Stick To It

Extra #1: After Dawn

All of us were brought to an interrogation to be interrogated, obviously. The police definitely need answers for why we're all battered and why the lodge exploded. They separated all of us, we still don't even know where Matt or Jess are; if either of them lived that is.

I get sat down in one of the interrogation rooms with an officer.

"You're friends told me that there was a maniac on the mountain?"

"Well, um, sort of? Josh just wanted to prank all of us for revenge, he didn't hurt anybody!"

"We were told he drugged you. Do you think-"

"No! Just, no! Josh wasn't the danger, it was the wendigo!"

"RIght. The wendigo. Do you think his drugs could have made you hallucinat-"

"Absolutely not! It-they, they were right in front of our faces! One of them grabbed me! That, that was real!"

"It says here you've been doing therapy for the past several months. There aren't any listings of prescriptions either."

"Look! If you want to play the therapist card go get her! You won't get anything more from me like this!"

The officer sighs, "Call in Dr. Malagrene." And then they leave the room.

After a while, Dr. Malagrene comes into the room. "Trenton you're okay!" She hugs me out of nowhere, it just so happens to make every single bruise and scrape ache. "Ow." She quickly ends the hug when I say that and scans me. "Sorry. The officers called me down saying you were being uncooperative with the interrogation. I don't want you to get in trouble. And what I've read in the police report... it's troubling, to say the least."

"Whatever's in there it's probably a lie! They refuse to believe me! They're calling Josh a terrorist!"

"Trenton it says here-"

"I know! Josh, he just didn't get the help he needed or something. He... he needs some serious help."

"Just start from the beginning."

I give Dr. Malagrene the short and narrow. I look her in the eyes after the story, seeing the clear disbelief in her eyes. "Please." I begin pleading. "Please tell me you believe me. I can understand the cops, and I can understand keeping this story under wraps, but... What am I supposed to do if my therapist doesn't trust me?"

"Trenton, I-"

"Look at me! Look at the beating I have suffered and tell me one person caused this!"

"Trenton, you have to understand you're a patient. I-i thought you were getting better..."

"Dr. Malagrene..." I look at her betrayed.

"And you did get better." She smiles. "The Trenton I know can't lie that well."

"Oh my god. Why the hell did you word it like that?"

"I felt like messing with you."

I snort in derision.

"Hey, calm down. You said there's evidence down in the mines right? Then to the mines the cops will go." Dr. Malagrene glares into the two-way mirror in the room. "Let's get you home. The police can't keep you here because of your status as a mental patient." She gets out of her chair and drags me out of the room. I think I have a pretty cool therapist.

After that day we all visit Jess who is in the hospital. Chris only needed a splint, so he didn't have to stay over there. Instead opting to keep Ashley company. Smooth moves. Josh... Josh didn't get to come, though. The events of that day had rattled his already warped mind. He got put in an asylum. The only thing on the news related to that day was coverage of how the lodge exploded in a gas leak. I have no doubt some nosier reporters are digging deeper, as I've already been asked to be interviewed (which I declined). It seems to police are trying to keep this case out of the light, at least for now.

When we visited Jess together we were surprised to see Matt there. His online presence, which was zero, made us believe he'd died in the mines. Looks like he was just hanging out with Jess. Would it be strange to say I'm shocked that all of us survived? Oh well, my friends are alive so I'm happy.

Life goes on afterwards. All of us started hanging out more, particularly Sam and me. It's funny how almost dying repairs friendships. I can tell the group respects most of each other a whole lot more because of how cool all of us were.

Matt's story is that after trying and failing to save Emily from the fall, he got caught by a wendigo. Which he managed to fend off with a flare gun he got from the fire tower. Emily was really happy when she heard that because she was the one who gave it to him. We let her have her moment.

Down in the mines he encountered a bedraggled Jess, and with quick thinking and hiding skills, they managed to sneak past a wendigo and leave the mines intact. Not a blockbuster hit like ours, but heartwarming nonetheless. I think I respect Matt the most out of the group.

Emily... is Emily. I don't dislike her any more, but we didn't really have much to bond over in the experience.

Ashley falls under the same problem too, but she's not as funny as Emily is.

Jess. Me and Jess had like a sentence each spoken to each other.

Josh... I just feel bad for Josh.

Mike. Mike is a cool dude, but... my feelings about him are mixed. He definitely cares about everyone and wanted as many of us to get out as possible, but that's the problem. As many of us isn't all of us. He made plenty of selfless decisions that night, but he did almost abandon Josh twice.

Chris. Chris is pretty high up there. He wanted to give Josh a break as well, and when I heard he was willing to shoot himself for Ashley? Well, you can imagine the inward nod of approval within. Plus, he's a reliable goober.

Sam. I... I think I like Sam. Like, like like. Man, now I'm sounding like Chris. I think she reciprocates too. But back to the topic. As much as I disliked seeing her put herself in danger, I have to respect her for it. Especially after I did so, numerous times.

Matt. Despite not surviving the night with Matt, his kindness and consideration are respectable. He risked his life for Emily and Jess. And he didn't have to do that, especially when there was no one holding him accountable for it. Overcoming that makes me respect him a hell of a lot more.

I surprisingly got better after that experience. If I ever get in danger again I might freeze up on instinct, and the winter will never be the same again. But, I'll move on. I've made it this far, and I can go even further. All of that and more happens when you grab a hold of something, and you stick to it.