Disclaimer: This is part 6 of an ongoing story. For part 5 click here:
Footsteps pounded towards the balcony. “What happened?” Amy shouted, skidding to a stop as Fritz, Hannah, and Jeremy followed behind her, their faces changing from laughter to panic as they saw Sam slumped on the deck, pale and trembling.
“Is she okay?” Hannah asked, rushing to her side. “What happened to her?”
“She collapsed,” Jacob said, not taking his eyes off Sam. “She was having another vision—something grabbed her this time. She just came out of it.” Sam finally looked up, her gaze haunted.
“I saw it again. It’s coming.” Sam shook, her heart racing. The others stood frozen for a moment, unsure what to say.
Jeremy stepped forward. “You mean that thing you were talking about before?” He looked to Jacob, uncertain. “You think it’s real?”
“I don’t know what’s happening to her,” Jacob admitted, “but I believe she’s not making this up.” Fritz looked out at the forest beyond the balcony, the humor completely gone from his face.
“So what now? We just stay here and wait for whatever this thing is to show up?” Fritz crossed his arms.
“No,” Sam said, her voice firmer now. “We prepare. We stick together. Because if we don’t—it’ll pick us off one by one, starting with me.” She continued, “I’m not sure why of all of us, I’m the one experiencing these cruel things, but its obviously for a reason.” Everyone exchanged glances, the weight of the moment finally settling in.
Whatever had come for Sam… wasn’t done yet. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke on. No one spoke for several seconds. Amy moved behind Sam, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders as if that could somehow ward off the chill that had settled into her bones.
Jeremy rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, fine. Let’s say this thing is real. What are we supposed to do about it? We don’t even know what this thing is that you’re visioning, or how to even stop it. We don’t even know how inhuman this thing is.” Jeremy looked at Sam, questioning the viability of the whole situation.
Sam’s voice came out low, distant. “It wants to feed.”
Fritz turned away from the balcony edge, his arms still crossed. “You’re saying it’s hunting us?”
“Not just us,” Sam replied. “It’s tied to this place. It knows who we are now. I’ve seen it feeding, growing. It’s like the more fear it gets, the stronger it becomes. I’ve witnessed it in my visions. I’ve seen what it can do. I’ve seen it feed off it’s victims.
Fritz shook his head. “This is insane. It sounds like a campfire story got out of hand.”
“I wish it was just a story,” Jacob shook his head. “But you saw her. You think that was fake?” He begged. “You’ve seen Sam’s fear. You’ve seen her face. And-” He continued. “Yet you don’t believe her. You think this is some made up story. You don’t know Sam’s struggles.” Jacob rose to his feet, anger growing in his voice.
Fritz began defending his position. “You’re all crazy. Sam is just begging for attention. Since the beginning of this trip.” A tear began forming. “This whole thing has been about her stupid fears. She’s been getting all of the attention and I’ve had it at this point.” He rolled his eyes. “All that has been going on in this vacation has been about trying to keep Sam from getting freaked out from some stupid dreams,” Fritz snapped.
Amy stepped between them. “Can we not do this right now? Please? Just stop arguing. It’s not helping.” She tried to de-escalate the situation. “If Sam says it’s real, I believe her. That’s enough for me.”
Fritz made a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, come on. You can’t seriously be on their side, Amy. You can’t be serious. Going with them?” Fritz rolled his eyes.
Jacob spoke again. “What are you doing, Fritz?” He asked in an annoyed tone.
“Getting away from all of you.” Fritz attempted to go inside and find a phone to call a taxi. But as he turned to leave, Jacob pushed him to the side.
“You stupid jerk,” Jacob said as he grabbed Fritz. “How could you be so heartless? All you care about is yourself.”
“Guys stop it. Stop yelling and help me.” Jacob’s gripped loosened as his attention moved to Sam who had grab and scratch marks on her side. Fritz took the chance and went inside.
Jacob’s eyes widened. “Oh my-” He looked at the marks. “Sam…”
Hannah, unusually quiet, looked to Sam. “What exactly did you see this time?” Sam tried to speak, but the injuries were too painful.
Amy took over. “In the time you were bickering with Fritz, Sam passed out again. This time, the vision became so much where what she was experiencing in the vision became physical.”
Jacob’s face became filled with horror. “How could I? I’m such a bad friend. I can’t believe I let this happen to her. I promised her I wouldn’t let her suffer again.” He crouched down to Sam’s side, grabbing her hand and holding it as she laid there in pain. “I made Fritz leave us. I fought with him over this. I’ve lost a friend.” Tears fell from his face as became filled with hate towards himself. He screamed in the pain he felt from betraying Sam.
Amy hugged him. “You’re not a bad friend, Jacob. You’re helping Sam get through this.” She smiled in reassurance. “We’re gonna help her get through everything, and when she gets over this, it will be like nothing happened.” Jacob smiled back at Amy.
Sam began speaking, trying to sit up. “Jacob, please, stop saying these things. You’re not a bad person. You’re a great friend.” She kept her hand in Jacob’s as she smiled.
Sam collected herself, changing the subject to explaining what she saw. “I saw the same forest again, only worse. Darker. The air was thicker. I heard someone screaming. It was—real. And then… I saw it.” She paused, swallowing hard.
“It’s ok, Sam. Just, try to tell us everything you witnessed. Take your time,” Hannah interrupted.
Sam took a deep breath and continued. “It was bigger. Its skin was rotting, but it was alive. Watching me. Waiting. It picked someone up and tore into them like they were nothing. Then it looked at me. Said, ‘It’s time.’ And I felt it. It meant me.” A deep silence followed, then a thud echoed from downstairs, causing everyone to jump.
Jacob stood up immediately, making his way inside. “Stay here. I’ll check it out.”
“No,” Sam said, rising unsteadily to her feet, grabbing Jacob’s arm, preventing him from moving. “We go together. No one’s going anywhere alone anymore.”
Jacob took a deep breath, a small grin on his face. “Ok then. Amy and Hannah. Stay with Sam while me and Jeremy go investigate.” He proposed, everyone agreeing. He cautiously began heading back inside, followed by Jeremy. This time, however, the house seemed different—heavier, quieter. Like something was listening from the shadows.
Jeremy and Jacob gathered in the living room, coming up with a plan on investigating the noise. “Ok so-” Jacob tried to speak as he was interrupted by Jeremy.
“Look, we’re inside now. But that don’t mean we’re safe. Not from this.” He gestured vaguely towards the walls, the ceiling, the very air around them. “You know what Sam said. There are things… things this place remembers. Things it lets in.” Jeremy became filled with concern.
“I know what she said, Jeremy, I was just–” Jeremy interrupted Jacob once again.
“Jacob, we need to be careful.” Jeremy took a deep breath, the sound of the room ragged and eerie. “We need to remember the rules. The old rules. The ones you learn when you grow up with the trees whispering things they shouldn’t.” Jacob’s face grew with concern “Remember when we were younger?” He asked Jacob seriously. “Remember how our parents begged us to be home by sundown?” Jacob shook his head in agreement.
“Yes, Jeremy, how could I not? Our parents made us come back home before it became dark. They would always tell us that there were things that were out to get us.”
Jeremy’s voice dropped into a near whisper, as if speaking louder might call something closer. “They never said what, not exactly. Just… stories. Warnings. But they meant it. Every nightfall, just like clockwork, they would tell us the same things; get inside, lock the doors, no exceptions. You remember that?”
Jacob nodded slowly, his expression hardening. “I always thought it was just backwoods superstition.”
Jeremy gave him a sharp look. “That’s what we thought at first. But thinking about everything, I’m starting to believe the things our parents warned us about are exactly what Sam is seeing in her visions.” Jeremy looked around, hearing more noises.
He spoke faster as the time he thought he had to come up with a plan was disappearing. “We don’t have much time left, Jacob.” He ran with Jacob to a secluded area, a temporary hideout. “There are rules, Jacob. Old ones. Not just traditions, but protections. If we’re dealing with what I think we are, then we better follow them.”
“What do you mean, Jeremy?” Jacob crossed his arms, waiting for the answer.
“Sometimes when you’re curious you do… dangerous things. Why do you think I would sneak out of my house once my parents were asleep?” Jacob glared back at Jeremy. “You always wonder why my grandpa would take me places at night?” He continued. “Me and him would explore the things I was told to avoid.”
“Jeremy…” Jacob was at a loss for words.
“Story time later, but for now…” Jeremy glanced toward the front door, then toward the windows, as if making sure something wasn’t already listening. “There are five. The ones my grandfather taught me.” Jeremy held up a finger. “Rule one: Never stay outside after sunset. If you hear your name in the dark, do not answer. No matter how familiar the voice sounds.”
“What happens if a person does respond?” Jeremy put a finger on Jacob’s mouth, silencing him.
“It will find you.” Jeremy held up a second finger. “Rule two: If you see something that looks like someone you know, but they’re wrong or off somehow,” Jeremy heard another thud. “Don’t speak to it. Don’t even look too long. That’s how it sees you.”
A third finger was raised, this time Jeremy’s voice was way more shaky than ever. He was filled with so much terror that he struggled to speak. “Rule three: Don’t whistle after dark. Please. Not on the porch, nor near the trees. It draws them in. They think it’s a call.”
Jacob swallowed hard. “Jesus, Jeremy.” Jeremy kept going, raising a fourth finger.
“Rule four: Spread salt across every door and window sill. You don’t sleep without it. If you see it differently in the morning, you leave.” Jeremy raised the fifth and final finger. “Rule five,” he said, quieter than before. “If you hear scratching beneath the floorboards, or tapping on the glass after midnight then do not check. No matter what. Don’t open anything. The best and only thing to do is just pray it moves on.”
Tears came to Jacob’s eyes. “Jeremy,” he began. “We have to investigate. For Sam’s sake. We have to go see what is happening, even if the rules are true. We can’t be scared, Jeremy, we have to go” He begged. “We’ll be ok.” He quietly got up, searching the room for a weapon.
Jeremy handed over a pistol with a trembling hand. “Take this,” he murmured. Jacob’s fingers curled around the grip. Jeremy loaded a few bullets into his pocket and grabbed a heavy brass candlestick.
“Let’s move,” Jacob said, voice low but steady. He crept toward the narrow hallway. He checked the gun’s chamber, then raised it slightly as they drew closer to the sound noise.
As they neared the end of the hall, a sharp creak echoed above them. Jeremy froze and Jacob turned back, with his gun raised. “Did it move upstairs?” Jacob whispered, his heart racing. Before Jeremy could answer, a rhythmic tapping started behind them.
“Don’t look,” Jeremy hissed, “It’s testing us.” Jacob clenched his jaw and kept walking, but every instinct screamed at him to look back. The creaks grew louder and louder, then suddenly it stopped.
As Jeremy and Jacob were dealing with the noise, Sam was trying to suppress her visions yet again. She heard a voice whisper to her.
It’s here, Sam. The creature has left your mind and become visible to your friends. Now, everyone can see it, and it seems your friends inside the house have already encountered it.
Sam’s eyes widened, recognizing the voice. It was the figure of light from before. She gasped, her voice throbbing from the vision.
“Amy, Hannah,” the creature tried to speak. “It’s gonna get Jeremy and Jacob,” she struggled more and more “If we don’t stop it now.” Sam finally finished what she was trying to say, her voice shaking.
Hannah got up, going towards the door and begging for Jeremy and Jacob to retreat. “Guys stop! Please, the creature is up there. If you don’t come out now, you’re both gonna die.” She yelled, each word becoming louder and more filled with fear.
Despite Hannah’s efforts, Jeremy and Jacob could not hear her desperate cries for help. They reached the door to the basement. Jacob put his hand on the knob, and looked at Jeremy.
“Ready?” He asked hesitantly.
Jeremy didn’t answer. His eyes were fixed on something just past Jacob’s shoulder.
“Jacob,” Jeremy said hoarsely. “Don’t open it.” The knob was already turning.
Jacob jerked his hand back as if burned. The doorknob creaked a little further on its own, then stopped, poised mid-turn like a breath being held on the other side. Jeremy raised the candlestick, his knuckles white. “It knows we’re here.”
The door slowly opened an inch, revealing only darkness. There were no footsteps and no voice. All that was there was that same heavy silence, pressing in around them like the house itself was listening.
Jacob and Jeremy braced themselves. Jacob stepped on the first step of the staircase, “Follow my lead” Jacob whispered, and Jeremy followed. Once the boys made it to the basement, Jacob searched for a light switch, however something moved against the ceiling. Jeremy looked up, stumbling back, dropping the candlestick.
“Get back!” Jacob shouted, raising the gun.
The basement lights flickered and died, one by one, like a wave of darkness rushing toward them. The candle in Jeremy’s hand flared suddenly to life, though he hadn’t lit it. Its flame burned green. “What the…” he whispered.
A cold wind blew up from the basement, carrying the scent of rot and something sweeter, sickly, cloying, like spoiled honey.
Jacob stepped forward. “Jeremy, Jacob. Over here!” The voice of Fritz was heard, but it was… different.
Jacob gasped, about to reply, before Jeremy put his finger on Jacob’s mouth, shaking his head no. “Don’t answer…” Jeremy mouthed.
“Please… help me.” The voice continued. It was a low, wet gurgling. Like laughter being choked down by a throat full of water.
Then, from the foot of the basement stairs, a hand reached up into the candlelight. It was pale and elongated.
Jacob’s eyes widened as he finally realized the creature was the same thing that Sam was dealing with… alone, in her visions. It was the very same thing that would constantly disturb her. The same thing she feared. He became determined to end it… to end Sam’s suffering. He would stop at nothing to ensure the creature would cease to exist, even if that meant sacrificing himself for her.
Back up on the deck, Sam begged for mercy. She begged for a way for everything to end, crying. “We have to go help them. Please. I have to go save them before it’s too late.” Sam looked at Hannah and Amy, tears filling her eyes.
Hannah shook her head in agreement. “We can’t let them die.” She said in all seriousness.
Sam spoke again. “It’s down there and if we don’t go now-” Amy cut her off.
“None of us will make it. It won’t stop until we’re all dead.” Amy’s face grew with concern. “Let’s go.” Her face became filled with determination in spite of her fear.
Hannah and Amy hugged Sam. “We go together, or not at all,” Sam said, courageously. Amy and Hannah shook their heads, all approaching the basement.
“Come on guys, please. Don’t leave me alone to suffer.” The creature kept mimicking Fritz’s voice, clawing at the floorboards. It began to pull something else behind it, something still hidden in shadow.
Jacob raised the gun again. “Tell me that’s not Fritz,” he whispered. Jeremy didn’t answer. He was praying. Jacob took a step back, gun trembling in his grip.
Jeremy shook his head, eyes wide. “I don’t- don’t look at it too long,” he whispered, shielding his gaze with one hand.
The creature revealed itself, fully emerging from the darkness. Its form twitched and twined like smoke under glass, humanoid only in the most generous sense. Its limbs extended and retracted, joints cracked in slow-motion. The green candlelight warped around it.
The creature jerked violently, its head—or what resembled one—turned toward them with a slowness that felt personal.
Jacob squeezed the trigger. The gunshot echoed through the house, deafening. The creature twitched once, roaring from the wound. Jeremy dropped the candlestick. The flame didn’t go out—it floated in place, flickering in time with their breathing. Or maybe the creature’s.
Then a sound, a different sound came from upstairs, getting closer and closer to the basement. Footsteps. Real, human ones. “They’re down there!” Sam yelled, opening the door. “We’re coming, just hold on there.” She encouraged, opening the basement door and making her way down the stairs. Amy and Hannah followed.
“Stop this!” Sam yelled, approaching the scene. A figure stumbled up from the dark, shielding his eyes. Blood matted his shirt, and his right arm hung uselessly at his side. It appeared to be Fritz, but distorted and inhuman
“Sam! You’re here!” Jacob shouted, grabbing Sam and holding her to him as she entered another vision. This time, she saw the figure of light from before. You have to fight. It said. I will be with you every step of the way. Tonight, this ends, for all of us. Sam smiled. Your friends will help you as well. Before Sam knew it, she woke up in reality, back to the same fight she was just in. She looked up, determination in her eyes.
Jacob turned. “Sam?” He asked, but before he could say much, the creature was gone. The hallway was empty, filled with an eerie silence. Only the floating green candlelight remained.
Jeremy looked around, panicked. “Where did it go? Where-?” Sam cut him off.
“It’s not over yet. It’s still here.” She cried tears of desperation. “It never left… it’s always been here.” As the few moments of silence began passing, the green candle light emerged.
“What is that-” Jeremy’s eyes widened, seeing the light turn into a figure.
Do not be afraid. I am the light which has been guiding Sam this entire time. I am here to help end this once and for all. The figure said, showing fragments of Sam’s visions that she has been seeing. From the moment you started this journey, I have been connected to Sam. I cannot reveal my true self, but for now only know that I am neither human, nor creature. I am simply a being. Everyone’s eyes filled with confusion but also trust.
“Thank you-” Amy tried to speak, but the figure dissipated. Sam had a smile of relief, before getting back to the more serious matter.
“The creature isn’t gone… and it’s never gonna be gone. For now we need to come up with a plan to defeat it.” Sam encouraged her friends.
“Ok, but what the heck is that, Sam. Why does it know you? Why is it protecting you?” Jacob became confused and wanted answers.
“That’s beside the point. For now, we have to prevent the creature from doing any damage. I don’t have all the answers, but what I do know is that if we don’t try to do anything about this, it’s gonna do damage. It won’t stop until it kills every one of us, until it kills… me.” Sam hesitated, the weight of her own words settling over the group.
The air became thick and heavy, almost as if time had passed, then suddenly, Sam’s breathing slowed, and the world around her faded. She was pulled into another vision, the darkness swallowing her.
Sam, I need you to listen to me. The creature you’re up against is known as the Wendigo. The figure came back, speaking as it showed Sam the forest she was in before. Sam heard the same screams as before, this time realizing it was Fritz who was screaming, begging, fighting back. It was Fritz who lost his life.
He’s dead, Sam. The Wendigo claimed his life. The creature was mimicking him. It’s victim, dead. The figure of light tried to explain, but Sam was too heartbroken to listen. The light showed what Fritz’s final moments were like. It was a glimpse of something that had already happened. The Wendigo had already devoured Fritz.
“Please–” The figure cut Sam off.
Tonight it has retreated, but not for long. It will attack again tomorrow, which is when we fight back. I’m truly sorry for everything, Sam. The figure gave Sam a hug, before sending her back to reality and dissipating.
When Sam woke up again, tears filled her eyes. “He’s dead…” Sam whispered, barely able to form the words. “Fritz- he’s-”
The room fell silent, horror sinking into each of them like a slow, choking fog. “Sam, stop,” Jacob said quickly, trying to steady her, but the look in her eyes stopped him cold.
“The light showed me his final moments… he was begging,” Sam said, her voice breaking. “I saw him fighting. Screaming. Then- nothing.” Tears filled her eyes. “This is all my fault… How could I have not known it was him- She cried, burying her face in her hands.
“No,” Jeremy muttered. “No, that can’t be right. We saw him, Sam. We heard him.”
“We didn’t,” Sam said quietly, her voice hollow, and her face red from crying. “We heard the Wendigo. We heard a mimic of Fritz.”
Amy covered her mouth with both hands, tears forming instantly. “Oh my… Fritz- no… no, no, no…”
Jacob remained frozen in shock, unaware of what to do. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Finally, he whispered, “He hugged me the other day. He joked with me. How could that not have been him?”
“It wears skin,” Sam said, looking up at them through tear-blurred eyes. “I’ve seen what it does. It doesn’t just kill you. It steals you. It feeds off of you… then you become a victim.” More silence filled the atmosphere, heavy, suffocating.
“We should’ve known. We should’ve known!” Jacob was fueled with rage and sadness. “He was acting weird, saying things that didn’t sound like him.” He turned away, his chest heaving as he tried to contain the mix of rage and guilt tearing him up from the inside.
“We couldn’t have known,” Hannah said softly, but her voice trembled.
Sam took a deep breath, not giving up. “Tomorrow night. That’s when this ends… for all of us. That’s when we fight back. For Fritz.” They all fell into a quiet agreement—raw, shaken, but united by grief and the grim necessity of survival.
Outside, the wind shifted. And somewhere, it was waiting to attack again, listening….
