Chapter Twenty-Five: A Dangerous Swim

(Repentance, Part 3)

***

Mateo and Mike, with Josh now with them, retraced their steps back to the lake and the door waiting for them on the other side. The door that would let them outside and they could leave this nightmare behind them for good.

His bite twinged, but Mateo hardly noticed the pain, the sheer relief of what Jordan had told him outweighing it. The bites weren't infectious, like his doubt and paranoia had told him, that his rational thoughts and Jordan had been right. He and Emily were going to be fine, they were still human, they wouldn't turn into monsters.

Not like the miners dud or the people the staff at the Sanatorium seemed to be trying to make them into Wendigos. Not like Hannah.

Hannah...

Grief squeezed Mateo's heart as he looked at Josh. After all this time, they finally had answers for what had happened to the twins, and it was more horrific and devastating than they or Mateo could ever consider. He wished he'd been right, that Hannah and Beth had been murdered, or at least Hannah had been. At least that was a better fate for her, than the one she was trapped in, the monster she'd been doomed to become when she made that horrific, desperate choice. 

And while he knew they might, Mateo hoped he wouldn't run into Hannah. That he wouldn't have to fight off a monster that had once been his friend.

As they walked down the tunnel, the stalactites and stalagmites making Mateo think they were in the mouth of some great beast, swallowing them up as they went further into its gullet, Josh walked away and said to Mike, "You didn't... you didn't have to hit me so much, man."

"Ah, yeah. I'm sorry about before, man. I thought you killed Jess," Mike apologised, before looking at Mateo. "I was wrong and Mateo was right."

Mateo nodded. "Yeah, we're... I'm sorry about how I treated you as well. I knew you wouldn't have hurt Jess, or willingly tried to trigger an attack in Jordan. But still, I'm sorry."

He turned away, before noticing a totem on the ground. Picking it up, he turned it over to look inside.

***

* FORTUNE TOTEM *

Mateo, Jordan and Wolfie were near the open door, watching with bated breath as the Wendigos stalked around the room. As they were distracted, Wolfie grabbed the edge of Mateo's flannel, tugging him to the door. He grabbed Jordan's hand and the three of them ran out of the lodge, escaping death—and ensuring that all three of them survived the night until dawn.

***

Mateo put the totem down, rejoining Mike as he heard Josh walk up behind them as well, his footsteps amplified by the cavern. They headed toward the still-open wooden door and Mateo braced himself for what would be on the other side, what they had to walk past so they could get to the lake, then down the tunnel and then toward the door where they could get the fuck out of here for good.

Turning to Josh, he whispered, "Brace yourself. This next part... it isn't pretty."

"What? What do you mean, man?" Josh asked, looking terrified. Mateo just gave him a grim look as they walked back into the monsters' slaughterhouse.

Despite what he said, Josh was still horrified, whispering, "No, no!"

Mateo moved to his side, giving him a comforting look as they walked down the tunnel and out of the slaughterhouse, Josh mumbling, "I know. I know, I know, I know. Okay."

Mateo looked at him. God, he hoped that once they all got the fuck out of here, Josh would get the help that he needed. He knew Chris and Jordan would vehemently try to make sure he would, and Mateo would be right beside them.

Trying to get Josh's mind off it, he murmured, "You are invited to my wedding, Josh."

Josh looked at him. "Really, bro?"

"Yeah, of course. You were always gonna be," Mateo confirmed, sending a faint smile that Josh tried to return.

The attempt at shift in mood disappeared when Mateo, Mike and Josh walked out of the tunnel and saw the lake. Mateo's stomach roiled at seeing the black expanse of the lake, the water pouring down from a mill doing little to disturb the glassy surface. Anything could be hiding down there, ready to drag them down and kill them. But there was no other way across. They had to swim through that.

Steeling himself, Mateo got into the lake along with Mike, trying to not make as much of a splash as he could. He looked behind him, seeing Josh get into the water as well. With them all in, they made the swim across, wading and then treading water as they moved into the deepest part of the lake. Mateo's heart shuddered in his chest at what could be underneath his feet, of what could be swimming in this cold, black water with them.

As he and Mike lead Josh through the lake, as the other side came closer, Mateo tensed as he felt something cold brush against his leg, heart galloping against his rib cage, pulse thundering in his ears.

Something was in the water with them.

That was the only thought Mateo had just before a cold, clawed hand grabbed his leg and dragged him underneath the water, just as he heard Mike yelling before he was dragged under as well.

The water was murky. Mateo's lungs screamed for air as he fought against the monster dragging him underwater, kicking out blindly in a desperate effort to escape. His foot connected with something as those claws loosened their grip. Taking the chance, he swam to the surface, his shoulder screaming, swimming as far away as he could from the monster that tried to drown him, breaking the surface behind a rock. Another splash came—Mike—drowned out by another splash and a screech.

Mateo and Mike pressed themselves against the rock, peering out to see the Wendigo that tried to kill them in front of Josh as he yelled, "NO! You're not real! No, you're not!"

"Josh," Mateo hissed and he made to swim back out, to get Josh and bring him to safety as the monster grabbed Josh, but Mike grabbed his arm. "Mike, let go!"

But Mike held a firm grip on him as Josh cried out, "Hannah?!"

Mateo and Mike both froze, as Mateo saw something on the monster's right shoulder—a butterfly tattoo. The same tattoo Hannah had, in the same place.

Hannah.

Screeching drew Mateo's attention back to what was happening as he saw the monster—Hannah—lift Josh up in the air. Mateo lunged out from behind the rock, ready to swim to them and free Josh, knowing that as transformed as she was, Hannah would mercilessly kill Josh, probably wouldn't recognise him, but Mike grabbed him again, pulling him behind the rock. Mateo thrashed in his grip, his shoulder screaming, as Hannah put Josh down and dragged him through the water back to the lair.

"Let me go, Mike!" Mateo hissed, continuing to fight.

"No! You'll be killed Mateo! I can't let that happen!" Mike hissed back.

"Josh will be killed! I have to—"

"And what about Jordan? I can't... I can't let that happen. I can't have her lose you. Not like I..." Mike argued, jaw clenching—he couldn't lose Mateo, his best friend, not after Jess, and he couldn't have Jordan lose Mateo. He wanted to save Josh, but he... couldn't.

"No! No!" Josh screamed, his words ringing in Mateo's ears as he stopped fighting, despair and guilt wracking through him as Mike let him go and they swam back to the other side of the lake and over the edge, bolting down the tunnel toward the door, Mateo fighting every instinct he had screaming at him to get back and save Josh, his screams following him, haunting him.

To know that for one second, they'd saved Josh... only to lose him again.

And this time, perhaps more permanently.

***

I'm sorry :(

Mateo wanted to go back and save Josh, he was fighting Mike hard to go back and save him. But self-preservation kicked in and Mateo and Mike had to leave :(

Also Mateo and Mike 🤝 Steve: Being dragged underwater a dark lake by an unseen supernatural force

But yeah, we're getting closer to the end and the final confrontation! Who's excited? >:)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!