Jake and Alex raced along the mountain road. They were late in getting to the cabin they were supposed to be staying at.
Jake fidgeted with the strap of his favorite tattered orange sling pack, which was sitting at his feet. He felt like he was going to have a panic attack. Alex was taking these curves with way too much speed. "Slow down, Alex," Jake said, trying not to reach for the handle. He always got teased for grabbing the handle when someone else was driving.
"Well if someone hadn't turned off the alarm..." Alex glared as he drove.
"Well I didn't think I was going to sleep that late. You know I'm always up earlier than you when I sleep on the floor." Jake looked guilty, knowing it really was his fault they were late.
The clouds were a steely gray, blotting out the sun. An ominous foreshadowing of the storm that was to come later that night. It had snowed the day before in this area, but only lightly. The real storm was forecast to come that night.
"I'm sorry," Alex said, easing off the gas. He was still furious with Jake, but he decided to give him some slack. "Did you bring anything useful at least?"
"I brought a couple of books I need for studying." Jake turned to grab his favorite one from the back seat.
"Wasn't this supposed to be a relaxing weekend?" Alex sighed.
"Yeah well, I saw that you had packed your laptop and some computer parts, so I grabbed my books. Plus, if anything happens, I should be able to... Ha!" Jake pulled out a tattered book that looked like it was from the stone age. It had been re-bound multiple times. This time in a green leather that was starting to crack with age.
"Really?" Alex said. "I think those remedies went out last century."
"Yeah, yeah," Jake said, opening the book. "I plan to cross reference. Apothecary work is constantly changing, but this has been pretty reliable so far. How far away are we, anyway?"
"Should be there in about twenty minutes," Alex said, checking his phone. He had to resist the urge to stretch. Being in the car for five and a half hours was taking its toll. Alex hoped that this cabin would be worth the drive. Work had been stressful.
"We're definitely going to get cookies at the grocery store, right," Jake said, a little too loud.
Alex flinched at Jake's sudden loud question. He looked over at Jake, scowling. "Don't do that."
Jake smiled awkwardly, and they passed the remainder of the trip in silence.
Alex sighed, feeling guilty for snapping at Jake. He was feeling grumpy from the long drive, and he also hadn't had anything to eat all day, because they were in such a rush. It was already late afternoon, and neither boys had had anything at all to eat all day.
The cabin was a lot smaller than they had expected. It belonged to their friend Ryan's family. Ryan had really talked up the cabin, making it sound much more elegant and grand than it really was.
Ryan had described a sprawling cabin, with tons of room. It was actually a one room cabin though. Alex couldn't help but think that maybe Ryan hadn't been there since he was a kid.
"Well this is just great," Alex grumbled as he pushed his car door open and stepped out. "I'm going to kill Ryan."
"This isn't so bad," Jake said, putting his arm around Alex's shoulders, trying to comfort him. "It's...cozy."
Alex just rolled his eyes and grabbed one of his bags from the car. "Come on, let's just get our stuff inside. I want to go get supplies and get everything settled in, before the storm hits."
Jake grabbed a bag from the car and they headed into the cabin. The inside was even smaller than they both expected. There was a couch, a bed, fireplace, a wood stove in one corner, a pail for water, lots of candles, and a bookcase.
" Uhhh," Jake said, looking around. "Where's the TV?"
Alex groaned. "That's what I was afraid of. This place doesn't have power. Let alone running water."
Jake looked horrified. "Does that mean if we have to go, we have to..." He trailed off, letting his thought hang in the still air.
Alex walked over to a window near the back of the cabin. "Nope. Looks like there's an outhouse out back. Lovely."
"Geez," Jake said. "When was this place built? Like 1700?"
"Shut up, Jake," Alex said, rubbing his eyes. "Let's just get everything inside."
Alex walked back out to the car and grabbed another bag. As he turned back around, he saw Jake standing in the doorway of the cabin, holding a book bound in red leather.
"Hey Alex, look at this. I think it's about some knight king." Jake held up the book, and Alex could see a 'K' emblazoned on the cover.
"Ah, great," Alex said as he brushed past Jake. "You can read me to sleep by candlelight tonight. Now go get some stuff. I want to go get groceries."
Jake sat down on the couch and started reading a little bit of the book, completely absorbed in the book.
"Jake," Alex said in frustration.
"In a minute," Jake said, without looking up.
Alex walked over and closed the book, taking it from Jake. "Stuff. Now."
"Hey, I was reading that. How am I supposed to know where I was now?" Jake looked miffed.
Alex looked sternly at Jake. "You can read more when we go out to get supplies."
Jake groaned and reluctantly got up off the couch and headed outside to grab a couple of bags from the car, groaning the whole way.
"Hey Alex? Isn't it supposed to only snow tonight?" Jake's voice shuddered with worry. He held up a hand to try and catch one of the snowflakes falling from the sky.
Alex felt his stomach drop as he went to the door of the cabin. As he watched, the flakes of snow started falling faster and faster.
"Hurry up Jake," Alex shouted as he rushed out to the car and started helping Jake bring things in. Why had they brought so much for just one weekend?
They got everything in, just as the wind started to howl.
Jake looked nervous as the walls creaked from the force of the wind. He wasn't good with strong storms, and being in an unfamiliar setting didn't help. "A-Alex?"
"It's okay Jake," Alex said, putting an arm around Jake and pulled him close, hoping to comfort his best friend. "We'll be okay. It's just wind."
Jake shuddered as there was a bang from outside in the forest.
Alex led Jake over to the couch. He pulled the big blanket off the bed and wrapped it around Jake.
"I'll get a fire going. Just calm down," Alex said, sitting Jake down.
Alex calmly worked on the fire until it was crackling nicely. Then he lit a few candles and sat down beside Jake.
Jake was once again reading the book he had found earlier. He seemed completely absorbed, so Alex gently tugged on the edge of the blanket. Jake looked up and smiled, standing up and unwrapping the blanket from around himself. He sat back down, closer to Alex, and he covered both of them up with the blanket, before he went back to reading.
A silence settled on the cabin, punctuated by Jake turning pages in the book, the sound of the wind howling outside, and the occasional growl of the boys stomachs. There was also another, intermittent sound. It was faint, almost imperceptible. Like branches scraping along the sides of the cabin. He attributed it to branches brushing up against the cabin, but he couldn't remember seeing any trees that close.
"Hey Alex, do you..." Jake stopped himself as he looked over at his best friend. Alex was asleep, his head lolling back onto the couch.
Jake carefully pulled the blanket off himself and Alex, doing his best to be silent, and not wake him. Jake stood up and gently reached under Alex, lifting him. Jake grunted with the effort, his muscles protesting more than usual. "Geez Alex, you weigh a ton."
Alex didn't wake. He simply rolled his head towards Jake's chest and scrunched his eyes tight in his sleep.
Jake felt a warmth grow in his chest. He so rarely felt useful. Getting to carry Alex to bed, and Alex snuggling into him made him feel so good and useful. Although, Alex would kill him if he ever mentioned this.
He knew that he was getting weak because he was so hungry. There was nothing he could do about that now though. Hopefully the road would be clear enough for them to drive out in the morning.
Jake lay Alex down on the bed, and covered him with a warm blanket. Then Jake went back and tossed a few logs on the fire and stoked it until it was burning nicely. He then lay down on the couch and covered himself up.
Alex awoke in the night, his stomach aching from hunger. The cabin was dark, aside from a glow coming from the fireplace. That was funny though. Why was the fireplace so far away? It took a moment before Alex realized he was on the bed. He reached over to pat Jake, as thanks for putting him in bed when he had fallen asleep.
His hand only met empty sheets. A cold thrill of dread slid down Alex's spine. Where was Jake? Did he leave?
Alex sat up and looked around. He could see a faint glow from the fireplace that illuminated the cabin a little. As Alex looked around, he saw a slight movement from the couch. He realized it was Jake, asleep on the couch.
"You idiot," Alex muttered. He got up, shivering. He would deal with Jake later. It really was too cold for Jake to be sleeping on the couch, though. They should really share a blanket for warmth.
Alex tossed a few logs on the fire and stoked it until it was burning brightly.
He looked back at Jake and could see him shiver in his sleep. The blanket that was covering him was much thinner than the one on the bed.
"Come on buddy," Alex said, picking Jake up. Jake wrapped his arms around Alex's neck in his sleep. Alex just rolled his eyes, and carried Jake to the bed, and gently laid him down and covered him up with the thick blanket. "Sweet dreams buddy."
Alex was getting ready to get in bed himself, but then his stomach suddenly turned on him. "Not now..." Alex groaned and ran for the door. He used his phone light to find the outhouse, and he made it just in time. Thankfully, the outhouse wasn't very far from the cabin. The wind was still blowing snow, but it wasn't as bad as earlier.
After Alex finished, he headed back to the cabin. He noticed something move up in the trees. It was too dark to see what it was though.
He slipped his shoes off, and tossed a few more logs on the fire. Some movement caught his eye from the window, but it was too dark to see much. Probably just an owl. He then headed over to the bed, shoved Jake away from the middle, and climbed under the blanket and was soon fast asleep.
Jake was in the woods. He was running through the snow in the dark, being followed by something. He couldn't see what it was. The moon wasn't shining, and it was moving too fast.
Suddenly, Jake felt himself flying through the air. Then he landed on something soft, and he now felt safe.
Jake awoke, after hitting the floor. "Owww." Jake looked around, wondering where he was. It took several minutes before he realized that he was in the cabin, and everything came flooding back. His stomach growled and he patted it, gently. He was also starting to feel somewhat weak.
Jake inspected the bed to see what had caused him to fall out of bed. Space heater Alex had scooted over the middle part of the bed, probably looking for warmth, since it was so cold. He must have pushed Jake away when he had gotten warm enough, causing Jake to fall out of the bed. Jake rolled his eyes at the thought. That was definitely a new one.
Jake looked over to the fireplace. The fire had completely gone out, and the embers were cold. The pile of wood beside the fireplace was dwindling, too. He hoped that there was more wood stacked up outside.
That's when he noticed the sky. It wasn't near dawn. It was just cloudy. At least the snow had let up though.
Jake picked up his phone and saw the time. It was almost noon. They had slept for that long. His phone battery was less than half. So he turned his phone off and put it in his bag.
Jake stood for a moment, wondering what to do. Aside from being hungry, he was mostly just bored. He knew they would need water at some point though, so he grabbed two glass jars that were in a cabinet near the wood stove. He opened the door and shivered. It was so very cold. He leaned down and scooped up some snow in each jar, and brought them inside.
Jake then lit a small fire, trying to conserve wood, while still giving some heat, while he went out to see if there was another wood stack.
Once the fire was crackling, he silently bundled up as best he could, using Alex's jacket, as well as his own, and he stepped out into the cold.
Everything was so still. The snow had that effect on the world. Jake gazed around, taking in the scenery. Then off to his right, he heard a scaping sound. He spun in that direction, and he glimpsed something black slide out of sight around the side of the cabin. It was too quick for him to know what it was though.
Jake raced through the snow as quickly as he could. When he turned the corner, there was nothing there. He stood a moment, puzzled. What could that have been?
Jake found just what he was looking for though. A large pile of firewood under a tarp. He grabbed an arm full, thinking they were at. Then his heart sank. The were termites milling around, on the rest of the wood. "Crap," Jake muttered.
Suddenly, there was an eerie groan from the woods. Jake spun towards to sound, and saw a large shadow quickly dart out of sight.
There was nothing Jake could do about it. So he just headed back inside the cabin with the wood he had.
Back in the cabin, Alex was looking at his phone. He glanced up as Jake came in, and Jake could tell that Alex was in a bad mood. Alex was worried about his family. He didn't want them thinking that he was ignoring them in favor of Jake. There was a lot of animosity between his siblings and Jake. He was regretting not even trying to invite any of them to assuage their thoughts.
"No signal?" Jake asked casually.
Alex looked up at him annoyed. "No."
Jake walked over and patted Alex gently on the shoulder and Alex pulled away.
"Don't be like that buddy," Jake said, feeling hurt.
"Well if you hadn't turned off the alarm, we wouldn't have gotten here so late. I could have called my family when we went out. Now we're stuck here, and they might be getting the wrong idea. It's your fault." Alex looked balefully at Jake.
Jake just sat there, stunned. This wasn't like Alex. "Al, you know it's not..."
"Don't call me that. You know I hate that!" Alex lashed out. "Do you know how long it took me to get my family to stop calling me that?"
Jake scoffed, feeling his own frustration growing. "Yeah, cause that's all you care about. Your family. Sure you love me too, but they're so much more important."
"Well at least none of them has tried to kill themselves." Alex said, frustration rising.
Jake's expression went blank. His hand strayed to his wrist. The scars were only slightly visible now, and they ached occasionally. Alex's comment made them tingle slightly. "Okay. I... If that's really how you feel... Maybe I should try again."
Alex scoffed and smiled sadistically. "Yeah. You did such a great job last time. Maybe you could do better this time."
Jake was stunned. Then his brows furrowed in rage. "*bleep* you Alex Basil Stone."
"JACOB MICHAEL TURNER! LANGUAGE!" Alex shouted.
Jake just grinned, knowing that he had hit a nerve. "Θα το ήθελες στα ελληνικά; Или вы предпочитаете на русском? Я могу сделать и то, и другое."
Alex stepped forward and smacked Jake so hard, he fell to the floor, hitting his head on the hearth.
Jake pulled back in pain and touched his hand to his head. There was only a little blood, but it was enough. Alex's eyes went wide and they started to fill with tears. "Jake... I'm so sorry."
"I'm leaving," Jake said, getting to his feet.
"Jake no. It's freezing out there." Alex grabbed Jake's arm, but he pulled away sharply.
"Don't touch me," Jake said, refusing to look at Alex. He walked out the front door, and into the snow.
Jake stumbled along, his face burning from the smack. He tried not to think. Thinking just brought back the tears which blurred his vision.
He knew that he was in the wrong, just as much as Alex was.
After wandering a while, Jake finally sat down. The cold wasn't bothering him. Not much at least.
Suddenly, there was a rustling coming from the trees nearby. Jake looked in that direction, fearfully, wondering what he might see. There was some there. Something big and dark. He squinted, stepping forward, trying to figure out what it was. He could see the trees in front of him, but this thing. It was too far away to see clearly. The wind making snowflakes fall wasn't helping, too. Why hadn't he grabbed his glasses from his bag before he headed out. He hated those, that's why. That's why he had gotten Alex to drive. He always had to wear them when he drove, and he just felt so self-conscious with them on.
Then he heard his name coming from the way he had come. He stood and looked back in the direction he had come from. He looked back to where he had seen the shape, but it was gone. What could it have been?
Jake wiped his eyes, his hands so cold, the contact with his face made him wince. He started walking back, starting to get worried. He realized he was still wearing both of the jackets, and they hadn't brought any extras.
The snow was just deep enough to make walking hard. He had no idea how he had gotten this far this fast. Jake followed his own footprints, knowing Alex would be following his footprints as well.
After a few minutes, Jake finally caught sight of Alex. He was wearing pants and a t-shirt, while Jake had both of the jackets.
Once they both saw each other, the two boys quickened their pace and soon, Alex wrapped his arms around Jake.
"Im so sorry Jake," Alex said. His voice was thick with emotion, and Jake could tell that Alex had been crying.
Jake didn't hug Alex back at first. He was feeling very reluctant to admit that he was in the wrong.
Alex started to sob, his head against Jake's shoulder, and Jake started to soften. He could feel a lump rising in his throat as he hugged his best friend back. Jake reached up and patted Alex's head. "I forgive you buddy."
"Thanks," Alex said, pulling back. His face was red and streaked with tears. His eyes red and puffy. Jake had never seen Alex this way before.
Jake noticed Alex start to shiver. "Crap. Here." Jake pulled off both jackets and put them around Alex's shoulders. Jake flinched as a gust of wind blew, the icy cold feeling like a thousand needles pricking his arm.
"What about you," Alex said, wiping his face.
"Don't worry about me," Jake said, crossing his arms. "You came all the way out here barely dressed. I can deal with it going back."
Alex rolled his eyes and chuckled softly. "I was not barely dressed. I just didn't have my jacket."
Jake's expression softened a little. "Well, you might as well have been naked." He shivered again.
"Come on, let's get back," Alex said. "It's too cold to be out here, and you should clean that cut on your head."
Jake nodded and reached up and felt the cut on his head. It was shallow and not very long, but it had bled enough to make a small mess. Suddenly, out of the woods came a red fox. It was running, a look of excitement on its face. Behind it, a big gray wolf came bounding through the snow. It looked like it was having fun. The two stopped and looked at Jake and Alex, seeming curious. Jake raised a hand and waved at the two animals. They started to approach, seeming friendly enough, when their ears perked up, looking from the way Jake had come. There was an ear piercing roar that seemed to almost shake the earth. Jake and Alex froze, the blood draining from their faces. That didn't sound like anything either of them had ever heard before.
The fox and the wolf bounded off into the forest, much faster than they had arrived. Jake and Alex took that as their cue, and they ran as fast as they could for the cabin.
Back at the cabin, they locked and barricaded the doors the best they could. They were both still terrified, but trying not to show it.
After they did all they could, they built up the fire a little, grabbed a blanket, and sat down on the couch.
"Crap," Alex said, when he looked over at Jake. "I forgot about your head."
"It's okay," Jake said. Alex was already up though, rummaging around in Jake's bag for supplies.
Alex slowed, and looked over at Jake, looking disappointed. "Really?"
"What?" Jake said, looking puzzled.
Alex held up a box of bandaids with cute cartoon cats on them.
Jake chuckled nervously. "Th-they're cute. I just had to get them."
Alex rolled his eyes and took the box off bandaids, and Jake's iodine salve from the bag. He then got a rag and got it wet, and cleaned Jake's forehead.
"Hold still," Alex said as he cleaned Jake's head.
Jake squirmed and winced. "Owww. Be careful."
"Yeah well, you're really not gonna like me when I use this." Alex took the lid off of the iodine salve.
Jake's face blanched. "C-couldn't you just put on a bandaid without that?"
Alex looked at Jake sternly. "Nope. I'm not going to risk you getting an infection. Now hold still." Jake tried to get away, but Alex pinned Jake to the couch, and applied iodine salve to Jake's wound. Jake squealed and writhed in pain.
"There, all done," Alex said, when he had applied the bandaid. Jake looked up tearfully, and Alex pulled Jake up into a sitting position. "You'll be fine.
The two boys then huddled under the blanket, trying to warm up, still thinking about the sound from the woods. Neither of them spoke, however. Speaking about it would make it feel too real.
As they sat, the sky went from a light gray, to a blue, streaked with orange, as the clouds broke and the sun started to set.
As the darkness settled in, they lit candles and built up the fire, hoping to keep as much warmth in the cabin for the night.
"There isn't any more wood," Jake said, as they tossed a few logs on the fire. There were still several left in the cabin, but Alex understood well enough.
"We'll just have to try and get out in the morning and get help." Alex said, trying to sound hopeful.
Jake just nodded. "I'm hungry."
Alex pulled Jake close and rested his head on his best friend's head. "Me too buddy. Me too. Let's go to bed. That way the morning will get here faster and we can get out of here. It's gonna be a long walk."
Jake just nodded and he tossed the remaining wood on the fire.
Alex put all of the blankets on the bed, and climbed in. Jake climbed in as well, trying not to get too close. Alex lay a moment, before he finally scooted closer to Jake.
"Don't get used to this," Alex said. "It's too cold for us to worry about being awkward."
Jake couldn't help but smile. He loved Alex's hugs, and being those close to sleep was just as good. They hadn't slept this close since they were little. It really brought back memories. Happy memories from time long past. Jake also couldn't help but hope that he didn't accidentally kick Alex in his sleep. This thought made him want to giggle, but he stifled it, knowing Alex would know what he was thinking, and pull away.
The two boys drifted off to sleep, the crackling of the fire in the fireplace soothing them.
Jake awoke in the night, his stomach growling. Alex still snored on next to him. Jake had no idea what had woken him. The blankets were so heavy, but so warm. Jake sat up and looked over to the fireplace, he saw two embers hanging in the air outside the window. They must have floated down after exiting the flue.
Jake realized how far from the fireplace these embers really were. They were even placed far enough apart to look just like a pair of eyes. He chuckled softly at this and Alex stirred slightly, but he didn't wake. Jake looked back at the "eyes", thinking how amusing it was.
After a few seconds, Jake started to feel unsettled. The embers weren't moving. They just stayed there, and he couldn't help but feel that they were watching him.
A sudden sense of dread started to slide down Jake's spine. There was a scraping on the side of the cabin, near the window. A lot shifted in the fireplace, and the fire flared up a moment. From the sudden glow, Jake saw something white between the two glowing eyes. It was too blurry to tell what it was, but he had heard the legends.
Jake screamed, realizing that he was looking at. He scrambled backwards, bumping Alex in the process.
Alex woke with a start and pushed himself up. "Jake! What's wrong? Jake!" Alex shook Jake's shoulders, trying to get his best friends attention.
"It's... It's watching us," Jake said, now sobbing. He looked absolutely terrified as he stared at the window.
Alex looked to where Jake was looking, but there was nothing there.
"Jake...?" Alex looked at Jake, concerned.
Jake sobbed and hugged Alex tight.
"It's okay," Alex said, patting Jake on the back. "It was just a nightmare. Don't worry, I'm here. I won't let anything get you."
Jake sobbed and pulled back, looking at Alex. "No. It was there. It was a..." Jake was too scared to say the name, but Alex understood what he was thinking.
"That's not real," Alex said. "You're just hungry Jake, and your imagination is playing tricks on you." Despite his words, Alex couldn't help but doubt what he was saying. What if he was wrong?
"No, it was real," Jake pleaded. "That's what we heard in the woods."
Alex put a hand on Jake's shoulder, trying to reassure him. "No buddy, that was probably a grumpy bear or something." Alex was trying to convince himself as well as Jake.
Jake just nodded, knowing he would never be able to convince Alex. So he just lay down again, and Alex followed suit. Jake scooted close to Alex, basically snuggling against him. Alex felt annoyed, but he allowed it. Things had been so rough the past few days that he felt like he owed Jake.
The two boys drifted back to sleep again, and didn't awake again until morning.
In the morning light, Jake opened his eyes. It was far too bright. He turned to look at Alex, but Alex wasn't there. Jake quickly sat up, and he saw Alex standing by the front door, taking off his shoes.
Alex smiled weakly. "Good morning buddy."
Jake just waved and slipped out of bed. His legs were getting weak, but he could stand. "What were you doing?"
Alex looked disappointed. "I was trying to get a signal to call for help. No luck though."
Jake just nodded. "Maybe we should just start walking."
Alex nodded grimly. "Nothing else to do."
The two boys bundled up as best they could, wearing all of the clothes they had brought. They left everything else, but Alex handed Jake his glasses.
Jake groaned, not wanting to wear them. "Please don't make me."
Alex looked sympathetic, but he just pressed the glasses into Jake's hand. "I need you in top form. Or at least as close to that as we can get."
Jake groaned again, but he reluctantly put on the glasses. He knew Alex was right.
The two boys set off down the road they had driven up on. The air was so still. As if nothing wanted to move. Not even the birds were singing. They were looking down at their feet, hoping not to trip, when suddenly they noticed giant footprints that seemed to be going in the direction they were going, and a shadow on the snow.
They both looked up and saw the creature. It had to be at least ten feet tall. Its back was to them, but they could still see how emaciated it was. It even looked like it might be rotting away. Jake could see the antlers on its head.
Then their worst fear came true. It slowly turned and looked at them. It's eyes glowed red out of the deer skull it had for a head.
Jake and Alex stood frozen in horror. The wendigo reached up a hand and pointed towards Jake. He felt his heart sink, knowing he was about to die.
The creature started to step forward, when it froze in place and then it turned its head as if listening to something.
It didn't have lips, or other facial features, but the boys could tell that it was scowling in frustration.
It let out a deafening roar, and then it shot off into the trees, faster than Jake and Alex could imagine. It's footprints seemed to fade right before their eyes, as they heard what the creature had heard. There was the sound of an engine coming towards them.
They stood frozen in place, as a bundled-up man on a four-wheeler came into view. He pulled up beside Jake and Alex, who still hadn't moved.
"Thank goodness," the man said. "Your friend called us and told us that you had come up here, but that he hadn't heard from you. With the blizzard, and no one having seen you in town, we were all worried."
Jake and Alex finally broke down, their hunger forgotten. They were just happy to have finally gotten rescued.
