The Long Dark- A Journey Through Frozen Hell

Firewatch tower

Miho stomped through the snow, following the path to the tower she saw.

Slowly, she made her way up until she came upon a fork in the road.

She looked up, trying to find the tower before ultimately deciding to go right.

Miho looked down, watching as her boots pushed the snow away and formed her footprints.

She looked up and froze.

A giant bear slowly walked down the path ahead of her and looked up.

Miho slowly walked backward, keeping her eyes on the bear as it began to approach.

Miho walked back further as the bear walked towards her more.

Miho grabbed her rifle, making sure a round was chambered as she kept her eyes on the bear.

The bear stared her down as she made it back to the fork and took the left.

Miho quickly moved back as the bear came around the corner and continued approaching her, huffing.

The bear wasn't making any advanced, and Miho wasn't making any quick movements.

Eventually, Miho must have made it quite a distance up the mountain.

She turned and saw the firewatch tower, fifteen yards from the trail, and hidden between the rocks.

She looked back at the bear and back at the tower.

She bolted, sprinting towards the tower as the bear raised itself on its hind legs and roared.

Miho quickly ran up the stairs as the bear charged at her.

It made its way up the stairs as Miho spun around as the bear stood up.

She fired a shot.

...

Vaughm made it back to the garage when a shot echoed.

He quickly looked around in the direction of the shot as he looked up at the tower.

Miho was aiming at the bear on the stairs of the tower as the bear rolled down the steps.

"Oh damnit." He muttered.

"Mush! Mush!" He yelled as the dogs pulled him.

Vaughn hurried up the mountain, following the tracks as he grabbed the rifle.

He stopped and ran past the rocks to see Miho leaning against the railing.

She breathed heavily, looking down at Vaughn, who was staring at the bear.

He approached, looking at the dead bear.

He looked up at Miho.

"Good job." He said, pulling out his knife.

He knelt down and began to skin the bear.

"I'm checking the tower." Miho said as Vaughn hummed.

Miho walked up the tower, looking around.

The tower was empty except for a bed, pot belly stove, and a ham radio laying on the desk.

She approached the radio, turning it on and to her suprise, the radio hummed.

Miho stared in shock as she grabbed the microphone.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" She asked.

Silence except for the humming of the radio.

Miho switched channels and frequencies but to no avail.

She shut the radio off and walked to the balcony.

"Mister Vaughn, the radio still works in here!" Miho yelled.

Vaughn looked up.

"Bring it with you." He said.

Miho disconnected the radio and carried it back down the steps as Vaughn wrapped the pelt and put the meat into sacks.

"Let's get Bodega and go." He said.

"What about the people? What happened to them?" Miho asked.

Vaughn looked away, looking at the snow to his left, and shook his head.

"No." He said.

"No?"

"Just... no." Vaughn said as he picked up the meat and pelt, carrying it to the sled.

...

Bodega had fully healed and now worked hard to pull the sled.

The sled was packed with a lot of supplies the two had collected.

As they rode on, the sun began to set, so they set up camp.

The two laid down with a fire and their bedrolls unrolled and beside it.

Miho fell asleep faster than Vaughn, who was uneasy, staring at the night sky.

He carried his bedroll a little further from the fire and beside a tree.

Miho used the giant bear pelt to help cover her from the wind as the night dragged on.