When we entered, Josh was sitting on the couch looking guilty.
"Hey, I'm sorry if I frightened you guys... If I'd known that Sam wasn't going to tell you then I'd have gone for the more subtle approach."
"Yeah, what the hell were you thinking?" I scolded and he shrugged.
"What? I can't have a sense of humour now?"
"Where have you been?" Mike asked flatly and Josh's eyes flicked to his.
"Well... I've been stuck in the mines for months like all the other Wendigos were... it's not like anyone came to rescue me or anything."
Mike looked at the floor, "I wanted to find you but-"
Josh waved a hand in dismissal, "too late to do anything about it now, don't worry about it."
"If you're a wendigo... did that mean you..." Ashley left the question unfinished and Josh nodded.
"Ate people? Yeah."
"You make it sound like it's not a big deal," Chris was looking overwhelmed.
"Well it's not exactly like I had a choice now, is it Chris? It's not like I woke up one day and went; 'hey, you know what would be cool? Eating a human being', is it? I was dragged down there, forced to eat what Hannah made me eat and then left on my own. Do you have any idea how that felt?"
"Hannah?" Ashley blinked.
"Yeah, Hannah. As in Hannah, my sister, the fucking wendigo that trapped me under the mountains."
"I'm sorry," Mike, who had been silent up until this point, looked up at Josh, "I'm so sorry I left you."
Josh tilted his head, "I was messing with you, man..."
"I know you were but I'm being serious. I'm so sorry. I've regretted leaving you behind since I walked out of the mines... even after what happened and everything you did to us. I know you were sick and I know what we did to Hannah was awful... we all get why you did it and we don't blame you. I know I'd have acted the same if it was my sister. But your parents told us everything your doctors said and we all get that you weren't well. It's just... it was just a whole fucked up mistake that we've all wanted to take back for so long."
Josh smiled as best he could, "it's okay. Really, I mean it. It's really okay."
"Yeah but-"
"I'm serious, Mike. This whole thing has really put it in perspective for me. You guys did a bad thing but you didn't mean for Beth and Hannah to get hurt. I did a bad thing and didn't mean for any of you guys to get hurt coming back up here. None of us are perfect, okay?"
Chris raised a finger, "uh, I'd just like to point out that I didn't have anything to do with anything so..."
"Okay, fair enough. You are the exception... but I didn't know that at the time so I'm sorry I dragged you into it."
"S'okay man," he smiled, not wasting anymore time before stepping up to Josh and hugging him tightly, "I fucking missed you, dude."
"I missed you too."
"You're still my best friend, you know that right? I didn't mean anything I did or said to you. It was all so stupid."
"I know that, stop getting all soppy on me."
Mike was next to hug Josh and apologised again, then it was Ashley's turn.
"Does it hurt?" She asked quietly, referring to his face, while her arms were around him.
"It did... but Sam's helping me."
They all looked to me and I smiled sheepishly.
"I can't believe you came out here and did this," Mike shook his head, "that was really ballsy of you."
"I'm brave when I want to be," I smirked, "besides... couldn't leave this dipshit down here on his own, could I?" Josh jabbed me in the ribs and I laughed.
"I just have one question," Chris looked back at Josh, "how the hell do you clean your teeth?"
"I don't," Josh responded flatly and Chris laughed in disgust.
I was pleased that they seemed to all be getting along like they did before and I offered to make them drinks while they all caught up. It was nice seeing them together again, and I'd missed my three friends. We hadn't met up since the 'funeral', only spoken on the phone. It was nice to see their faces.
"Oh! So I see you two are an item!" I heard Josh cackle from the next room, "don't you think a 'thank you Josh' is in order?"
I rolled my eyes as they continued to take digs at each other and poured out their drinks.
Just like old times...
