An ACTUAL ENDING for The Quarry

6 - The Hag's Haunting - (Nick)

Nick was one of the first people who went in for medical attention, and he couldn't be more thankful to get it over with fast. As soon as they took some blood for testing, they let him back to the cell where he planned to fall asleep as soon as possible. After calling his mom and dad, he headed straight back to the cell. He would call a lawyer later. Max was already back in the cell, and he was resting on the top left bunk, staring at the ceiling. Nick knew that Max had also been a werewolf so he was shocked to see that he seemed wide awake. Ryan was sitting next to the bed on the right wall looking around anxiously. Jacob was still being assessed by the nurses and Dylan probably was too.

"Diagnosis?" Nick asked Ryan as he climbed to the top of the right bunk.

"Uh they said that I have a pretty bad concussion... and the stab wound on my side was mostly healed from when I was a werewolf, but there was still a scratch that they weren't too worried about. How about you?"

"I didn't have any injuries but they did some blood testing," Nick replied.

"They did the same thing to me," Max chimed in, still staring, unmoving, at the ceiling.

Nick had only just met Max, but from what he could tell, he was a pretty chill guy. He still wasn't too sure of him though.

"What about the other guys?" Max asked, "I mean, I noticed Dylan only had one hand... but... The other guy? What's his name?"

"Jacob," Nick responded, "Poor guy got a bear trap to the foot and probably hypothermia from running around naked and wet the whole night-"

"Pfffft I don't even want to know how he got in that situation," Max laughed.

"Yeah I have no idea either," Nick chuckled back.

"What about Dylan though?" Max inquired, turning toward Ryan, "How'd he do that to his hand and not become a werewolf?"

Ryan winced a little, and Nick remembered what Ryan had had to do. Ryan probably didn't like thinking about it, but he did a good job of hiding that.

"Well, Dylan and I went to try and send radio signals for help... but it didn't really work out and then his hand was bit by a werewolf through the ceiling and I had to cut it off with a chainsaw..." Ryan said with a deadpan expression.

"Oh damn," Max said, realizing maybe he shouldn't have asked, "I'm sorry, that's pretty awful."

"It's fine," Ryan said, shaking his head dismissively, "I think he's spending the night in the medical center."

"Good to know," Nick said, grinning, "I was wondering what we were going to do with five of us and four beds-"

The other two gave him a light laugh before the room went silent again.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm gonna hit the hay. I don't think I've ever felt so tired," Nick sighed, getting under his sheets.

"Good idea, I think I'm going to do that too," Ryan said getting into the bunk beneath Nick's.

"I wish I could sleep right now," Max sighed, "But I don't think my brain is going to let me until night comes around again."

"For all, I can tell, we've already been down here for days," Nick commented on the lack of daylight.

"Yeah," Max responded dryly.

That was the last thing Nick heard before he was out.

*   *   *   *   *   *

The sky was an eerie dark reddish purple, but there wasn't a single cloud in sight. He looked around him but all that could be seen was a dull greyish field for miles and miles with grass that grew up to his knees. He looked down at his feet, only to be surprised that he wasn't wearing any shoes. He was, however, in his favorite pair of black sweatpants and his most comfortable green hoodie that read 'Good Day' in small letters that his mom had bought for him after one of her business trips. The air felt cool, but comfortably cool, in a refreshing way. This place felt so off, but he felt so comfortable at the same time.