Salvation [Until Dawn]

❄️ Chapter 12 ❄️

Gwendolyn stared at the unknown man, bewildered by the word 'Wendigo'. She felt like she had heard it somewhere before, somehow, but couldn't pinpoint where or how. It seemed like she had hit her head hard because for a moment, she had confused it to the stupid nickname 'Wendy-Boo'.

"Who?" Christopher asked, dumbly the same question that was on the mind of every single one of them, but seemed more like he was thinking – initially – along the same lines as Gwendolyn.

"What's he talking about?" Samantha inquired as she looked around at the others as cluelessly.

"What the hell's a Wendigo?" Michael demanded.

"How about we see what he has to say about it?" Gwendolyn asked, nodding toward the man.

"Not like we have a choice," Michael muttered.

"Now, I'm only going to tell you this once," the man told them. "It doesn't matter to me if you believe it or not. I got reasons I want to... get it off my chest..."

"See?!" Michael exclaimed. "I told you! He's guilty as shit! Guilty of something! Didn't you see him lurking around on the mountain last year, Gwen?"

"Mike, let him speak," Gwendolyn insisted, weary but also concerned about the existence of these Wendigos. "He knows about that creature that was following Emily and I,"

"There is a curse," the stranger went on. "That dwells in these mountains. Should any man or woman resort to cannibalism in these woods the spirit of the Wendigo shall be unleashed,"

"Oh, crap," Michael breathed as he realised what he and Gwendolyn had been chasing earlier.

"You're going to need to find somewhere safe," said the man.

"The basement might be okay..." Samantha suggested.

"Okay," the stranger said. "Get down there, now – all of you! And wait,"

"What?" Samantha asked. "Why? For how long?"

"Until dawn," Gwendolyn muttered. "We need to wait until dawn for the helicopter to come by,"

"Guys..." Michael said but turned to look directly at Gwendolyn, knowing she was the most annoyed at him for this. "... I ran off and left Josh when I heard screaming,"

"Where did you leave him?" asked the man.

"In the shed..." Michael replied.

"Your friend will already be dead," the stranger told them and Gwendolyn immediately began to shake her head rapidly, frustrated and annoyed at all of them.

"There's no way that Joshua is dead," Gwendolyn said. She looked at Michael. "You closed the doors when you left, right? He's medicated so he can't do anything in there,"

"Um..." Michael responded. "I don't... I don't remember whether I did or not..."

"I'm sure he's alright, Wendy," Christopher said, grabbing onto her shoulders before she hurled curse or hits at Michael for his stupidity. "We were just with him,"

"A lot can happen quickly on this mountain," the stranger said.

"I'm going to go and get Joshua," Gwendolyn declared, freeing her shoulders from Christopher's hold and straightening herself up. "I don't care – until I see him dead, I don't believe anything,"

"I'll come with you, Wennie," Christopher said, turning to look at her earnestly. "Don't go alone,"

"You can't go out there, Chris!" Ashley exclaimed. "Neither can you, Gwen!"