It was him and a search party of six other people. He offered a position on the team to Sam but she told him that she never wanted to go back to the mountain as long as she lived. Chris could understand that. He hadn't wanted to be back either. Yet, here he was, flashlight in hand.
The six other men and women were all trained professionals and he was not. They knew what to look for. He did not. They all held their guns as if it is just another tool, like an over used hammer. They were all out here for Josh. The day they came down Mike released information that he hadn't seen Josh actually die. All he had heard were screams
Chris had nightmares for a week after Mike had told them. They had left Hannah up there for months and she became a monster. It was worth looking for him, even if he was dead, just to make sure. There was no evidence he was dead and Chris's dreams had become horrific. Sometimes Josh would kill him and sometimes he was the one killing Josh. Sometimes he had dreams about Josh screaming for their help in the mines. He knew that, beyond all reason, his best friend was alive. He could feel it deep down.
It took weeks to get a team together. For all they knew Josh had frozen to death, and that wasn't the best way to get a rescue team together. The police denied any notion that monsters dwelled on the mountain. All blame had been put on Josh's prank. The modified news story told the tale of a teenager off his rocker who tricked his friends into leaving the cabin. The friends then being attacked by wolf's. Traumatized to a fault the kids made the story of wendigos up.
What a bunch of bullshit. None of it was Josh's fault and Chris was traumatized because he had shot wendigos only just inches from his face. These people needed to see him and his friends were right. The old sanatorium towered over them.
"Hey, kid. This isn't the mines." One of the rescuers looked up.
"My friend, Mike, told me theres an easy way down in here." The doors were pulled open and all seven walked in. Chris himself had never made it out into this space before. Mike had told him exactly how to get to the cages, Though, I can't imagine why you would want to see that. Through the big doors out into the recreational hall, far door on the left, first left through the doors through the tables and down the right side hall.
The team followed him without hesitation. "Oh, god." one muttered, the stench was becoming apparent. Rotting bodies of wendigos and flesh from victims. Most of the team covered their noses and mouths. Chris had smelt worse on the mountain. That smell was engraved in his head and he welcomed it like an old friend. Thats how fucked up he was now. Just one night had taken so much.
He could hear them before he could see them. The high pitched scream made his heart race harder then anything had in the past week. Now a days squeaky floor boards made him freeze in place. Nothing could compare to the actual sound. It bounced off walls, followed by guns clattering into a more defensive position.
"Hold on we are hearing survivors."
Chris had stopped walking. "Those are not survivors." He walked slowly. The cages were large, some of them he could see at least three to a cage. All of them shifting and twitching in the dark. One with black eyes like a shark jumped to the bars and screamed, reaching out.
They can't get you. They can't get you. They can't get you. This was the only way to slow his thumping heart.
"Oh dear god in heaven." a man shined a light and the wending sprung away. Eyes too sensitive to the light.
"What are these things?" a girl was trying to sound calm but her eyes showed fear.
"These are wendigos." there was probably about nine all together. At the far end of the room one door was open. On the door frame, a wendigo, free from any cage. "Oh, oh no." he froze but his team didn't. This was going to be like that night all over again. He was going to be the only survivor of this team. The wendigo lunged and he clenched his eyes shut. He heard shots.
Death did not come and he opened his eyes. The wendigo had fallen flat on its face. The sight was almost comical. It looked so sad.
"You kids survived attacks by these?"
"Yes," He stepped around the wendigo as quickly as possible. "about three of them hunted us all night, they only see movement."
"You kids are so brave"
It wasn't that they were brave. They just survived. They had just done what was necessary to live.
"Yah, I guess." He guided them down the same path Mike had been. Eventually leading them down into a hole for the mines.
The caves were endless. They had been searching for much too long. He was very sure Josh was dead. He would be the only one to die. The one who deserved it least. Josh never meant to hurt them. He was off his medication and that had made him a little loopy.
"Wait, we got movement!" Flashlights illuminate a person. The figure is crouched away from them, facing its back to them. Chris would know those overalls anywhere.
"Josh?"
The figure is making eating slurping noises and stops at his voice.
"Oh god, is that?" One of the girls takes a step back.
The figure turns its head and its defiantly Josh. His eyes have turned slightly milky, opened further then they should be. He is covered in gashes, the biggest one on his forehead. The largest change is Josh's mouth. His teeth have sharpened into points like needles. The right side of his mouth has been pulled back, the lips disappearing and the cheek ripped open. He has a large junk of meat on his nose missing, his lips mouth and nose blending together only on the right.
"Stand back!"
As Josh stumbles to turn around completely Chris can see blood covering his overalls, his nails grown out, blood caked up underneath each one. Not again. No not again. Yet again they left a washington up here to starve. Josh had turned to cannibalism and now he was turning into a wendigo. A half eaten head tumbled out of his friends hands. The skin had been peeled away by his sharp teeth.
"Someone grab him!"
Two men rushed forward, Josh's attention turned to them. Around his snapping jaws and clawing hands they got a grip. Josh fought their hold like a wild animal.
It took them hours to get Josh out of the mines. Chris kept his eyes on his friend at all times. The two men holding him were very careful and he was glad. The way Mike had treated Josh was his least favorite part of leaving his best friend out in the shed.
As the rescue team called for a helicopter Chris crouched down a good ten feet from Josh. "Hey, buddy." The half wendigo's eyes drifted up slowly. Chris was fairly sure that was recognition in his friends eyes. "We are going to get you some help." He wanted to reach out and touch Josh but the chances he would get bitten were high. "I promise."
***
The doctors said they found Josh just in time. His change was reversible. But god only knows, there aren't any professionals on wendigos. Main treatment was for his cannibalistic urges. They would be putting body parts in the cell with Josh. Each body part is laced with a certain drug that induces vomiting. Then they will introduce unlaced regular food back to him. Eventually Josh should realize that the unlaced food is normal and does not make him vomit. This should make him repulsed by the human flesh.
Once he stops craving he will take a pill that leaves an awful taste in his mouth. He will be instructed to do this when the cravings rise up in him. The doctor hopes these changes will also reverse his physical changes. Its not guaranteed. All of the studies and medical treatment takes just a week to figure out.
Chris is not allowed to visit. No one is. At least no one triggering. He protests but the doctor says its final. The police contact him about a week later. It gives him a terrible feeling in his gut, just hearing from them. They call him down to the station. The entire drive leaves him unnerved. When he arrives he notices the others car's right away. When he walks in Sam, Mike, Matt, Emily, and Ashley are all sitting in a room. Coming down the mountain he and Ashley agreed that it would be a bad decision to be together. After all, he had tried to save Josh over her. Neither of them really wanted a relationship after what happened, either.
He sat with them in a ring of chairs, "Whats going on?"
"Oh, Chris." Ashley turned to him, "They want us all to retell everything."
"They said they want us to include everything about wendigos." Sam was never the same after that night. She seemed colder and devoid of emotion.
"You took them to the cages didn't you?" Mike nods to him "they all believe us now."
"Someone in your party took pictures." Emily has her arms crossed.
"Are you serious?" He couldn't remember having someone take pictures.
"You found Josh?" Matt takes this time to pipe in.
"Yes."
"How is he? Is he okay?" Sam actually sits up, her voice sounds worried. This is the hard part, telling everyone.
"He uh," Chris can hear it in his voice, the shaky-ness.
"He's like Hannah now isn't he" Mike looks away.
"Oh god." Ashley coves her mouth and Chris can see tears in her eyes.
"Not completely but he was turning."
"Jesus we just left him." Sam shakes her head.
"Oh shit, I am the one who just left him up there." Mike rubs his face. Jessica walks out from the interrogation room and returns to Mikes arms.
"Chris, come in next please." He stands and walks into the room. The women he recognizes from the first time gestures to a chair. He sits down, just the same as last time.
"Look into our camera and retell the story, include everything about wendigos in great detail." She points to the camcorder.
Chris looks into the lifeless eye of the camcorder. "Well, it all started," He pauses. Where does it all start? "at the cabin, it was locked."
***
Chris tells his story including every gross detail about every wendigo he came across. He was aloud to leave after his story, right up until saving Josh and all the doctors.
He wasn't very happy when he went home. Reliving his night with all the decisions he had made, it all made him sick. The past is something he just had to live with, He couldn't change the fact that he and Mike left Josh alone and eventually that turned his best friend into a wendigo.
He should call, but he knows it useless. The doctors can't tell him about the treatment anymore or how its going. Everything about it is pretty hush hush. To him and to the real world. Seems they don't want people knowing there are monsters in the woods.
He sighs and turns on the T.V. just background noise really. Nothing interested him anymore and all news stations just had the modified story of their night playing. The only reason he "watched" anything is because there were too many noises in a house. too many squeaks and creaks that get his PTSD on edge.
He hasn't seen Josh since they took him away. That was at least a couple weeks ago. His boss gave him a month off. He almost wanted to go back to work. Maybe it could take his mind off of the events.
His cellphone rang. Anyone who ever wanted to call him wanted to know about the incident. But when he looked at who was calling it was the doctors office. Josh's doctor. He picked up the phone very fast.
"Is this Chris, Josh's friend?"
"Yes, is everything okay?"
"Yes, your friend is being released, and he wants to be released to you."
"I'll be there in a bit." Chris couldn't grab the keys to his car fast enough.