Final Countdown
Sam quickly remembered the plan—Alexander's life depended on them acting fast. "Hurry, we have to move. Alexander is counting on us." He urged rushing to his brother's side and pulling out a small knife as he started cutting the hostages loose.
Hailey, snapped back to focus by Sam's words, rushed to the hostages. Ben followed, though at a slower pace—his gaze flickering across the cavern, preoccupied with something else. Hailey went around trying to wake up all the hostages while Sam cut them loose.
She quickly realized that excluding Dean, the rest were all severely dehydrated. Her hands trembled as she stared at their pale, cracked lips. Their chests barely rose with each shallow breath. 'They won't last long like this...' Hailey thought, her mind racing, unsure what to do. She bit her lips in desperation trying to think of something. 'Sam and I don't have any water on us, it was all stolen… the nearest water source is miles away. They'll die soon if they don't get any water. Sam doesn't know the forest. And it'll take me a while to get there and back, by that time, they will be…they would be-'
Mid-thought Ben tapped her shoulder. She turned weakly, fighting back the tears in her eyes only to find Ben holding her camping bag before handing it to her. "How… where did you find this?" She asked ecstatic.
To which, Ben simply pointed to a dark corner in the cavern. Following Ben's finger she spotted a messy corner filled with old and dated items. Clothes, food, bottles, bags, shoes, etc. They were no doubt the belongs of the wendigo's previous victims. And amid all these items were their missing camping gear. She joyfully exclaimed as dove at Ben and hugged him. "Good job Ben. Good job. Amazing." She quickly opened her bag and took out a canteen.
Sam, on the other hand, had finished cutting everyone loose and gone on to wake up his brother Dean. "Dean. Dean. Hey... Dean. You alright?"
"Sam? Sammy?" Dean called out, a little dazed.
"Yes, it's me Dean." Sam answered, "Listen Dean, we gotta go. Alexander's in trouble.-
"Alexander? What about Alexander" Dean asked still a bit dazed.
"He needs our help. You got your lighter?" Sam asked with urgency even searching him.
"Yeah, I got my lighter...Why?"
In a dark cave only lit by the reflection of natural light from small openings in the ceilings, Alexander sped through, desperately running for his life. Behind him, a swift shadow raced after him with madness in its eyes. Despite the poor visibility, Alexander ran with all his might, bolting over the rocky terrain - praying not to lose his footing, knowing that a single mistake would spell certain doom. Behind him, a reaper-like shadow closed in, eager to rip him to shreds.
Although the wendigo was usually a silent predator, Alexander could hear its enraged gallops as it chased after him. He could feel the very ground shake as its 'hands and feet' pounded against them, rocks and dust rolling as though to get out of the furious creature's way. The cave trembled at its every step. And with every step it got closer to its prey and the closer it got the angrier it grew.
Suddenly, Alexander felt it. A small change in the wind, a slight bend in the path ahead. Although subtle, Alexander noticed. He immediately readied himself, knowing what these changes indicated - they were approaching the intersection. So he prepared accordingly. He moved in close to the walls as he ran, watching and studying the cave surfaces and the wind brushing past his face as he ran looking for the slightest indication of the fork.
Behind the wendigo was gaining in, its gallons getting closer by the second, its huffs - scorching the very air. It was closing in and Alexander could feel it.
Running with all his might searching for the sign, the signal, the change. The heat radiating off the beast warming his back. 'Shit shit shit. Where. Where. where is it?!' Alexander screams pushing himself to his limit his eye glowing with a golden hue searching for a mark, a bend, an end. Anything.
Suddenly a chilling sound, a growl, a huff - fell into his ears clear as day, as though it was whispered right next to his ear. A cool sensation travelled through his body - dread. The impending scythe of death sliced at him. It was over, his death was imminent.
But.
Just as the cold cruel scythe of death teased him.
Alexander's eyes widened. 'THERE!' Alexander roared immediately sticking his hand out and jamming his bare palm into the rough uneven surface of the cave griping a hold tightly as his palm dragged against the surface, his fingernail almost peeling off. Gritting through the pain, he pushed. Using the momentum of his speed and his hand as a pivot – he snapped, making a sharp turn around the wall into a tunnel right beside his.
He made it.
Or so he thought, just as he turned into the other tunnel a vicious claw had already slashed out, gunning to calm his life. However, by luck and the purest of luck only, Alexander was gone before the claw could claim him but unfortunately, the claw's desire for blood would not go unsatisfied. Not again, Never again.
The claw had missed his body but his hand was still out, acting as a lever for his turn - lingering like the irksome tail of a rat. Before Alexander could withdraw it the sharp tips of two lone claws ran diagonally across the length of his arm easily ripping through his jacket and literally peeling two thin long layers of skin. Alexander hissed in pain as he urgently recalled his arm, almost stumbling as he ran into the new cave.
After slashing at Alexander's arm, but missing his body, the Wendigo's attack carried its full force into the cave wall instead. The claw carrying a powerful momentum slammed heavily into the cave walls blasting away chunks and knocking the fast-moving Wendigo off balance. Rocks and debris flew as the wendigo lost its footing and was sent fly before crashing into the cave walls with a loud boom.
Alexander cared little for what was happening behind him or the loud boom he just heard. His palm, burning from his antics, and his arm, bleeding from the slash. But he continued onwards, determination glowing in his eyes. Clutching a rifle now covered in his and the blood of the beast.
The Wendigo twitched violently as it rose, its twisted limbs popping back into place with sickening cracks. Its single eye burned with unfathomable rage. It looked at the tunnel Alexander ran into and dropped on all fours to give chase but halted. Slowly lifting the attacking hand to see, that two of its fingers were bent in an awkward position. Looking at the injury, its hairy chest heaved madly and its breathing, chaotic. It was fuming.
Deep in the second tunnel Alexander heard a guttural screech, so sharp it sent a shiver down his spine. The entire cave seemed to vibrate with its fury. 'what's his deal?' he cursed.
Unfortunately, for Alexander, he was running out of breath, and even worse he was running out of room. He soon came to a dead end. There was nowhere else to run. The place he found himself was just a little bigger than a large room, it was wide and tall but there wasn't much space. It was much smaller than the carven from earlier.
There wasn't any cover to hide behind and it had a single source of light, a tiny hole in the roof that shone the dimming light of the red setting sun. If the sun sets while he's still with the wendigo his death would be all but certain. He could see in the dark but definitely not well enough to fight a wendigo.
And worst, it had one entrance and exit. The same way you came in was the same way you had to leave.
Alexander exhaled deeply, the weight of his situation settling over him like a thick fog. He took out Roy's hip flask and unscrewed the with slow, deliberate movements. Then, with a quiet sigh, he strode to the farthest point of the chamber and lowered himself against the jagged rock wall. The cold stone bit into his back, but he barely noticed.
He had one leg stretched out flat on the ground, while the other was bent at the knee. His good arm rested on the knee, and his head tilted slightly into its shoulder, his eyes peeking out just above his arm, watching the entrance. The hip flask stood at his side and on his other side, laid the rifle, flat beside him, his injured arm resting calmly on it, his fingers absently tapping the rifle.
Waiting.
The last rays of sunlight trickled through the tiny opening above—an hourglass of fading light, counting down to his death.
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//AUTHOR'S NOTES//
Guys, please read this. I promise not to flex.🙏
HAHAHAHAHAHA did you actually believe that i would not flex on you? Oh you poor soul... You poor poor soul🥺🤧. Of course i was going to flex.
Do you know how I am? I'm not some minor celebrity, that was a month ago. Who do you think I am, some wannabe star? Do you know how many subscribers I have on my Patreon? Go on guess... give it a go, I'll wait...
Let me guess, you probably said 1 maybe 2... 2.5 . HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. Rookie numbers HAHAHAHAHAHA.
I just checked yesterday. I HAVE A WHOLE 3 SUBSCIBERS. 3.
Can you believe it? I bet you can't. HAHAHAHAHA
A lot of people including myself can't even count that high. AHAHAHAHAHA I asked my 15month old nephew to count to three and bro couldn't even get past zero. The struggle is real.😔😞
Official Notice from NASA: counting to three is officially advanced mathematics. (Please NASA don't sue me I am only joking, i have 3 cents to my name🙇)
GUYS GUYS IN ALL SERIOUSNESS.
I really do hope you are enjoying the story so far. As you can tell it's getting to the final showdown between the Wendigo and Alexander. When I write what I want for my character is growth. Be it mental growth or physical growth. I want you guys to get a sense of Alexander's limits and strengths as well as his mortality.
So that his inevitable growth feels earned. With the way he interacts with the supernatural, I aim to write it in a way that makes you think "I could do that" or "If I had his skills that's what I would do too.". Also as it progresses and he meets more of the main cast I aim to develop his character more, I do not wish to write Geralt in Supernatural but Alexander in Supernatural.
So, what do you guys think about Alexander's chances? Does the Wendigo take the W or does Alexander low-diff this Voldermort looking ahh? Maybe Sam and Dean come and kill-steal like a boss or heck Hailey turns out to be the long-lost cousin of Chuck and smites he-who-shall-not-be-named?
Let me know your wildest predictions! Personally, I think Hailey comes in clutch. You saw how she slapped Sam, that god-level move right there.😤
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