Chapter 4: Calm Down, Forget

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Chapter 4:

Alex's eyes open slowly. His body started to shake uncontrollably as he looked at everyone, who all looked like they had been about to cry.

"Why are you a-a-all looking l-l-like some d-di-died?" Alex's teeth chattered with every word he said.

"Idiot." Lauren rolled her eyes.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Nothing," Skye shook her head. "Nothing, all that matters is that everyone is alive." The gang nods.

"Let's help Alex up and head back to camp," Ingrid suggests and we all agree that they've had enough for today.

With that, Skye and Ingrid put Alex's arms around their neck, helped him up and they all staggered back to camp.

Cold, alone, and without the knowledge of Brandon being alive.

---

Night time rolled around quickly after they got back to camp. The friends set up a fire as always and started roasting some hotdogs they had brought with them.

The silence was deafening between them. It was like, they all knew what the others were thinking. Eyes kept scanning over everyone, like an acceptance had been registered.

"Guys..." Skye broke the silence and everyone turned to look at her. She had her knees up, and her chin propped on them. "What if we never find him?"

"Don't," Bree shakes her head. "Stop thinking like that, it will never get you anyway. You see that?" Bree points at the scarf Skye had hanging out of her pockets, Brandon's scarf. "That is proof that he might still be out there."

"Why hasn't he come back yet, huh?" Skye asked, becoming sadder by the second.

Silence fell again. Of course, she was right. If Brandon was fine, he would have found his way back by now.

"Just," Lauren sighs. "At least believe he must be alive."

Skye hesitates, but nods anyway. "I'll try..."

"Good. Now, let's go to sleep. We'll figure out a game plan tomorrow." Bree says and everyone nods.

"Need some company?" Lauren asks Skye, and she smiles and shakes her head.

"I think I can go to bed on my own now. Thanks."

And she did.

---

"Guys, we already looked in there. There's nothing there." Skye hesitates as they walk towards the cave again. That cave... The one they lost him in. The one she lost him in.

"Well, let's just... check one more time okay?" Lauren says, trying to reassure Skye.

After a moment's hesitation, Skye nods and they all set off into the cave.

"Instead of going through the caves that branch off from the main tunnel, let's just go through the main tunnel until we find something," Lauren suggests.

"Alright, sounds good," Bree nods.

And so, they all set off into greater depths.

They walk for a while, until they get to the wall that Skye and Brandon saw the first time they were inside. Skye shined the light on the wall, and the body was still there. She didn't have a chance to look at it more closely.

"That's fucking creepy," Bree states.

Ingrid looks away from the body encased in ice, with fear. "Oh my god..."

"It's okay," Skye pats Ingrid's shoulder. She moved towards the wall and upon further inspection, it had looked like a young boy. Very young, about 10 years old.

"Oh," Lauren frowns. "Poor boy... I wonder what happened to him."

"I don't know..." It looked recent. Maybe a couple months recent. Skye looked at the boy closer, and noticed tears in his shirt, and iced over wounds. It had looked like a claw went across his chest. His face had the look of fear stuck in place.

"Damn... Who... Or what did that?" Alex asked, his eyes wide.

"Hopefully we never find out," Skye said, her voice obviously breaking. Whatever did this, must have taken Brandon. "Guys, what if..."

"Nope. No. Let's not think that just yet, Skye, okay?" Lauren shakes her head. "We'll find him."

"We'll find him," Ingrid nods. "I'm sure of it."

"Alright," Skye sighs. "I won't think the worst just yet."

Although, she couldn't escape the feeling in her heart that something bad is happening somewhere, and Brandon is in the middle of it all.

---

Meanwhile, in an undisclosed location...

My head hurts, he thought, as he woke up again. I need to get out of here...

He struggled against the material that kept him captive, but as always, no use. He looked around, and only saw little of the light, at the top of wherever he was. A crack, on the top of the cavern. As always, he would scream, hoping they would hear, hoping she would hear him.

"HELP!" He would scream until his throat was sore. He coughed violently, his throat becoming dry.

The low growl he became very familiar with found its way to his ears.

"No," he shook his head, fearing the monster that would come to him. "No, get away."

The growl grew louder at the sound of his voice.

He never saw the face of the monster, ever. Just the feet, and his hands. And they were big. And sharp. And scary.

It always happened around this time. When the sun shined directly above him, through the crack of the ceiling. The monster would give him water. He would be forced to drink. He had no idea why the monster did these things, but maybe he liked having his prey stay alive, until a certain time.

He dreaded to know what time that would be. How fast would it be? How slow?

He didn't want to know.

He doubted anyone would find him. And if someone did, he hoped they would turn right around. They would never outrun this thing. It was too fast. She had barely escaped, but he helped her go faster when he pushed her.

He hoped they wouldn't find him, but at the same time...

"Help..."

---

Skye finally had the heart to look up at the sky, where the northern lights were shining brightly. They were everything she dreamed.

"You okay?" Ingrid asks, coming out of her tent. Everyone else had went to sleep, but Skye couldn't yet.

"Yeah," Skye smiles. "I've been so caught up in trying to find Brandon, I hadn't had the time to calm down and just... Forget."

Ingrid nods. "I understand." She sits down next to Skye, and looks at the lights with her.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, until Ingrid broke it once more.

"You know we're going to find him, right? You know he's okay, right?" Ingrid says, absentmindedly.

Skye gives a small smile. "I hope..."

Oh yes, all she could do was hope.

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