Gwendolyn came back around with a long, loud groan, reaching for her throbbing head only to find out that she couldn't move her dominant, left hand around. She quickly moved her right to see that it free and mobile. She pushed herself to sit up and looked around, finding that she was in a dusty, dark shed.
"What the hell...?" Gwendolyn breathed, looking down at her left hand to see that it had been handcuffed to a heavy metallic structure. She tried to pull her hand out of it to no avail.
All the pain in her head was still apparent – as the Chloroform usually had – but Gwendolyn didn't want to stick around for long, not after being unable to see Joshua, Christopher and Ashley around.
"Calm down," Gwendolyn assured herself. "Keep calm or everything will get fucked up," She looked around the shed for something that could help her with the handcuff. "What a kinky psycho,"
The handcuffs weren't that good, Gwendolyn was sure that she could squeeze her hand out from them as long as she got herself a lubricant – they weren't any different from the bangles she had worn that one summer holidays in India. She looked around the shed in the darkness carefully.
Foggy moonlight was flowing through one of the windows, and it didn't take long for Gwendolyn to realise that she was in one of the further sheds from the Washington Lodge. It stored all the bonfire equipment.
"Aha!" Gwendolyn cried out, noticing petroleum can sitting on a table nearby. "That's it! Come on!"
Pushing herself as far as she could go with her hand still stuck by lying down on the ground, Gwendolyn reached the rest of the way with her leg. She hooked her foot around the desk's nearest leg – and pulled. The desk wobbled weakly and fell over onto her legs, causing her to hiss in pain but there was no time to waste.
Gwendolyn pushed the desk off of her and wrapped her legs around the can, getting it close enough to grab with her right hand. She unscrewed it and poured it onto her handcuffed hand. She narrowed her hand and struggled a bit but successfully got her hand free from her restraints.
Wiping off the petroleum from her hand and checking the time, it was clear that Gwendolyn had been out of consciousness for at least thirty minutes. The psycho hadn't meant to kill her with that.
Is he gathering everyone?
Where's Joshua?
"Shit," Gwendolyn grunted as she pulled out her gloves and pulled on her gloves, knowing it was going to be a long trip in the snow once again. "Damn it – I hate that I prepared for this situation,"
Taking the door out of the shed seemed a bit stupid – what if the psycho had laid some sort of trap for her to walk right into. Gwendolyn, instead, unlocked the window and slid outside, landing on the snowy ground. She grabbed her head in pain and her grey eyes fell upon a cigarette butt below her.
"Cigarette?" Gwendolyn muttered as she picked up to inspect – it was barely a day old. "Strange... as far as I'm aware, none of us smoke – so where did this come from? Of course, that stupid psycho,"
However, before Gwendolyn could dwell on this for long, loud shouts distracted her. She held her breath, trying to decipher what was being said. It was difficult to make through the blowing wind:
"HEY! YEAH! PRICKS! THAT MEANS YOU! I KNOW you're OUT THERE!
The FUCK are you trying to do!? You want to ruin our fun THAT BAD?!"
It was Jessica's voice, and Gwendolyn didn't waste any time as she went running in the dark, being careful with placing her feet on solid ground as she headed for the cabin where Jessica was.
"Well GUESS WHAT? You can't! You can't ruin our good time!
Because Michael and I are gonna FUCK! That's right!We are going to have SEX! And it's gonna be HOT!
So, ENJOY IT! Because I know WE'RE GOING TO!"
There was no way in hell that Gwendolyn could understand under what circumstances Jessica would be screaming shit like this. Quite honestly, she had thought that Jessica and Michael were attacked by the psycho who had knocked her, Christopher and Ashley out, and done goodness knows what.
"Jessica! Michael!" Gwendolyn shouted as she reached the cabin premises, and watched as Jessica jumped and turned around to see her – her shock dissolving into anger. "Shut up, and get inside!"
"What the hell are you doing, Gwen?" Jessica demanded as Gwendolyn grabbed her arm and pulled her into the cabin, closing the door behind them. "You're the last person I would expect to do this!"
"What in the world are you talking about?" Gwendolyn asked, breathing heavily, tired and pained.
"Weren't you the one who threw Jessica's phone in?" Michael asked, and Gwendolyn gave him an absurd look. "We dropped it on our way here and someone just threw it outside,"
"If this is some sort of a prank you're trying to pull," Jessica interrupted. "Then it's very sick one!"
"We're not pranking you – no one is," Gwendolyn told them as she caught her breath. "Look, listen to me – there's a man out there, he got into the lodge and got Josh, Chris, Ash and I – I just woke up in a shed a few yards down from here – handcuffed – and I just got out of there –"
"What man?" Jessica asked, still sounding very sceptical of her tale. Gwendolyn rubbed her forehead, trying to calm down but Jessica rolled her eyes at her acting. "Oh, give me a break,"
Michael looked at the pale-blonde female who was catching her breath and at her dishevelled state. He had never seen Gwendolyn look so panicked and turned around to convince Jessica to listen to the girl when something suddenly broke through the window and grabbed a screaming Jessica.
"JESSICA!"
Gwendolyn lunged to grab Jessica before she was pulled out of the window but it was too late – she could only watch in horror as something snatched Jessica out of her hands and off into the darkness. She stared at the creature, the way it dragged the shrieking and crying female away from the cabin.
"Oh, fuck!!" Michael cursed. "Oh, fuck, what the fuck was that, Gwen?!" Gwendolyn could say nothing as the male grabbed the hunting rifle and a lantern. "We've got to go save her!"
"R-Right!" Gwendolyn replied as she followed after him out into the cold darkness. "Mike – I don't think – I don't think that was a human, not that psycho – it was something else!"
"It doesn't matter what it is, we've got to get Jessica!" Michael shouted over the ice storm and Gwendolyn sped to reach his pace as they raced down the snowy path, following Jessica's screams.
"Give me the rifle," Gwendolyn said to Michael as she realised that it wasn't time to play it easy anymore, and Michael handed it over without a question asked. "Let's take the shortcut!"
Michael nodded followed behind Gwendolyn as they came down to fast-flowing ice river where heavy tubing was strung around to create a makeshift path. She easily jumped onto the first, the second, third and fourth tube, tailed closely by Michael as they got onto the other side of the river.
"JESS!" Michael yelled after the screams of their friend. "JESSICA! JESSICAAA!!"
"Wait!" Gwendolyn said before Michael ran off of a mountain ledge. She grabbed him arm to keep him from falling. "Give me a moment,"
Gwendolyn crouched down on the edge of the ledge and used the hunting rifle's scope to look for Jessica from where the screams were coming. She found Jessica on the ground, trying to hurriedly crawl away from something while crying. But something reached out and snatched her away by leg.
"Jesus... fuck!" Michael cursed as Jessica's screams renewed with fear and horror as she was dragged away from there. "Fuck! JESS! NO!"
"ARGH!!" Jessica screamed loudly. "NO!!!! MICHAAEELLLL!! GWEEEEN! HELP ME!!!! HELP ME!!!!"
"Let's go!" Gwendolyn urged as she flung the rifle's strap around her shoulders and jumped over the ledge, sliding down the cliff rapidly, the rocks jabbing at her but the snow cushioning most of it.
Before she could hit the ground, Gwendolyn reached forward to grab a branch, swinging around and slowing her descent before she dropped onto her feet below, turning around to look for Jessica while Michael followed her example, "Holy SHIIIT!! FUCK! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! URGH!"
"Are you okay?" Gwendolyn asked as Michael grabbed the lantern off of the ground. "Let's go,"
"Keep going, keep going!" Michael urged as they raced through the forested area, ducking and jumping over numerous fallen logs, with Gwendolyn leading the path and indicating hurdles.
"There is loose ground ahead!" Gwendolyn called. "Watch where you step – don't fall into the crevice!" She jumped over the said crevices and onto the other side until – "Another ledge, slide!"
There was a dark structure in the distance, only visible by the dim moonlight, and Gwendolyn knew that the creature had taken Jessica there. She slid over the edge and used rocks and branches to slow her speed lest she hit the ground like concrete and break her bones. Michael followed behind.
"What is this place?" Michael asked as he landed on the wooden landing next to Gwendolyn, but the pale-blonde was already peering over the side to where his lantern had fallen ahead of them.
"Looks like old structures," Gwendolyn replied. "I think this is where the entrance to a mine was located – I've heard all about the mines here, never got to read too much into them, however..."
Not much time was left for them to waste so Gwendolyn lowered herself from the edge of the wooden platform and landed onto the ground beneath, right next to where the lantern was.
"I'm sorry but I'm not a gymnastics princess like you, Gwen," Michael grunted as he landed heavily next to her, and grabbed the lantern once more. "Let's go,"
"HELP ME!!"
Both Gwendolyn and Michael hurried out of the broken structure and to the building that seemed to be hosting the entrance to the mines below them, and also where Jessica's screams were coming.
"Come on, shit!" Michael shouted loudly to assure his girlfriend. "Shit, shit, shit! JESSICA!! ... JESS!"
"In here," Gwendolyn said as she slammed open one of the doors, racing inside with Michael. She looked around to fine that there were stairs leading down to the mines. "That way!"
"ARGH!! NO!!!!
MICHAAEELLLL!!! HELP ME!!!!
GWEEEEEENNNNN!!! HELP ME!!!"
"JESSICA, I'M COMING!!!!" Michael shouted back as they raced down the dingy wood stairs, but Jessica continued to scream. "JESSICA!! JESSICA!! WE'RE COMING, JESSICA!!"
"HELP ME!!"
"It's coming from here!" Gwendolyn told Michael, pointing to the mine shaft to their left. "Come on!" She held onto the rifle and led the path down the narrow shaft to Jessica.
"HELP ME!!
Oh no, Michael!"
Coming out of the shaft, Gwendolyn and Michael found themselves in another opening. She quickly noticed Jessica – who was lying unmoving in an elevator. And for a moment, she feared the worst.
"JESS!!" Michael shouted, distraught. "NO!!! OH GOD!!! Nooo... Jessica... Oh god!! Jess!! Jess! Are you okay!? Gwen – Gwen, do something?! Aren't you studying to be a doctor?!"
"Okay, okay, okay," Gwendolyn assured him as she dropped to her knees next to Jessica's feeble body. "I'll do something, okay? Let me have a look," She reached to check Jessica's vitals.
"Gwendolyn, what's wrong with her?!" Michael demanded as Gwendolyn felt Jessica around quietly. "Is she... Is she alive?!"
"She's alive, calm down," Gwendolyn told him. "She's got several scratches and looks to be running a fever – and it seems like she's in a shock right now, after being carried through the snow like that..."
"... help..." Jessica whispered out, having no strength to move properly anymore. "... Michael..." She clutched onto Gwendolyn's hand. "Gwen... dol... lyn... it... wasn't a person..."
Michael tried to reach for Jessica but the elevator suddenly unravelled, rapidly descending several levels below with her body. Gwendolyn almost forward into the elevator shaft but caught a chain to stop herself and Michael quickly grabbed her arm as he yelled for – "JESSSICAAAAA!!!!!!"
Gwendolyn caught her senses and looked up the shaft to see what had caused this and saw someone peering over the edge from several levels above them. She quickly aimed her rifle.
"There's someone up there!" Gwendolyn breathed and took an aim with the hunting rifle, getting a headshot at whoever or whatever that was up there, making fall. "Are there more than one –?"
"Let's follow that bastard and end him!" Michael told her and started running off upstairs in search for the person. Gwendolyn followed behind him. "We've gotta jump!"
They took turns to jump over the gap in the stairs and Gwendolyn realised that they needed to climb up the metallic body of the elevator shaft to get up as there was no way else from there. She nodded at Michael and started to climb it rapidly, only for him to stare at the girl, stunned.
"Why – how?" Michael said as he hesitated but started to climb after the girl, taking her path to avoid sticking his hands and feet in the wrong places.
"I've learned a lot of stuff over the past year," Gwendolyn responded without taking her eyes off of where she was going. "I... I'm not ready to let anyone else go missing or die anymore,"
Survival skills are a must on this mountain.
Gwendolyn turned around, holding onto the metal and took a deep breath before jumping over to the ledge that led to a tunnel on the other side of the shaft, rolling and getting onto her feet. Michael jumped over next to her and was about to speak up when she elbowed him to be quiet.
"There that person is," Gwendolyn breathed, pointing out a heavyset person walking down the tunnel. "How...? Jessica said it wasn't a person... and I saw that they were all gangly –"
"Just shoot him!" Michael urged and Gwendolyn quickly brought the hunting rifle up to aim for the person walking obliviously down the path. "Get this all over with!"
"Right," Gwendolyn muttered and pulled the trigger the moment she got an aim for his leg – she wanted to ask questions about Beth and Hannah's possible whereabouts – but the rifle didn't do anything. "What the hell? It's not working!"
"We don't time for this!" Michael said and went off chasing after the stranger in the tunnel.
Slinging the rifle on her shoulder, Gwendolyn rushed after Michael and the two of them came out of the tunnel to a wooden structure that led out of the mines. The man had already left, and there was a gate closing slowly – something that surprised them due to lack of electricity on the mountain.
"Christ!" Michael exclaimed. "Gotta make it!"
Just in time before the gate closed, both Gwendolyn and Michael managed to slide out to the other side. Gwendolyn quickly got onto her feet to see the man jumping down a hole leisurely.
"We've got to follow him," Gwendolyn said, her hand reaching into her insulating jacket to feel the specialised swiss knife hidden in the secret pocket she had inside. "Let's get this over with,"
"You bet," Michael replied as he snatched a new lantern from the ground, by the rocks, and lit up with his lighter. "Come on, let's go – let's see where his lair is,"
Gwendolyn and Michael trudged out into the snow storm that brewing up, and fought against the wind to follow the man's path. It was difficult to see in the dark but against the grey sky, in the distance, they could see a building coming into view, and they spotted the stranger walking up to it.
"Jesus!" Michael exclaimed. "The fuck is that place?"
"It looks like that old sanatorium," Gwendolyn breathed as she started to walk down the edge before they lost sight of the man. "It's been left abandoned for a long time now,"
Their journey was predominately quiet as they kept their eyes trained on the distant, dark figure of the man they were tailing. The terrain difficult to travel through due to the snow but the two of them continued on until they reached the outskirts of the sanatorium, near a stone wall boundary.
"Jesus, there he is," Michael muttered as they peeked over the small wall to see the man. "That's not good. That's really not good. Really not good – he's got dogs with him!"
"Those aren't dogs, idiot," Gwendolyn hissed. "Those are wolves – north-western wolves," She noticed that one of them was dark grey and the other one considerably lighter.
"Dammit," Michael cursed, ignoring her jab. "Are those his pets or something?" Gwendolyn shrugged. "Alright. Let's get a closer look," She nodded in agreement.
"Be careful not to rile the animals up," Gwendolyn warned him. "We can't afford fighting against those teeth with an empty rifle – come on,"
Gwendolyn nodded at him before moving first, climbing over the top of the boundary swiftly and onto the other side, silent as ever. Michael followed behind her and the two of them started to make their way down toward the building's structure, hearing a loud howling in the distance.
"What's that?" Michael asked as the two of them scoped out the entrances to the building. "Looks like some sort of sign," He brushed aside the vines climbing down the wall.
CONDEMNED
IT IS DEEMED UNLAWFUL FOR ANY PERSON TO USE
OR OCCUPY THIS STRUCTURE FORTHWITH.
DATE: JUN 12 1954
"Awesome," Michael responded sarcastically to the message warning them against entering. "Why wouldn't we end up on the creepiest place on planet earth?"
"Let's enter through the front door," Gwendolyn suggested but Michael dragged her over to the side of the sanatorium which the stranger had been previously inspecting a small entrance.
"If we go through the front door, we met as well be presenting ourselves to him," Michael told her. "Let's go through this way," He reached down and uncovered the metallic covering.
"I'll go first," Gwendolyn said as she slipped through the opening and jumped down onto the ground. She looked around to see that they were in a basement of the sanatorium.
Michael jumped down behind her with a grunt and the two of them looked around the place.
"The door is blocked," Gwendolyn informed him. "But if we manage to climb through that hole in the ceiling... wait, we've got to get on that elevated ground right beneath it,"
"I'll get a barrel, there are plenty of them here anyway," Michael said and Gwendolyn held onto the lantern while he pushed one of the barrels closer to the elevated ground. "Want a hoist?"
"No, I'll be fine," Gwendolyn replied, returning him the lantern and getting on top of the barrel and onto the balcony-like structure above them. She reached to help him up, however.
The two of them made a quiet path through the balcony and climbed on old, broken equipment to get out of the hole in the ceiling. Gwendolyn peeked around to make sure that there wasn't anyone already before hoisting herself out of the hole, helping Michael up after taking the lantern.
❄️