Dead Of Winter

From the airport, it was a three hours bus ride to the trail where they would have to hike another hour in the snow to their cabin. Halfway through the trip, they stopped at a place for a hot breakfast. The group wandered in getting a table together. When the coffee for Hanson and Hunter showed up, Hunter pointed at another patron in the restaurant. The two did their secret mumble thing where no one else could hear them. As the food came they stood up and wandered off to the other end of the building where they could barely be seen through the dividers and glass. They seemed to be engaged in conversation with someone but Juliet couldn't move enough to see who it was. The conversation seemed to turn frantic quickly with the person they addressed standing up and walking out of the building in what seemed like a hurry. Hunter looked defeated but Hanson seemed to have his nose in a notebook.

The two returned to their seats watching the door to see if the man would come back. Juliet leaned over to Hunter, "What was that about?"

"We'll have to talk about it later, not here, not in front of everyone else."

His voice had changed. He wasn't as disgruntled as he was before. Now it was more of a concern or even fearful. The two ate their meal, ordering more to take with them. Everyone finished up their meal to continue talking about what they were going to do over the next three days. There was a couple, a small family, the guide, and Hunter's team. A whole group of 10 people were going to be put into a small cabin for three days to play survival in an unknown area.

The trail is another hour off and the group is beginning to open up and talk to one another more. Hunter takes this chance to speak with their guide who has been sitting at the front looking back at the people interacting. With a heavy seat across from the guide, Hunter grabs his full attention, "So…"

"John."

"Pleased to meet you, John, I'm Ivan." Hunter offered his hand to him.

John took it with a firm grip, "Ah, yes, with Abigail's group."

"Yea, this just might be my paranoia but how long have you been doing this?"

"There's no need to worry. I've been doing this for eight years."

"Have you ever gone up to this cabin in winter?"

"I have not. Typically we do this in summer but the tourist board thought we should try a winter getaway."

"Did you guys do any training for winter?"

"We did. We came up here two weeks ago, stocked the cabin with food and water, made sure that everything worked, and did a workshop for two days on the different things we will need to take care of because of the cold. I don't think there was this much snow though."

"How much food and water did you stock the cabin with?"

"Enough to last a group this size for a week."

Hunter's worries seemed to subside a bit but something was still nagging at him. He returned to his seat to talk with Hanson while Adam and Juliet conversed with the other groups. They seemed really excited to be in the middle of nowhere away from the city. "Hanson, do you think I'm worrying too much about this?"

"You always worry, sir."

"Yea, but I mean this is supposed to be a vacation and I seem to be stuck in work mode."

"Well, sir, we've seen what can happen in just about any circumstance. While I may say that you are uptight, I also agree that we should always be cautious of new surroundings."

"That helps but there's something I just cannot shake off. Like something is following us."

"That may be."

The bus arrives at a small stop marked with a building no larger than the bus itself. Everyone steps off into the untouched powder, grabbing their bags from underneath the bus and preparing themselves for another hour of travel on foot. It's midday so there is plenty of light even with the cloudy skies. They were expecting some more snow but only a light powder to cover what is already on the ground. The weekend ahead looks favorable for the group but something still has Hunter on edge.

As the hike to the cabin continues the clouds begin to thicken up casting a darker shadow over the trail. There are very few markers along the way but they continue onwards. As they approach the last leg of the journey the weather begins to drape the area with a light blanket of snow. The group picks up the pace making it to the cabin in under 50 minutes. Everyone dusts themselves off to begin getting set up in their rooms. The cabin itself is massive. There are two floors that have enough rooms that every group staying has a place. Hunter's group, being the largest, gets the master bedroom. The small family of three gets the second master, while the couples, a few single hikers, and the guide take residence in the single rooms.

As Hunter's group began unpacking Hanson went over to turn on the weather radio. It began with a light message of increased snow in the area of up to six inches over the whole weekend. It would be light but constant. As Hunter listened to the radio he noticed something about it. It was running off the battery, not the outlet. With a quick check he tried turning on the TV in the room but it wouldn't. "Oh no…" Hunter stepped out of the room heading towards the kitchen downstairs. He found John in his red parka pulling things out of the fridge and throwing them into a trash bag. The door shut behind him startling John, "Oh, hey. Some of the food was past the expiration date so…"

"No, the power is out."

His upbeat attitude changed, "So you noticed."

"Yea, is this place hooked up to a mainline or a generator?"

"Generator is in the shed in the back."

"I'm going to go kick that on before someone else notices."

"I would appreciate that."

"How much food did we lose?"

"I'd say three days."

"That's cutting it really close."

"We'll be fine. We have plenty of dried goods in the cupboards and in the pantry."

Hunter left the kitchen with a scowl on. Grabbing his coat he headed to the backdoor with a heavy step. The door slammed behind him from the force of the wind. In just a few minutes the weather changed very rapidly. It seemed like more snow was coming down and the wind had really picked up. The generator hut was within sight of the back porch. Hunter kept his head down and body moving, looking around him. Once inside the small hut, he opened the back vent and grabbed one of the cans of gas filling the tank. With a heavy pull, he heard it start to chug. He primed the engine and with another pull, it kicked right up. He looked at the repair manual next to it. One of the cans would last 12 hours. There were six sittings there including the one he just emptied. They were really cutting it close.

A few of the lights in the main room kicked on when the generator started up. Back inside John was heading to the basement to start the boiler to get the hot water going. As Hunter headed upstairs he heard it kick on and begin pumping water through the cabin. They seemed ready for the weekend to begin except for this nagging feeling that someone or something had followed them. With the thought in mind, Hunter tried to relax. He stepped downstairs to sit in one of the chairs with his bag. He pulled out a glass and a bottle of fine vodka. With a quick twist, the cap was off and the glass was half full with the clear drink. The bottle was hidden away again while he enjoyed the sweet apple-infused drink. This was going to be his weekend, sitting back and having a good drink.

Hanson was the next to come downstairs. He took the chair across from Hunter pulling a book from his bag. It looked worn and well-read as though the pages had been flipped through almost one hundred times. The title still read "Night" but the author's name and most of the title had faded away. Looking at the spine Hunter remembered reading the book once. It was his informal introduction to the world he now lives in. "Hanson, have you had the new kid read that?"

"I have not but that is a good idea."

"We'll have him do that when we get back."

"Very good, sir."

Hanson pulled the book apart to where his bookmark was located picking up where he had left off. Hunter sat back with his feet up, drink in hand while he watched the other occupants begin to come downstairs. He could hear John still rummaging around the kitchen. He was smart enough this time to block the door so no one else could see him throwing away food. He didn't count on Hunter being able to move the small cabinet he had placed there. "John."

"Oh, hello. Uh, what can I help you with?"

"You're not in the fridge."

"Uh, no. Maybe you should come in here if you want to talk."

Hunter shuffled in, "What's going on?"

"Move the cabinet back please."

It got pushed back in front of the door. "Ok, what's going on?"

"Um, so, apparently in the cold snap we had some uninvited residents take up refuge in the pantry."

Looking around the door some boxes had corners missing with the contents spilling onto the floor. Looking down there was a clear sign of there being a mouse problem recently. Looking back up at John, Hunter shot him a rather disgusted look, "Where are we at now?"

"I would guess…"

"I don't want a guess, I want a solid answer."

"If we ration, we can easily make the three days."

"Ok, how about normally?"

"Two days."

There was no answer. Hunter just turned around heading back out to the main room. Everyone had gotten themselves settled in. Adam and the family's child were talking near the back door table despite the large age gap. The adults were around the fireplace where Hanson was propped up and reading. Juliet seemed to be wandering around the house looking at the pictures of previous groups that had stayed there along with the history of the cabin. She saw Hunter looking around the house with his work face on surveying something.

She came wandering down the stairs with a plastered smile, "Ivan, do you mind if I borrow you for a minute?" With a nod, she led him to their room with a few hoots and hollers from the group below. Once the door shut she laid into him, "What are you doing?! We are here to have fun!"

"Yea, I'm really thinking we should get the group and get out of here."

"Dammit, Hunter! I worked hard to make this a surprise! What could you have found in the hour we've been here that would ruin this?"

"The power was out so the food in the fridge went bad. Rats and mice got into the dry food so there are only 2 days of supplies here for the size of the group we have here. Our guide has not done a winter in this cabin before and they did a two-day course on how to run it. The generator has enough gas just to last our time here. On top of that, I have not been able to shake this feeling that something has been following us and it is malicious."

"I think you're doing this to ruin it. You never let me have fun!"

"Juliet, listen to me…"

"No! You listen to me! Stop! Sit back, relax, and drink yourself till you black out, I don't care. Just do not ruin this vacation. I didn't get Halloween, Hawaii turned into work, and here you are telling me that something you feel is reason enough to leave." Her collar twinged at the hard shove she hit him with, "And this thing!"

She grabbed at it muscling through the pain as best as she could trying to rip it from her throat. It got to where the anger could no longer motivate her to continue. She let go doubling over panting from the pain and exhaustion. She shoved him out of the way again, opening the door, "I won't let you ruin this for me." She slammed the door behind her heading towards the main floor. Hunter looked out the window at the falling snow as he heard her declare to the rest of the room, "There's fresh snow! Who's up for a snowball fight?!" There were a few cheers and a herd of people getting their boots to head outside. The only people left were Hunter, Hanson, and John who had finished throwing everything away. With Juliet's distraction, he was able to throw away the two bags of unrecoverable food without the others noticing. He hit the couch with a heavy sigh while Hunter made his way back downstairs.

He went back to his chair with his drink still sitting on the end table. With one heavy gulp, he finished it. Looking over, John was looking over at him. "You want some?" He seemed hesitant but gave in. With a quick motion, Hunter has a new glass at a quarter full of apple vodka. "Take it slow, this isn't your normal stuff. It's meant to be enjoyed slowly or it will take its revenge." With a quick sniff, John could tell this was very different, "Thank you."

The three sat in silence while the others were outside. They were enjoying their time until the lights went out. It sounded like the generator shut off. Hunter grabbed his coat to take a look. He passed the group as they were having fun in the snow. He was pelted by a snowball but when he went to look at where it came from he saw Juliet packing another one giving him a scowl. The generator hut was warm from the engine running. He pulled the cord and it started right back up with no issues. He gave it a quick look over to see what would have caused it but he couldn't find anything. He scoffed looking back out the window above the vent.

He toppled backward, keeping his eyes as locked on the window as he could until he kicked the gas cans behind him knocking two of them over. The two he knocked over were empty and neither was the one he used to fill the generator. The problem only got worse as he looked back to the window to see that the goat-like figure that had startled him had left. It looked ghastly from the quick glimpse he got almost like it was etched into the window.

Back outside the others were still playing in the snow, no one had noticed anything out of the ordinary so they continued as they were. Back inside, Hunter knocked off his boots before sitting back in his chair and finishing his drink. Hanson looked up, "You look pale like you've seen a ghost."

"I… I may have, Hanson. I'm still trying to process it."

John laughed, "You told me to take it easy with this stuff?" He continued with a light laugh taking another sip. Hanson marked his book leaning forward, "What did you see?"

"I'm not sure. It was quick but I remember horns like a deer but the face of a goat. I toppled backward into the gas cans and it was gone. I don't think it was scared away. I'm not even sure it was there. Which reminds me. John, when you guys did your workshop up here did you refill the gas cans for the generator?"

John looked puzzled, "I thought we did."

"Well, there are six gas cans and three are empty. I only used one so we have two days of power."

"If we leave early Sunday morning we should be good."

"Assuming it doesn't die before then. To help preserve, we'll leave the power off for two hours between fills."

The weekend was slowly turning worse as each hour went by it seemed. It was a decent hour after that. The group from outside came back in to warm up from the snow. Half of the vodka bottle has been consumed by John and Hunter while they talked about the contingency plan for the rest of the weekend. The rest of the day was spent in front of the fire until it started to get dark. Dinner was light, the couple took the bathroom with the tub and the shower to clean, while the rest of the house went off to bed. Hunter had an alarm set to wake him up about two hours after the generator was supposed to run out. His "vacation" was still work but he resolved to try and make it a better weekend for Juliet because he did come to the realization that she did try to plan a decent surprise. The best thing for him to do was to make the best of it.

The night was quiet. The low hum of the generator filled the air outside while the house inside slept. It shut off once it ran out of gas at the right time allowing Hunter time to preserve the fuel needed to make it last as long as possible. His alarm went off quietly just alerting him. He was up before anyone else, giving him free rein. With his boots and coat on he mustered his way to the generator, filled the tank, and started it again keeping an eye on the window above the vent. As he walked back the wind picked up just enough to kick up some of the loose snow. It hit his face, stinging his cheeks and reminding him of where he was. As he got inside a lot of things seemed off. He looked back to another window where there should have been more light coming in. Looking out the blinds he couldn't see anything. The snowdrift was so high that the window was covered. They were only supposed to get six inches over the weekend but they got six inches overnight!

With a groan, he headed towards the kitchen where he found the family's younger boy with his hand in the pantry. Hunter watched as he grabbed a grain bar from one of the salvaged boxes. He tried to open it with his fingers but just could not get a grip. Getting frustrated, he ripped a corner off with his mouth before tearing the rest of the package off. Hunter didn't think anything of it. He began brewing a coffee pot for him. He listened to the coffee brew while hearing the child open another granola bar. Looking back he sees that it's not his second. There is an empty box at his feet with the side torn open and the contents devoured. The second box did not fare any better than the first but still had a few bars left. "Hey kiddo, you should save some for the rest of us." He was ignored. "Hey, you hear me?" Hunter stepped towards him trying to get his attention to no success. Once he placed his hand on his shoulder the child turned to him with a rapid movement. An image flashed before Hunter before it quickly disappeared. The child put the box back leaving the kitchen. Hunter followed watching him walk until he hit the stairs where he got on all fours and sped up them. Once he hit the second floor he was back to standing.

The deer goat again. For just a brief moment it was there. He was sure of it. His coffee finished with a ding causing him to jump again. With a cup in hand, he grabbed the extra food they had grabbed from the restaurant bringing it back to their room. He was stuck in a small cabinet outside of the reach of the heater where it would keep cool, not cold, but be able to keep itself fresh enough to eat. He sat down on the edge of his bed with his coffee cup in hand still shaking from his encounter in the kitchen. It was another couple of hours and a few trips for more coffee before other people started waking up. Hunter was polite and brewed a separate pot for the others but his drink of choice quickly changed.

The group was talking in the main room, sharing stories about themselves, and what they did until Hunter called for John. John got up and followed Hunter upstairs where they shut themselves into a separate room used for extra storage for their maintenance tools. "John, I need to talk to you and I need you to pull every little bit of information that you can out of your head. You ready?"

"Ivan, are you ok?"

"I'm trying to be but something is bothering me. What do you know about the area?"

"Oh! Well, the Great Lake area is a thriving trade…"

"No, this area. Where we are now. The cabin, when was it built?"

"From what I remember it was built near the beginning of the 1900s and renovated in the 1960s to accommodate more modern luxuries."

"Has there ever been anything weird that has happened here?"

"In the cabin? No. The tourism board bought it from the old owners in the 60s when they got too old to take care of themselves. They wanted to share it with other people who were unable to own or would like to experience a closer connection to the outdoors."

Hunter was pacing back and forth, "Anything weird since then?"

"Well, ghost stories here and there but that was more made up to attract people to come to visit. People love the unexplainable."

"Yea, that's the truth. What kind of stories?"

"Oh, the usual things moving by themselves, ghostly howls but that's because the building is old and the wind blows right."

"Nothing stranger than that?"

"Um, we did have an older gentleman who stayed here for a weekend who said that the place would be a bad choice in winter."

"Did he say why?"

"This was before my time here. I think there's only one person still working who remembers him but this was decades ago."

"Anything you remember, any little detail you have, please remember."

"I think it was something that had to do with some land spirit who would possess people. When I heard it the details were vague so I'm not sure myself."

"Does your phone get reception?"

"Yea, it does."

"I need you to call your office and speak with that person."

Before John could reply Hunter barged out to the balcony overlooking the main living room. "Hey, Hanson. Can I speak with you for a moment?" Before Hanson could answer Hunter was already on his way back to the tool closet. He pulled Hanson into the room with them before he even had a chance to explain. Hunter went to look at John but he was already on the phone, "The guy's not in today but they're calling him to get him with me." Time seemed to be critical of how Hunter was acting. Hanson grabbed him by the shoulders, steadying him from his pacing, "What is wrong, sir?"

"I saw it again this morning. The family's little boy was in the pantry and just kept eating as if no amount of food could satisfy him."

"But you saw it again?"

"The deer-goat thing. I touched his shoulder, he turned to me, and it just glared at me before disappearing."

John spoke up, "Ok, thank you. They're going to connect the call so I'm going to put it on speaker." The phone was placed on a shelf with the three of them around it. The call clicked over and there was an elderly voice on the phone, "Hello?"

"Hey, Marvin?"

"Yes."

"Marvin, this is John."

"Oh, hey John. How are you?"

"Doing well. Hey listen, I hate to bother you on your day off but I have some people at the cabin who have some questions about an old ghost story that you know of."

"I know a lot of ghost stories about that place. Most of them we debunked but don't let that secret out. Keeps us employed."

"Don't we know it? I've got you on speaker but there are only two guests. One of them had a question. You can go ahead."

Hunter moved squarely to the phone, "Marvin, my name is Ivan, how are you doing?"

"Doing well, son. What can I do for you?"

"I had a question about a story that you were told by one of the guests that stayed here."

"That narrows it down quite a bit. Which one is it?"

"Generally it was a spirit that would possess people. Someone warned me about not going to the cabin in winter."

"Going to the cabin in winter… It sounds familiar. Give me just a second. My mind isn't what it used to be. Going to the cabin in winter… Hm. A spirit that possesses people… If I remember correctly, it was an old Indian who told me that."

The color from Hunter's face disappeared, "Do you remember what it was?"

"Partially. He said that during winter was the worst time as the snow from the lakes could trap people in the snow leaving them vulnerable to the worst kind of evil that wanders the forest looking for those who are weak enough it can take over. It has an insatiable appetite that curses it to roam looking for its next meal hoping to fill its never-ending hunger. They are incarnate of gluttony, greed, and excess."

"Oh no…"

"It's a really good story, actually! I think it was the story of the Wannano? Winego?"

In unison, Hunter and Hanson groaned, "Wendigo…"

"Yea! That's it! Are you familiar with it?"

"The story yes, the creature no."

"Well, it's just a myth so you boys should be ok. Keep warm out there. If you have any other questions about any other stories let me know. I've got a lot of free time in my retirement to fill."

"You will be the first to know."

The call ended with John smiling, "It's not often we meet people who know so much about legends around here." Hunter looked at John with the most dead serious face he had ever seen in his life. Hanson was over his shoulder looking over the notebook that he had at the diner back in town. "John, we need to get people out of here. We need to get them back to town and back to civilization." He couldn't comprehend what he was being told, "Because of a ghost story?"

"All those stories that you were told about the boogeyman, monsters, and things that go bump in the night, they are real. Very real. And there are very few of them that I will refuse to mess with. Wendigo are very, very high up on that list of things to not fuck with. Ever. Now, if we get everyone back to civilization the Wendigo will lose its ability to overpower anyone here; however, to do that you have to make the call to leave."

John was in a deep state of disbelief, "Ha, you talk as if it's a real thing."

"It is real. It is very real and I do not want to be trapped in a place with one of them because it will kill us all with no remorse. The worst part is, no one will find what is left of us because whatever is left will be taken by it and picked clean. The only thing left here in the cabin will be a bloody mess."

"You really are playing this up."

"I am not playing. I am not joking. I am not screwing around. It is among us. Once we run out of food, once we run out of power, it will show itself. I will not be around to see it. Hanson, get our things. Get Abigail. We are leaving while it is still contained."

Hanson nodded, "Yes, sir."

Hanson left the room making a straight line to the bedroom. As Hunter went to leave he stopped just before walking out, "John, I really hope you never have to see what I have seen, but I really hope you begin to see this one." It was the only warning that he was able to give to him. Hanson was already packing things together and throwing the bags on the bed. Hunter joined in and within minutes everything was away. Hunter hit the weather radio to listen to what they were expecting to get. The mild snow had turned into an almost full blizzard warning in just the day. The two were almost ready as Juliet walked in, "Hey guys, what are you doing hanging out in here alone? We're about to…" She trailed off as she saw the two of them with their bags packed. "No. No! No! What the hell Hunter?"

"You need to listen."

"Listen to what? Your insane ramblings about how you don't have fun? "

"Juliet, I need you to really listen to what…"

She quickly interrupted, "I always listen, and now you get to listen to me! I planned this! It was very difficult to do and at the very least I am going to enjoy it!"

"Juliet, I really need you to…"

She continued, "No! Stop! You don't get it."

"No! You don't get it!"

"I do get it! You can't stand that I try to have fun and not work all the time! I want to enjoy some of my life other than wandering around with you two and the new thing that you collected."

"You mean Adam?"

Her voice changed to an almost mournful tone, "Yea, him. Poor kid has no idea what he's in for."

"And neither of you knows what we're in for now if we don't leave!"

"Dammit, Hunter!"

"Hisari!"

She paused. This was the first time since they met that he used her real name. Her ears began to ring at the sound of it. She could feel the collar twinge. She began to have flashbacks to the pain she had when he first caught her in it. Everything came flooding back all at once. She knew now that he was not kidding. "You need to listen to me. We are in grave danger here." She hesitated to answer him. Her fear was holding her, "Wha-what's happening?"

"There is a very powerful spirit that is known as a Wendigo. They are killers who will murder anything that moves. They feed on meat and can never be full so they continue to kill."

"Is… is there one here?"

"Not yet, but it's growing. I tried to save the others but they don't and won't understand."

"We're really leaving them here?"

"I don't want to but self-preservation comes first. Get Adam. We need to finish packing and get out of here. Hanson will call us a ride."

Juliet went out to the balcony asking Adam to come upstairs for a second. Hunter followed and watched over the group by the fire. The family's little boy was sitting on the floor fiddling with his fingernails. His mother leaned over trying to stop him grabbing his hand, "Honey, are you ok? You're really cold. Look at your fingernails." Hunter's eyes caught with John's. With a silent nod, he reinforced the idea that he was not joking. That the story he was told was not a myth anymore, or at least would not be for long. John stood up going up the stairs. He whispered as quickly as he could, "So, uh, if one of these Wendigo things does show up, how do you get rid of it?" It was a solemn head shake, "You really can't. You can free the host by getting them to an environment where they can collect themselves and fight back against the spirit that is trying to possess them. Once fully taken over, however, they are no longer themselves. They are the Wendigo. Their skin becomes taut and thick acting like armor that even bullets can not pierce. The only effective thing is fire to burn off the skin making them fleshy again where then they can be killed by bullets or decapitation. They grow deformed as they continue to eat. They never become full, they only grow larger, morphing further and further away from their former human shell."

The mother of the child was still playing with his hands, "You're so cold. How about you sit by the fire?" She lifts him by his armpits trying to scoot him closer but he fights and squirms to go back where he was. He screams and becomes irrationally violent the more she tries to push him closer. Hunter stands up straight, "Fire really is the only weakness once they change. Until then, they are just a human host." He pats John on the back, "I wish the best of luck, John. You and the others here." John lurched forward from the pat on the back. The words began to haunt him as he looked towards the small child fighting his mother. He was such a good boy at the beginning of the trip. He was full of life with rosy cheeks with a playful smile. But now he looked almost as pale as a corpse.

Hanson had already made a phone call to arrange for a ride to pick them up at the bus stop. With the blizzard conditions, it took the group almost two hours to make it. The food they had left in the room was their only sustenance until they arrived back in the city. Their ride was waiting for them in the snow. It was a large black armored vehicle with tire chains to make sure that it arrived. It was a slow ride back to town in the back of that truck. Hunter kept his eyes locked on where the cabin was located until they hit city limits. The group was put up in a hotel until the snowstorm subsided a few days later. In the meantime, Hunter kept to himself. He mostly stayed in the bar drinking, eating, and reading articles on his phone. As they were heading home they stopped at the airport as there was a breaking news story.

Hunter forced the others to watch while he was absorbed in it. The headline title read "Mysterious vacation disappearance" with a helicopter circling the cabin where they were staying only days before. The news reporter gave the whole story, "A group of 10 went into the shared cabin Friday midday expecting a relaxing weekend that quickly turned to a search and rescue organized by the sheriff's department. The last word from the group was a phone call the vacation organizer's office received at about 2:32am Sunday morning. We warn those watching that the following is graphic and may not be suitable for younger viewers." The screen switched to a blue box that had the transcript of the phone call;

"Hello MG Vacations?"

"This is John, I took a group to the cabin near Lake Superior, the Balton Cabin."

"Yes, how can I help?"

"The weather has been unfavorable and we ran out of supplies. We have one child who has become ill and we need to get a ride back to the city to get him help."

"With the weather the way it is we won't be able to get someone out there until midday at the earliest."

"How about a chopper?"

"The winds are too strong in that area. It would have to be until they subside."

"I don't think you understand, this child is very ill and…"

[Background, Female] "Honey are you ok? John, are you getting him help?"

"Yes, I am on the phone now trying to get him help!"

[Background, Female] "Please hurry! He's just not well!"

"Ma'am, I understand you're concerned but with the storm, we may be here for a while."

[Background] "Honey, you hear the man? You're going to be ok. You're going to be [inaudible scream]"

"What happened?!"

[Background, Male] "He bit her!"

"He what?"

[Background, Male] "He bit her! Took out a chunk of her cheek."

"Oh, no. Oh no. We need medical care here as soon as possible."

"Sir, we are trying to do what we can but..."

"There is no but, we have to…"

[Background] [More screaming]

"What's happening?"

[Background, male] "He's fighting us!"

"What?"

[Background, Male] "He keeps pulling at people and biting them!"

"Hold him down!"

[Background, Male] "We're trying but he's so strong!"

"He's 10!"

[Background, Male] "We don't know why! He's just able to!"

"Well try and lock him up somewhere!"

[Background, Male] "We can't grab him!"

[Rustling] "What do you mean? Oh my god!"

"John? John, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm here. The woman who was bit, it's pretty bad."

"How bad?"

"She's bleeding everywhere. It's as if her cheek is just gone!"

"We're trying what we can to bring medical experts to you."

"Please hurry! I'm not sure how long we can go!"

[Background, Male] "Little sh*t bit me!"

[Background, Female] "Don't hurt my baby!"

[Background, Male] "This isn't your baby anymore! This thing's a monster! Look at it!"

[Background, Female] "Don't hurt my baby!"

"Please hurry, I don't know how long we can…"

[Background] [Scream] [Gurgling]

[Background, Male] "He took her throat out with his bare hands!"

[Background, Female] "Do something!"

"John, are you with me?"

[Background] [John] "Quick! Put pressure on the bleeding! Someone hold him down!"

[Background, Male] "We're trying but he keeps…" [Screeching]

[Background, Female] "Marcus! No!"

[Background, male] "That's it! I'm ending it!"

[Gunshots]

[Background, Male] "Did you miss?!"

[Background, Male] "How could I miss?!"

[Background, Female] "Where did he go?"

"John, are you there?"

"Yes, I'm still here."

"Was that gunfire?"

"Yes, yes it was. We have one person critically wounded and one dead. The child just decapitated someone."

"Decapitated?"

"Yes. Then he ran off into the kitchen. I can hear him slamming into things. Quick! Hold that door shut!"

"John, we are trying to get medical personnel out to you to get you and the others out. Are you ok?"

"I think so."

"We are trying to get help for you. How many are there?"

"Let me see, there are five with the child."

"Five? Were others killed?"

"No, they left yesterday. They packed up and left. Oh my god, I should have listened to them."

"John, are you ok?"

"I should have…"

[Background] [Wood breaking] "Ahh! Ahhh!" [Screaming]

"[Panting] [Thumping]"

"John, what happened?"

"It just tore through the wood door and killed someone. It just shoved what looked like a hand of knives into his stomach and killed him!"

"John, I need you to stay with me."

[Slamming] "Oh my god, they were right. We're going to die here."

"John, who was right? Who said that?"

"The weird guy."

"What weird guy?"

"They warned us of the Wendigo and I just ignored it!"

"The what?"

"We're going to die." [Sobbing]

"John, John, I need you to stay with me. You're not going to die. We're going to get you help. How many are there?"

"It doesn't matter. [Sobbing] You're not going to find us in the morning. We're all going to be gone."

"John, don't talk like that. Tell me how many are there."

"Three. The mother stopped breathing. It's just me, one other, and the Wendigo."

"John, we're going to get you help."

[Silence]

"John?"

"There is no help for us…"

"John, we're getting you help. We have a helicopter on its way to you with police and medical."

"We're going to die here~!"

"John I need you to…"

[Cracking Noise]

"John, what was that?"

"It's in the room."

"John, where are you?"

"I'm in the utility closet. I can hear it breathing."

"John, I need you to remain calm."

"It probably killed the others. I'm the only one left."

"John, we're going to get you out. I need you to stay with me."

"They were right. It just keeps killing. No rhyme or reason. It just keeps killing!"

[Screeching]

"No! No! Noooo!"

"John! John!"

The call ended bringing the camera back to the newswoman who was in shock. "I… I have no words. I just can't. We'll be back in a bit." She leaned back in her chair with a deep exhale looking off to the side before a commercial started rolling. Juliet stood there stunned at the TV as they had an aerial view of the cabin still in the corner. She looked at Hunter who was still straight-faced and fixated on the screen. She nudged him slightly trying to get his attention but he was long gone. She nudged him harder, getting him this time, "You knew, didn't you? You really knew? You told me that you felt something following us and I… I almost got us killed because I wanted to have fun. That was almost us." Adam wandered behind him. Hunter looked over and could see the reality of the world around them begin to sink in. He remembered that look from when he started into this world. The boy had a long way to go before he was ready for anything of that magnitude but this would be his defining moment where he would shape the rest of his life around work to prevent. This was his Chernobyl. With a heavy sigh, "C'mon, our plane is about to leave."

Hunter and Hanson isolated themselves from each other to discuss. Sure enough, after the airing, there was a contract issued for the hunting and removal of the Wendigo. Both Hanson and Hunter knew better. This was something well above their skill level. They knew the horror that was about to be unleashed and they were able to avoid it. The next actions they took would have to be very carefully planned because they were the surviving four of the Balton Cabin Disappearance. Those who wanted to know what happened would surely look to them for answers. They had none. Their answer was to run and because of that, they were able to survive. It was only hours that they made it out. But for others, it was too late.