Until Dawn | Josh.W

12- Trying to Stay Alive

09:23
Day 1

"Josh? Josh? Sweetheart?" Mercedes patted Josh's face as he stayed unconscious. She sighed, chewing on her lip, collapsing next to him and looking around the cave. She had woken up a few hours ago and had tugged the older man down from where he was hanging and pushed him into the water when she was sure the Wendigo- Hannah, wasn't coming back. By the light spewing in the hole in the top of the cave, she was pretty sure it was about midmorning.

She got up and dusted her pants off, walking around the cave, trying to spot anything that might help them to defend themselves against any remaining Wendigo's that may be out there, only to find nothing.

"Fucking spectacular." She groaned. She walked back over to Josh, stroking his face. She continued for what felt like hours until he started stirring.

"Josh!" She exclaimed, rubbing his cheeks. "Hey.. open your eyes for me.."

He slowly blinked his eyes open, immediately smiling at the sight of her. "Hi.." He mumbled, sitting up and looking around, the smile dropping from his face when he noticed where they were. "Where are we?" He asked, looking back at her.

"Still in the cave. The Wendigo dragged us back here. I think it's dead though. It hasn't come back." She explained, running her hand through his hair.

He nodded, his eyes immediately fixating on her wrist that was wearing Beth's watch. "That.. that's Beth's.. I got her that.." He mumbled, taking hold of her hand. "How- where-"

She sighed and got up. "Wanna stretch your legs? I'll explain in a bit." He nodded and got up on shaky legs. She stabilised him as they walked monotonously around the cave until he got tired and wanted to sit down again.

He leant against a rock wall and Mercedes rested her head on his shoulder. "What happened tonight?" He mumbled, fiddling with her fingers.

"You wanna know?" She asked softly, looking up at him.

He nodded, staring ahead of him. "Everything I don't know.. I want to know.."

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Well.. when Mike and Jess went up to the spare cabin, she apparently got dragged off. By a Wendigo. I'll explain what that exactly is soon. Then after you.. 'died'.. me, Chris, and Ash encountered Em and Matt. They went to the fire tower and it fell. Collapsed. But not before they got a message out. Em walked around the mines and escaped." She left out the parts about his sisters. She didn't think he was in the right headspace for that. Not yet.

"Then.. when she got back to the lodge, a man came. He had a flamethrower and he explained to us what a Wendigo is, which is what was causing everything you didn't do. A Wendigo is created when someone eats the flesh of another. Cannibalism. It's a spirit. That thing that dragged us here; Wendigo." Mercedes looked up at Josh but he was just staring into space, trying to process everything.

"Because Mike left you in the shed and we found out about the Wendigo, Chris, the flamethrower guy, and me went out to get you, but it had already taken you. The old guy died. Chris and I ran back to the lodge and made it. Then.. a bunch of overly dramatic stuff happened in the basement.. and Mike left to go find you to get the key for the cable car. The rest of us went to go after him to warn him about the Wendigo's but only me and Sam went the whole way. The we found you, and you know what happened next." She finished off.