When we are released and find out that Chris, Jessica, and Emily are going to be okay. I talk to the detectives about the search for Josh. Learning that they are going in the next few days. "I want to go on the search as well."
"Ms. Kennedy, I don't think it is wise for you or any of the others to go back up on the mountain."
"I'm not asking you if it's wise. I am asking to go."
"I can't deny you from joining the search if you want to." The officer walks away.
"You can't be serious." I turn and see Sam crossing her arms.
"What?"
"Are you really going to go back up there?"
"Someone needs to find Josh."
"Someone will. A police officer or a volunteer, not us."
"If he is alive and in any kind of state like he was when Mike and I found him, he needs someone who knows him and can pull him out of it."
"Elena, you shouldn't go back up there."
"Sam, I'm not asking permission, I'm going." I walk past Sam and she just shakes her head and looks to me in shock. A few days later I meet the team that is going to look for Josh and we start the very long trek up the mountain. When we arrive I show them where Mike and I entered the Mines from the Sanatorium. One of the men walks to the door of the Sanatorium. "I wouldn't go in there if I were you."
"Why?"
"If you wanna see the real monsters, go ahead."
The man shakes his head and rejoins the group. I am at the front of the group, helping to lead the way, even though when I was going through the mines I was running everywhere and praying I made it out.
As we continue on I start to hear a very strange noise. It sounds like a dog is chewing on a bone. As we continue on I see what looks like Josh in his overalls. "we have a visual on a survivor."
When the man calls out, Josh turns to us and I see that his skin has lost some of its caramel color and had become tainted in grey. The teeth on the right side of his face are sharp and protruding from his mouth and his right eye is white. Josh steps toward the group and snarls like Hannah did when we confronted her in the lodge. As everyone in the group steps back I step in front and stop, "Josh!" I shout.
Josh stops mid-stride and looks to me very confused. He shifts around on the spot and glances around at the floor for a moment. One of the officers moves to step around me and Josh lunges forward toward him snarling again. When the officer jumps back and I move back into Josh's eye line. Once I'm back in his eye line he stops again. When I am able to look into his eyes, I realize that this thing in front of me is no longer Josh, but the shell of the man I once loved. The eyes that were once alive and happy are now muted and cold, and the fun-loving and outgoing man I became close to is now a monster.
I take a deep shaky breath cross my arms. Josh slowly begins to move toward me, as if he is unsure. The confidence I had seen the entire time I've known him is gone. Where his shoulders once stood tall and proud, were now hunched over as he kept most of his focus on the ground, his head hanging down. He stole a few glances to me as he got closer, but didn't look at me longer than a few moments.
When he gets within a few feet from me, I step back, frightened. When he looks up to me I can tell he can see the fear in my eyes and it hurts him to know I am terrible of what he's become. I look over and see that he has raised his hand, as if he was going to reach out to me. I see that his nails are starting to grow out and to a point. I take a deep breath and as I look up to Josh, seeing his light come back into his eyes for a moment and he looks scared and sad.
I step toward him and reach out for him, but as I do, he steps back and pulls away, "NO!" he shakes his head, but doesn't break eye contact with me. It looks as if he is trying to remember how to talk, "I... don't want... to hurt... you..." He whispers.
I shake my head and take another step toward him, "Josh... it's okay... it's gonna be okay."
"No..." Josh shakes his head again, but he doesn't move back.
"Josh... you have to come with us... these people can help you..."
Josh shakes his head again, "no... no one... can help... me..."
"Please let them try...."