Jess was dead. That's all Mike could remember. The screams of his name as she was being dragged against the cold, soggy snow by that thing. The way she was frantically trying to get away from it. How close she was. How if he moved faster he could have saved her. She was right there on the elevator shaft. How if he had grabbed her faster she would have been there, by his side right now.
"Mike? Mike? Are you okay?" Sam gently nudged him, trying to wake him out of his daze of guilt. Mike looked up a her, the pain in his eyes so noticeable it could be seen from miles away. How spooked he was. He wasn't the old Mike. Not the one that made jokes or just plain was kind of a dick. No, he was the Mike that had seen his girlfriend die when he was so close to saving her. Sam sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him.
"I could have saved her. I-I could have saved her Sam. If I had moved faster. Now her parents and her brothers are going to plan a funeral and not know what happened and why?" Sobbed Mike into Sam's lap. Emily walked in with arms crossed, a wool blanket wrapped across her shoulder, a bandage covering her wendigo bite was barely visible.
"Mike you tried. That is all you could do. Jess wouldn't want you like this." Sam rubbed his head, her fingers running through his hair to try and calm him. His head was rested on her lap, his sobs turning into whimpers.
"Wait Sam, what are you talking about? It was only Matt that got lost, right?" Chris and Ashley walked in, both cuddled up to each other. Sam shook her head.
"Emily, you might want to sit down." Emily shook her head, anger raging in her.
"Just tell me Sam. What's going on?" Sam looked down before taking a steady breath.
"Jess is dead. She fell down an elevator shaft after being dragged by that thing that bit you." Emily stood there in shock. Jess was dead. Jess was her best friend. Of course they had had their falling out over Mike, but it never meant that Emily stopped thinking of her as her best friend.
"No. Jess isn't dead.You're lying." Sam shook her head as Mike sat up, tears streaming down his face.
"I chased after her. I tried to grab her off the elevator shaft. I wasn't fast enough." Mike said as though he was a broken record on repeat. Over and over again he played it.
"Wait, Jess fell off the elevator shaft in front of you?" Mike nodded as Emily instantly felt something she had never felt before. Did she actually feel sorry for Mike? Truly he put a gun to her head and intended to shoot her, but she hadn't realized he tried to be her hero and failed.
"If it helps Mike, I was the last one to see Matt. I think I heard his last words." Mike looked up at Emily and for the first time since the breakup Emily didn't absolutely hate his guts. She felt sorry for him. Emily made her way towards him as he stood up and she hugged him tightly. The way Jess always hugged her.
"It'll be okay Mike. We'll get through this together." Before they knew it, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks walked in, both frantic.
"Where's Jessica? Where is she? Is she okay?" Mike got up and walked towards them and enveloped them in a hug.
"I'm so sorry. I tried to save her. We went to the cabin and there was this thing and it followed us up there and Jess got pulled through the window and I tried to save her. I chased after but I didn't make it fast enough. She was laying on the elevator shaft and I reached out and the shaft fell and I am so sorry Mr. and Mrs. Brooks. I couldn't save her." Mrs. Brooks started rubbing his head.
"Mike, it'll be okay." Mrs. Riley hugged him tightly. If he had moved faster, she would be here.
"Oh hello Matt." Mrs. Riley had known how good of friends Jess and Matt had been. "I am so sorry Matt, but Jess passed away." Matt stopped and shook his head.
"But I just saw her like an hour ago." Mike shook his head.
"I known but she fell down the elevator shaft and, wait what? An hour ago?" Matt nodded as he saw the look in Mike's eyes.
"Mike, Jess survived the fall. She in the checkout room getting looked over. Mike, Jess is alive." Mike stood still before he felt the tears run down his face.
"Matt don't lie to me. Jess is alive?" Mat nodded and pointed tot he checkout room.
"Yeah, she'll be out in a minute." Right then, the door opened and there she was. She was there wrapped in a wool blanket, bloody scratches littering her face, a huge scratch marked her chest. She was bruised and dirty but Mike had never thought she was more beautiful. She was alive. Mike ran to her and wrapped his arms around her. She grabbed onto him, her fists buried into the back of the jacket he had found. He grabbed onto her, never wanting to let go. He pulled back and placed both his hands on her cheeks, placing kisses randomly on her face.
"You're alive." Jess nodded as she giggled.
