EMILY; BLACKWOOD STATION; 22:35
FIFTEEN HOURS SINCE INCIDENT
I've never really met or seen Josh's parents before so seeing them now is a big surprise though in these circumstances, it shouldn't be. Of course, I've heard all about them from the others, but they were either praises from Chris and Sam, or awed annoyance from Josh, Beth, and Hannah—you know, whatever the hell a kid says about their parents.
Not to mention, magazines and online articles about Mr. Washington and his success as a film director.
But seeing them now, running in the police station looking like someone is about to die... Well, it's a bit disconcerting... and oddly underwhelming. They look like any other concerned parents. Obviously, I understand what's wrong: their son is missing... but still, I expected something else entirely. I don't know what, but something else, you know?
"Where is he?" Mrs. Washington yells. "Where's my son?"
Something squeezes inside of me at the fact that Josh isn't with us right now. I may be known for being a cold-hearted bitch but even I know Josh doesn't deserve dying or whatever-it-is that happened to him... and... neither does Jess. No matter how I feel about her. It's not like the two left me to rot, you know?
"Please calm down," the policeman tells Mrs. Washington.
"DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! MY SON IS MISSING!" she replies.
A knot pulls in my stomach. She sounded exactly like Beth. I miss her as well as Hannah. I can't believe everything that happened today happened because of one prank. What a simple cause to a great tragedy.
"Mrs. Washington, please, let's not raise our voices around the teenagers," the policeman says.
Mrs. Washington takes a brief look at all of us and I find myself squirming at her look. She isn't looking at us any differently than any adult looks at a group of teenagers... which only makes me realize that she probably doesn't even know the full story of what happened to Hannah and Beth. That it was our fault they left that night. She should be looking at us like we're the devil. Which we are.
"Fine. Just tell me where he is," Mrs. Washington replies, calmer.
"We don't know where he is at the moment and—"
"What?!" Mr. Washington exclaims. "What do you mean you don't know where he is? We were told the teenagers were rescued!"
"Yes, six teenagers were rescued. We were told of two more missing. We haven't found a body yet, Mr. Washington. We have no indication whether he is alive or not."
"Then go and find him! He's out there. He's alive, and I know it!" MR. Washington shouts.
"We have our rescuers roaming around the mountain," the policeman reasons.
"Speed it up!" Mrs. Washington demands.
"I'll give my whole damn business if I have to. Just get him back!" Mr. Washington exclaims.
A shiver runs through my spine at the intensity that is Mr. Robert Washington. He sounded exactly like Josh when he found out that the twins were gone. It brings me back to that moment. His anger and anguish in two words. "Find them," he said.
I remember that morning.
The other girls and I entered the kitchen of the lodge to find Sam sitting beside a still-unconscious Josh.
"Anything?" Sam asked.
"What do you think?" I retorted sharply.
"Jesus," Sam whispered, glancing at Josh.
"What are we gonna do?" Ashley asked.
Chris, who was sitting in front of Sam and Josh and was unconscious, groaned. "Oh sh't, wh't h'ppened?" he slurred.
"Good question," Jess said.
"Wh't? Okay, what's going on? Seriously? What the hell happened?" he asked after Ashley poured him a glass of water. None of us answered. "I'd appreciate a word or two, y'know?"
"Hannah and Beth..." Jess started. "They... We..."
"What?"
"We can't find them," Ashley finished.
"W—wait, wait, what?" Chris exclaimed.
"They've been missing since last night, or morning, or whatever you call two a.m.," Jess exclaimed.
"You're serious?"
I rubbed my arms. "Yeah, they've been gone for hours. We can't find them. Not a clue."
"Wait. So, hang on, what time is it?" Chris asked.
"About eleven," answered Sam. "We've been looking for them since dawn. At least, the four of us are. I think Matt and Mike stayed up all night but I'm not sure." She turned to look at us. "You really didn't find anything?"
"What part of 'not a clue' do you not understand, Sam?" I retorted. "Do you see us partying for a reunion with the twins?"
"You're not the only one stressed out, Em," she scolded.
I sighed apologetically. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Sorry, Sam."
That's when Mike and Matt entered the kitchen. Both of them tired and defeated.
Sam sighed. "Let me guess: nothing?"
Matt shook his head. "Nothing."
"Shit," Sam whispered.
"Fuck," Jess exclaimed.
"That about covers it, yeah," Matt commented.
Mike started, "We should call the police if they're still not here by two."
"Why can't we just call them now?" asked Ashley.
"Maybe they'll come back? I don't know. We'd have called the police for nothing."
I saw red, and so I replied, "What the hell are you talking about? They've been gone for nine hours. Three more will just decrease their chances of survival. Maybe wandering around loosened some screw up your head, sweetie. I can't believe we chose you as Class Prez. No. We need to find Beth and Hannah. We should call the police right now."
A grown startled us all and we all turned to see Josh raising his head beside Sam.
"W-wait, wait, wait, wait. H'ld 'n." He turned to Sam. "W-who's missing 'gain?"
No one answered.
"Who?!" Josh asked, breathing heavily.
Sam replied gently, "Josh, Hannah and Beth, they—"
Josh panicked. "W-what? Both of them?!"
Mike quickly replied, "Yeah, they ran off to the woods last night and... we haven't found them since."
Josh looked at us. "Last night? When?"
"Josh—" Sam started.
"When?!"
"About two? Last night?" answered Ashley.
"No, no, no, no, no. No, that's bullshit. They can't have—They wouldn't have—No, they're probably hiding somewhere in the lodge or something. Wouldn't be the first time."
"For nine hours?" Matt asked.
"They're patient," Josh insisted.
"Josh, we're serious," Sam said.
"So am I!" exclaimed Josh. "If this is some elaborate prank, I swear to God—"
"It's not a prank, Josh!" Sam replied heatedly. "I wouldn't prank anyone like this."
A knot pulled in my stomach, and I saw the others' guilty faces as well.
"S-so, so, what are you saying? My sisters are missing?! Both of them?!"
"Maybe they'll come back or something," Jess suggested softly.
"S-so you're all serious? Mike? Matt? Cochise, tell me you cooked this bullshit up."
Chris raised his hands in surrender. "Hey, man, I'm sorry. I literally just woke up."
"So they're really out there? Right now? Shit, we—we gotta go! Find them!"
The bar stool he was sitting on crashed to the ground as he stood up. Sam stood up and managed to catch Josh before he also crashes to the ground. Chris stood up just behind Josh but didn't touch him after Sam gestured at him not to come closer.
Josh started rambling. "It's dangerous out there at night... and, and it's cold. They'll... Oh God, they'll freeze to death. No. No, they can't. They can't do that to me. We gotta go, guys. Seriously, we gotta go find them. They can't leave me. Not now."
He ran past Sam who tried to stop him but failed. Mike and Matt managed to block him from the door.
"We looked everywhere, man," Matt started.
"No," Josh insisted, "you just didn't look enough. Let me go find them."
"Come on, man. We'll call the police," Mike reasoned.
"Y-you think I'll just take your word for it? I mean, no offence but they're my sisters. I have to find them. I'm sorry but I have to. You wouldn't understand."
With that, Josh managed to squeeze through Matt and Mike, before slamming the door open and running away.
"We have to run after him," Matt yelled, already running towards the door.
"Oh, like hell we're losing him, too!" Mike added.
The two ran like hell after Josh, with all of us following close behind.
"Damn," Matt whispers beside me, bringing me back to the present, with Mr. and Mrs. Washington still talking to the policeman.
"I know right," I whisper back, taking a deep breath after the heavy tension that fell upon the room.
I wish I was like the others sometimes—optimistic enough to hop on Josh's and Jess' survival. But I'm not. Statistically speaking, it's nearly impossible for them to come out of the mines alive, especially with those monsters roaming around.
Ahhh, there's the softy in me—the word 'nearly'. Maybe a part of me is still hoping, too. In some way or another.
Why? I don't know. To slap Josh for his probable prank on me? To yell at Jess more for being carefree and slutty? I mean, it would be boring without fighting someone, right? Where would all my sass go?
Oh, who am I kidding? After the past two days, I don't feel like fighting anyone. Not even Mike or Ashley. No matter how much I hate the two of them.
"We will, Mr. and Mrs. Washington. You can count on us," the policeman replies, bringing me back to reality. "Please, let's discuss this further in Room 1. We can tell you the full details of what apparently happened to the six teenagers here."
"All right," Mr. Washington replies, placing a hand around Mrs. Washington's waist to steer her along with him as the policeman leads them to Room 1.
And with that, they leave us alone.
"Well, that was something," Ashley says, always breaking the damn silence.
"I feel bad for them," Matt continues. "First Hannah and Beth... Now Josh. Who are they left with?"
Another stab of guilt hits me on the stomach. The last Washington child is gone. Matt is right. Who are they left with if Josh is dead?
"Fuck, Matt," Mike whispers, "you didn't have to say that."
"It's true, though," Matt badgers on.
"Still, it would have been better if I wasn't thinking about that right now. I've got a lot going on in my plate," he says.
Something triggers inside of me.
"And you think we don't?" I argue,
"Em, not now," Mike says, having the balls to shut me up.
I was wrong. I need a fight. I want to fight. If only to take away this shaking feeling deep inside of me, this... this feeling I can't explain.
"Don't 'not now' me, Michael. You're not the only one who went through hell."
"I know that!"
That nearly shut me up. What do you say if the person you are arguing with agrees with you all of a sudden? Continue to fight?
"No! You know nothing!"
"I was there too, you know. I was in the Sanatorium twice. I've seen what's out there," he argues. "I fucking shot a gun at those... those creatures," Mike continues.
"Oh, this is just rich. Do you think you're a fucking hero all of a sudden?" I exclaim.
"Where the fuck did that come from?" he asks with a look on his face which I just want to punch.
"You have no idea where to point a gun! You point it at murderous carnivores, not at human beings. This is so damn rich, coming from you, you murderer. I'm glad you were weak enough to not do it!" I argue.
"So, you're saying I should've shot you?" he counters.
"You... You're such a fucking idiot!" I shout. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"
"Guys, come on, let's not—" Sam, such the pacifist, starts but Michael cuts her off.
"You said it yourself. I was weak when I didn't shoot you. What do you want me to do? What would you have wanted me to do? Shoot you? To prove that I'm strong? Is that it? Is that fucking it, Em?"
"That's not the fucking point here!"
"What do you want me to say? I'm sorry?"
"Sorry doesn't cut it, Michael!"
"I know! Jesus fuck, Em, I'm not an idiot!"
"Could've fooled me."
"GUYS!" Chris shouts.
The room quietens as we all turn to the guy who is usually quiet except when it comes to joking around with Josh.
"Fighting won't get us anywhere. Yes, Mike was stupid to try and point a gun at you, and yes, he's guilty about it but he doesn't know how to show it. Yes, Em, we all went through different kinds of hell and we all could've died. So, can we please just focus on the real problem here? We're not fucking complete. That's the elephant in the room. First Hannah, then Beth, now Josh and Jess. If you keep on fighting and—I don't know—attempt murder on each other, who are we left with? Huh? So, would you all just shut up!"
The room quietens. I don't even dare reply back. Chris was the one who hyperventilated earlier, and I heard what the others asked. How did the others die? Only Chris knows. Only Chris saw. I may have played hide and seek with the fucking wendigos but it's nothing compared to seeing someone's murder.
"This is ridiculous!" we hear Mr. Washington's voice from inside. "You're speaking nonsense!"
A murmur from the policeman.
"I don't care what you're talking about! I want the truth! Don't talk to me about wendigos or some other bullshit!" he exclaims from inside Room 1.
"I don't blame him," Matt says.
"Neither do I. I still can't believe what happened, and I got bitten on the shoulder," I tell him.
"Did they take care of it?" Sam asks.
"Yeah, it's fine, thanks," I tell her genuinely since that's the first kind thing I've heard all day.
"You sure it doesn't hurt anymore?" Matt asks.
"I'm fine, sweetie," I reassure him.
"After today, I don't want to believe in the word, 'fine', so I'm sorry if I don't want to take your word for it this time," he says.
He's being all Alpha. I love it. I do want a man who knows how to take his place.
"I'm fine. I swear," I tell him. "I don't even feel it anymore. They patched it up real good."
The door to Room 1 opens and I finally see some new light in Mr. and Mrs. Washington's eyes.
They don't talk but they're looking at us like we're crazy. Like we belong in the Sanatorium. Even I wouldn't believe what happened here tonight if it wasn't because I experienced it firsthand.
"We're going to call your parents," Mrs. Washington starts. "We're going to fly you all back to California in our plane first thing tomorrow morning. You'll all be... You'll all be fine."
"Thank you, Mrs. Washington," Chris starts quickly before being followed by our murmurs of gratitude.
"But what about Josh and Jess?" Ashley starts, ever the straightforward bitch she is. God, what a bitch.
"We got some rescuers on the case," Mr. Washingtons says. "We'll find them," he says firmly before turning to Mrs. Washington who seems to be trembling. "We will," he tells her. "As we said, the plane isn't leaving until tomorrow morning so you'll all be staying at the Blackwood Bed and Breakfast. It's just near this place so you don't have to worry about... whatever-it-is that attacked all of you."
"We're telling the truth, Mr. Washington," Ashley starts.
"We're not saying you're lying. It's just... It's hard to believe that a... a... a wendigo would be around the mountain... especially since Josh and this Jess girl is still up there," he says and I hear Mrs. Washington whimper. "They'll be found. I'm sure of it."
"D-don't worry about the lodging at the Bed and Breakfast either," Mrs. Washington starts. "That's on us—even your breakfast."
"Thank you, Mrs. Washington," Sam says.
"It's the least we could do. If you're right about the wendigo, it's our son who brought you all here to this horror," Mr. Washington says. "He'll be found," he reassures Mrs. Washington once more who seems about to protest to Mr. Washington.
"Come on, let's go," Mrs. Washington says, going to the doors.
Matt helps me up because I didn't know I was shaking the entire time.
"Babe, what's wrong?" he asks me.
"This is all just so wrong," I tell him. "Josh and Jess are missing."
"I thought you hate Jess."
"Doesn't mean she deserves to die. She didn't try to kill me or anything. if it was Michael or Ashley out there, I wouldn't care a goddamn bit if they get lost. But Josh and Jess? They didn't do anything to me to deserve this."
"Babe, come on, Mike and Ashley didn't mean anything they did."
"You weren't there, sweetie. Michael pointed a gun at me and Ashley egged him on. He was about to do it, too. I didn't know what stopped him but the look on his face was something I never want to see again."
"Fuck. God, I'll talk to him."
"No, don't. Not yet, at least. Chris is right. We can't afford to fight right now. We have to focus on finding Jess and Josh. We have to do better than last time."
"Fuck, you're right."
"Of course, I am. I'm always right."
"Of course, you are."
He kisses me on the forehead and I'm reminded why I said yes to this meathead in the first place—because he cares about me in a way no one does. I don't know how he keeps up with me but he tries. He's my boyfriend and I love him.
I hope he knows that.