discomfort as it only revealed the eerie abyss that awaited them. The darkness ahead crept at the edges of the illuminated path, nullifying it's radiance. Yet, the darkness that originally alarmed the pair's fear of the unknown, was seducing them towards it, fueling the pair's morbid fascination, inviting their presence in the most sinister of ways.

The uneven jagged path wasn't helping Chris's ankle either.

"Is it too late to say that I left my balls back at the lodge?"

Sam rolled her eyes at his comment. There were times where Chris's jokes crack you up, and there were times where it begs his mouth to be taped. In this case, it was the latter. But as uplifting as he tried to be, Sam could pick up a tinge of truth in his voice.

"Oh shush, just give me a moment to recall the path. Stay close and try not to get lost."

"Aye, aye Bearellina Grylls."

The pair walked in silence as they focused on the route ahead, with minor exchanges of "Watch your step!", "Bump ahead." and "Are yoga pants that comfortable?".

Eventually Chris gave in into his conversational temptations.

"By the way Sammy, any heads up for things to expect down there?"

As soon as Sam processed his sentence, vivid images of hanged corpses and rotten blood stained walls started to bombard her mind. Her imagination as wildly as odors of decaying flesh filled her lungs simultaneously. But what came next hit her the hardest.

The broken image of Josh materialized in front of her with his maddening grin boring straight through Sam, piercing three words into her.

You abandoned me.

Beads of frigid sweat seared her forehead. Sam was losing it. Her breaths became increasingly shallow as guilt started to consume her very being.

Samantha! Snap out of it, you're the only one who's been here before, you need to stay strong for Chris. If you start losing it, you're going to get every one killed. Pull your shit together.

Sam gritted her teeth as she forced her emotions back into the corners of her mind.

Self loathing can wait.

Thanking her subconscious for allowing her to stay ahead of Chris, Sam was grateful that her moment of weakness wasn't visible to him.

"There are some parts along this route that are dangerous, watch your steps carefully."

Her monotonous reply didn't go unnoticed by the taller blonde. Thinking that her response was due to a boring topic he brought up, Chris obliviously carried on.

"How was Josh when you and Mike found him?"

"He wasn't good."

"Oh, then did you find anything weird along the way?"

"No."

"Does it get more claustrophob-

"Chris, enough!"

Sam snapped at him as she abruptly stopped dead in her tracks, facing him infuriatingly.

"I-"

"You want a heads up? They are rotten corpses hanged all over the fucking place. Josh was in absolute shambles, hallucinating and screaming! You really know what I found along the way? I found the flamethrower guy's decapitated, chewed up head washed right next to me! And do you what else I fucking found, Hannah's diary where it showed that Hannah cannibalized on Beth and turned into that fucking Wendingo that just tried to kill us!"

Everything that she tried to hold in burst out uncontrollably. It was too much, the horrors she had witnessed. Sam would've given anything to unsee them. But right now it didn't matter, the milk has been spilled. She just wasn't strong enough to suppress it.

Everything came out too fast for Chris. Every single thing he just heard was enough to stir panic into him. But he didn't get to choose which to focus on as one thought dominated his mind.

Hannah fed on her deceased sister and became a Wendingo. The same thought repeated itself over and over in his head, and each time it did, the phrase became increasingly difficult to comprehend.

A single lighthearted prank that took such an unimaginable sinister turn. It made a person go through an excruciating ordeal, and even then, Hannah never did rest in peace. So many ifs that could've changed so many things for the better.

As sadistic as it was, It was intoxicating. The thoughts of cannibalism, ripped flesh and spewing guts, especially the thought that it occurred to a dear friend, danced around him. Chris wanted the sickening images in his head to stop, yet they played continuously.

All this while Sam was bearing these torturous scenes in her head, yet she held in it. For his sake. Chris could've just stood there forever and allow the gore to consume him, but the distressed look of Sam jarred his conscious back to reality. Where things really mattered.

"Shit, I'm so sorry, I don't know why I yelled you, I shouldn't have revealed things to you like thi-"

Without a word, Sam once again found herself buried into his chest. She didn't even realised how hard she was trembling until she could feel his arms shaking from her. Sam felt so vulnerable, so exposed.

"I'm here for you okay, you don't need to be strong for me, or for anyone, and you definitely don't need to bare everything on your own."

"I'm so sorry, all those things…"

The temptation to go back to those sadistical thoughts was excruciatingly strong. A part of Chris wanted to further pry into details about Hannah's diary, but he willed himself against it. The past has happened, it was undeniably tragic, and that is why they came back to the mines. The present is all that matters at the moment.

"Shh, I know it's tough, but I'm here for you. You were there for me while I was shitting myself back at the lodge, so I'm gonna be here for you till the end of the line."

Chris always knew Sam had a knick for being overly-charitable, like she felt it was her responsible for the welfare of everyone. But everyone has a limit, and if anyone deserves a shoulder to lean on, it's Sam.

You dumb blonde.

Chris took her hand and gave her a reassuring squeeze. Instead of letting go, he continued to hold onto it as they continue down the path. If the headlamp was any brighter, Sam's blushes would've been drop dead visible. Of course Sam knew it wasn't any sort of intimate gesture. Heck, Chris would've been the last person on Earth to actually perform any sort of romantic stint. Rather, it was a metaphorical gesture to let her know he's there for her.

"In all honesty Chris, when a girl doesn't respond to a question well, don't force it through."

"I thought it'd be good for someone to let things out you know?"

"Explains why you're still single."

"Like you're doing any better."

Between them, sticking out their tongues just never seemed to grow out from their arguments.

The two continued to track further into the mines, crossing narrow ledges and tripping over cart rails from time to time. Eventually it lead them to the icy waters of the abandoned quarry.

Just when Sam thought she had escaped the howling wind chills, the chest-deep murky waters proceeded to flip her off. And for whatever reason Chris had, he thought it was a perfect time to pass his infinite wisdom onto Sam.

"If I placed vegetables in here, what would they be?"

"Chris…"

"Chilly peppers!"

"Go away."

Somehow Sam managed to get out of the waters without drowning Chris. She flicked her arms to remove as much excess slimy water as possible, the thought of passing into the afterlife in wet-filth clothes did little to cheer her up.

"Chris, promise me once you walk past that door, do not look up."

"Why not?"

"Just trust me on this, and wrap your jacket around you nose and mouth. I know it's weird, but just trust me."

"Okay, my jacket makes a good face mask anyway."

Sam ignored his side comment, she knew it wasn't the best of ideas to keep Chris in the dark especially after their previous settlement, but witnessing a person getting ripped apart it front of you was more than enough for Chris, he didn't need to see the aftermath.

She count herself down to three before walking into the chamber. Immediately the familiar stench of death and rot spiked into her lungs. A tinge of acidic bitter sludge hovered at the back of her throat as she tried her best to force it back down. Her curiosity of the state of his hanged butchered body whispered into her ear, enticing Sam to look up, just for a little peek.

Her neck muscles tensed at the thought.

Just keep walking, and keep your eyes on the lookout for Josh, that's all that matters. Stay focused Samantha.

Being clumsy as he was, Chris's jacket started to slip from his head. He fumbled to place it back on, but it was second too late, and it struck him dead on.

His heart pounded against his chest as his veins bulge at the sensation. It was alien yet somewhere in the corners of his mind, he recognized it. The stench was pungent and aggressive as it barged it's way through and into his lungs, gouging at his airways. His tongue violently arched into throat, his body desperately repented against the foul odor. However the damage was done as his body antagonistically clawed out for air. Each breath he took sucked in the same drug that was choking him, catalysing his worsening condition.

Something in him clicked, only one thing was vigorous enough to caused such a spasm. The exact moment when a life was ruthlessly shredded under his nose.

Against his better judgement, Chris tilt his head upwards. Before he knew it, Chris found his knees collapsed against the blood stained ground as his lungs frantically screamed for air.

The hanged corpse of a person. A person who ultimately doomed his life to prevent this whole ordeal from spiraling out of control. Chris remembers the whole sickening scene evidently. The way their talons dug straight into his neck, violently dismembering it. Somewhere in the background he could hear a feminine voice calling for him, but he didn't budge as the hollow eyes of a severed head stared back at him.

Sam frantically tried to shake him off his trance, Chris had witnessed too much, she needed to bring him away from this. Sam cupped his face, bringing it close to hers.

"Chris, look at me, we came here for Josh, nothing else. Let's move on okay?"

"O-, okay."

Sam held onto him, rubbing circles onto his back as she tried to subside his hyperventilation. What did they ever do to deserve such a fate. Was it their naivety for coming back here? Time would tell if their this decision was worth the salt on their reopened wounds.

The pair scoured through caverns as their hope withered away with every passing minute. This place had to be it, there wasn't anywhere else that Sam knew off where they kept their godforsaken "food".

They kept Josh at one of their small cavern pockets, he's gotta be here somewhere.

Sam felt a tug on her sleeve as Chris pulled her attention to the direction of interest, uttering the word that seemingly got stuck in her throat.

"Josh."

Right at the edge of cavern lay the unconscious body of none other than the man of the hour.

Josh Washington.

Suddenly Chris was injected into life as he nonchalantly broke away from Sam, before sprinting as fast as his injured ankle could carry him.

They did it. Mike was wrong, he and Sam wasn't delusional, they actually found him. Chris's heartbeat accelerated for the hundredth time, but for once in this entire rollercoaster madness, each pulse plucked away his pain and misery. Right from the beginning, all he ever wanted was to right his wrongdoings, every single piece of torment that was lodged into him.

He screwed up, he wasn't there for Josh, and it made him go through things no man should. Chris was just glad he was granted an opportunity to make it up to him. A sheer amount of emotions coursed through them as Sam confirmed a weak, but definite pulse from Josh.

Chris looked at the battered face of his friend, he was so accustomed to seeing everyone's cut and bruised faces that to him, Josh seems perfectly alive. However there was a nagging feeling growing at the back of his head.

"Is it bad that I want to sock him in the face?"

"He tormented me around the lodge while I was naked. Socking him is just the appetizer."

"Understandable."

As threatening as she tried to be, she couldn't form any trace of venom in her tone. Sure she was furious at the things Josh did to her, but seeing the relighted face of Chris and saving the brother of her late friend triumphed everything else.

Being the more "muscled" of the two, Chris happily shouldered majority of Josh's weight while Sam slung his other arm onto herself and held the shotgun. They still had to make it back out into the open, but neither cared as they shared smiles and chuckles.

The icy waters did next to nothing to dampen their spirits. The once barren claustrophobic walls parted itself into a warm spacious hallway. Each breath they exhaled breathe life onto the wooden support, rejuvenating their integrity.

Sam's headlamp suddenly buzzed with power as it radiated the space around them. Logic-Sam cared less about what was happening nor what had happened, they actually made it. A tear escaped her eye, no longer did it sting her injuries, alternatively, it soothed her battle scars.

In one swift motion, the gleaming metallic door slid open revealing a rising sun that bathed them with a toasty aura, warming their heart and soul.

Chris gently laid Josh on the snow covered ground before doing so himself, yelling and pumping his fist in the air triumphantly. Sam grinned at the sight, Chris will always be Chris.

It's finally time to go home.

She fished the flare from her pocket, unscrewing it to finally mark the end of this whole ordeal.

Without warning, every single muscle in her body tensed as a demonic screech pierced the sky.

The atmosphere dropped to hypothermic temperatures, draining the colors from their faces. The nightmare was never over to begin with.

"Shit, we need to go now!"

Sam jerked into motion, her survival instincts going off all at once. They made it so far, she can't let things burn up in smoke.

Not like this.

She grabbed the shotgun and helped Chris haul the limp body of Josh. The motion didn't go unnoticed by Chris as distrust rose into his eyes.

"Sam, don't you dare think about it, hand me the gun!"

Another ear shattering screech burst from the mines, louder than the previous.

"We don't have time to argue about this, move! Now!"

Chris gritted his teeth at the remark, he knew what Sam was capable of, but now, time was nothing near of a luxury they could afford.

Adrenaline surged through his body, blinding the pain of his screaming ankle and granting him every last ounce of strength his body could afford. He has to get through this, he cannot fail.

Chris spared a look back and was immediately met with the disfigured body of the satanic Wendingo. Just witnessing it again sent ice shards through his body. He barely got away from it in his previous encounter, but then, he had sanctuary to escape to. Now in the open air with nothing else but snow and trees in sight, it's only a matter of time before their withering adrenaline wears off.

The first shot was let loose, driving the Wendingo back into the ground. Horror and dread plague her face. The Wendingo was too fast for them. Sam has to do it.

The close proximity the Wendingo had been to force a shot from Sam terrified Chris to his core, by hook or by crook, they needed to get back to the flaming lodge. It's their only chance of survival.

"C'mon Sam, double up the pace!"

No response.

Absolute fear erupted into him. Whipping his face backwards, he catches the figure of Sam planting herself firmly onto the ground, her back facing him. No, this can't happen. They swore they would get out of this alive, they persuaded themselves that the could survive this. Was this only way things could end?

Chris was so convinced that things could turn out for the better. He can't let someone else die again. Chris screamed as loud as his choking voice could muster.

"Sam! What the fuck are you doing?!"

"We came here for Josh, and that was it. Promise me you'll bring him back safely."

Her voice quivered and tears fell uncontrollably, her basic human instincts shrieked at her to to run and get out of this, she wasn't prepared to die. But Sam knew from the start things could never turn out into a fairy tale ending, she was prepared for reality. Sam has to be the Scapegoat..

"NO! PLEASE DON'T DO THIS!"

"JUST GET OUT OF HERE!"

Distracted by her rising emotions, the monstrous figure of the Wendingo whizzed into her position and bashed the shotgun straight from her hand, far away from her reach, before shoving her into the rugged oak tree, releasing a sickening crunch into the air.

Her vision started to blur, and Sam knew her time has arrived. Pain flared all around her, but a smile still managed to tug at the corner of her lips. Sam was finally content with herself…

Chris stood there in shock, his coarse fingers clawed his hair, and his knees sunk into the ground. He failed again. All he ever fucking wanted was to make things right, and now he's cause the death of another.

He murdered Sam, he murdered the one person he could rely on.

No, no, no, no, no. This is not happening.

His mind went berserk, flashing and forcing memories into his mind. The day Chris met them, the day they went on their first Blackwood pines getaway, when things were alright. Those memories blazed instantly and was replaced with voices, all of them at once.

"WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO PROVE HERE"

"To be brave is taking action even if you're afraid."

"No matter what happens, I got your back man."

"I don't want to lose you, Chris."

"I showed you parts of yourself you were too afraid to visit."

Chris screamed, breaking himself from the chain of thoughts, as he grabbed the fallen gun and took off. Not sparing a single look back.