This night had been the most horrifying, devastating experience of my life. Josh's prank was almost forgivable compared to the literal monsters that lived in Blackwood Mountain.
Oh God.
Josh.
"We have to go back."
The rescue worker who was tending to Jessica's injuries turned towards me. His brow furrowed as he took in my appearance; covered in cuts and bruises, but with fire in my eyes. He shook his head.
"The helicopter is gonna lift off any minute," he said firmly. "Best to let the professionals find your friend." He turned back to Jessica as another man made his way towards me, trying to get me to climb into the helicopter.
No.
I backed away, then spun around and sprinted back towards the mines. I could hear the horrified cries of my friends behind me. No doubt they thought I had lost it. But I couldn't leave without Josh. He was my best friend, my confidant, my first love. I had to get him back.
I slowed to a cautious walk as I entered the mines. The Stranger had said the Windigos were only active at night, but I didn't want to risk running into one. A glance over my shoulder confirmed that the rescue workers weren't following me any longer, or at the very least, they hadn't been able to keep up with me. I had been the top runner on the track team in high school, and I hadn't stopped running when I graduated.
I made my way down the path that Sam, Mike, and I had taken to find Josh earlier. Every sound, however faint, made me freeze in terror, but I pressed on. I wanted desperately to leave the dark tunnels, but I couldn't leave with out Josh. I shivered at the thought of how scared he must be. He hadn't been in the best sate of mind when we found him; leaving him there might have made it worse. I had to be ready for anything.
The water of the underground lake was just as freezing as the first time I came through it. I moved as smoothly as I could in order to avoid ripples in the dark water. Mike had said that the Windigo, Hannah, had hidden in the water before dragging Josh away. I kept my eyes on the water just in case. It was a relief to reach the other side, not only because I was getting out of the water, but also because I was one step closer to Josh.
I made my way through the tunnel that held the hanging corpses, keeping my eyes forward. Thankfully, this tunnel was short, and I found myself in the cavern where Josh had been in before rather quickly. My eyes searched the dark corners of the room, desperate for any sign of life. Moments later, I saw him.
Josh was curled into a ball in the corner of the cavern. His whole body shook with cold and fear. I rushed forward, dropping to my knees before him. He was alive! I reached out and touched his shoulder gently. Josh's head snapped up in surprise. His eyes were wide and full of tears.
"Not real..." he mummered. He reached up to touch my cheek. "You're not real."
"I am," I whispered gently as my hand covered his. He shook his head, denying my claim. "Josh, I'm here. I'm real. I couldn't leave without you."
"You should have," he grumbled, his eyes focusing. My heart broke at the statement. He really believed that he deserved to be here. I wrapped my arms around him, very nearly crawling into his lap, and buried my face into the crook of his neck. He tensed slightly but didn't pull away.
"No," I insisted, "I couldn't have. You're everything to me, Josh. I'd die before leaving you." Josh sucked in a sharp breath. His arms came up, hesitantly wrapping around my waist.
"Everything?"
"Yes, Josh. Everything. I'd be more than happy tell you all about it," I pulled away and stood up, "but we need to get out of here." I held out my hand, encouraging him to get up. He hesitated for a moment before grasping my hand and standing. I pulled him forward a few steps before he stopped, his eyes going wide again.
"The others," he said, "they're never going to forgive me." He said it with such certainty that my heart ached, but I shook my head quickly.
"We can't think about that right now," I stated as gently as I could. "We have to get out of here." Josh nodded and began walking again.
The path back through the mines was relatively quiet. We stopped several times when Josh started seeing things that weren't there again. I coaxed him back to reality each time, and we moved on. Finally, I saw daylight a little ways up the tunnel. I pulled Josh forward eagerly, my hand tightening around his. We could hear voices up ahead, which freaked Josh out a bit, but I quietly assured him that it was only the rescue workers.
The rescue workers lead us back to the helicopter where our friends were still waiting. The others were relieved to see us, although they were weary of Josh. On the flight down the mountain, Josh pressed close to me, his head resting on my shoulder. I ran a hand through his hair as I stared out the window.
When we reached our destination, a small hospital, I was unwillingly pulled away from Josh. The staff insisted that he would be just fine, but I knew I wouldn't be able to relax until I could see him again. I was taken into a teeny room to have my injuries treated. When that was done, I spoke to a ranger about my experience on the mountain. It was exhausting and stressful to describe the horrors that night brought to Blackwood Mountain, but I made it through it without completely breaking down.
After hours of waiting, I was finally able to head to Josh's room. He was sitting on the bed, staring quietly out the window. When I opened the door, he turned, and his face lit up.
"Y/N," he breathed. I smiled, moving forward to stand between his legs and pulled him into an embrace. We held each other for a long moment, relieved to be alive and safe. When I finally pulled away, Josh kept me close, pressing his forehead against mine.
"I love you," I whispered before I could really think about it. Josh smiled.
"I love you too," he whispered back, and then pressed his lips to mine.
There was a lot to do before everything would be okay. Josh needed to get back on medication, something that would work this time. A new therapist would be needed, as Dr. Hill had clearly gone wrong somewhere. The was also the matter of our friends, and they anger they no doubt felt towards Josh.
But for now, Josh held me in his arms, and I told him all about how he was everything to me.
