Made To Be….

Spoiler-free summary: Curses are made to be broken. At least that’s what all the stories say
Longer summary: Mike and Sam are the only ones who escaped the lodge alive, but no one believes what happened to them and plans are being made to rebuild the lodge. As the only two who know the truth about the wendigos, they reluctantly return to the mountain… only to find that maybe Chris had a point
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the entire Until Dawn games; AU; violence; sexual content/references; swearing
Author’s Note: This is an idea that’s been in my head for quite a while during the course of playing the game… which is really addictive. Oh… and there’s an extra character who’s going to crop up. And it’s the next story in the Twenty Fics.

###

It was never about sex.

When Mike woke with Sam curled up on the bed with him, he didn’t react like the Mike of several months ago would have. He didn’t make a move on her. She didn’t make a move on him. It wasn’t about sex. It wasn’t about love. And if they’d managed to save any of the others, maybe they would have ended up in a big puppy pile on Mike’s bed… curled up together for warmth, because who else could they turn to for comfort, when everyone around them thought they’d lost their minds?

Sam’s warmth was a comfort. When Mike was having a good day, he could joke that the cold of the mountain had seeped into his bones… that he was so used to the extreme temperature, he didn’t need the heaters on. And that was true. Everyone had noticed the differences; not just in the scars that covered areas he didn’t let anyone see.

He had no qualms about showing off his body before. Now? Now, he knew full well the kind of reactions he would get. And he liked to tell himself that he’d grown up; he’d seen enough now that vanity was a low priority… but if he was honest, at least with himself, there were times he missed the boy he’d used to be.

“Did you sleep at all?” Sam’s voice was a soft murmur in the dark.

“A coupla hours… maybe. I sleep better in the light.” It was why Mike had wound up taking a job as a night guard. At least on those kind of patrols, he didn’t have to worry about getting torn to pieces… about that part of him that thought he probably deserved to die more than any of the others, since if he’d never agreed to that stupid prank, Hannah wouldn’t have run… Beth wouldn’t have followed… and maybe the wendigo would have still targeted them, but if they’d stayed together, they might have stood a chance.

“Hey. Stop doing that.”

Mike looked away, unable to keep eye contact with Sam. His eyes landed on his army jacket… not that it had started out as his, but he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. It was tattered and worn… stained with blood and God knew what else… but he’d felt braver wearing it; no matter that that bravery hadn’t mattered in the end. Sam was the only one left… and she’d saved herself as much as he’d saved her.

“Hey.” Sam’s voice was sharper this time. “Feeling guilty isn’t going to help them. It’s not going to bring them back.”

“What time is it?”

“Don’t know. Three?” Sam sighed and rolled in closer to Mike’s chest, as if seeking warmth. “Maybe we should leave town. Take a trailer… a tent… go backpacking across the world. We survived wendigos on a mountain in the middle of winter. I’m sure we can survive in the wilderness.”

“Says the vegan.”

“There are plenty of edible fruit and plants. You’ve just gotta know where to look.”

Mike was quiet for a second or two. “Your parents still trying to talk you into seeing a counsellor?”

Sam snorted out something that would have been a laugh on anyone without their shared issues. “The only reason they’re not having me outright committed is they can’t prove I’m a danger to myself or others. Quote: ‘I’m sorry, madam, but staying up all night isn’t a good enough reason to consider mental instability.’ Unquote.” She lifted her head to make the air quotes with her fingers. “Are yours still pissed cause you refused to go into further education?”

“Have you met my parents?”

“Once. Briefly. Long enough to decide I didn’t want to repeat the experience.” Sam nuzzled into his chest like a cat… or a wolf. “All the more reason to take off. I don’t mean forever. Just, you know, long enough for everyone to stop worrying.”

“They’re worrying about the wrong thing.”

“You know that. I know that. We need to give the rest of the world some time to catch up.” Sam yawned and closed her eyes. “At least the fire means they won’t be rebuilding any time soon.”

###

“Fuck!”

Mike’s expletive shattered the silence and Sam whipped her head round so fast, she nearly gave herself whiplash. She still counted it a win. There’d been a time she would have hidden under the nearest object… or been halfway out of the window before her rational mind came back in control.

“Mike. What is it?” Sam stood from the couch and walked over to her flatmate.

Mike’s eyes were dark… shadowed… hooded. He tossed a newspaper on the table. “We have to go back.”

Sam’s why? died on her lips as she stared at the headline:

Billionaire Plans to Rebuild.

The article went on to explain that an eccentric billionaire had entered negotiations to buy the Washington lodge, with the intention of rebuilding it and using it as a holiday home. After the loss of all three of their children, the Washingtons hadn't put up much of an argument.

Sam took it all in at a glance and then looked at Mike. "Maybe the danger's over?" she suggested, though there wasn't much hope in her voice. The man they'd met had indicated that fire didn't kill the wendigos themselves... only set the spirits loose to possess other people. "I don't know if I can go back there." Sam didn't really consider herself brave. She'd stepped up when it was necessary, but the thought of going back to that mountain... even if the terror was over...

Mike's face showed nothing but sympathy. "We've got to make sure no one else falls prey to the curse. If we could find some evidence... even if most people think it's a hoax... maybe someone will listen."

"What do you want to do? Find a severed head? Some charred remains of a wendigo? Mike... I've seen these sequels. They never go well for the survivors."

Mike dropped his gaze to the newspaper. "I want to find my wolf."

"He's a wolf, Mike. He can take care of himself."

"No... not this one. He was tame. And the other wolf with him... one of the wendigos tore it apart. Sam, I left him alone on the mountain. I've gotta make sure he's okay." He paused and then continued, in a much quieter voice, "I don't expect you to come with me."

"Don't be silly," Sam retorted. "What's the alternative? See my own version of Doctor Hill? No thanks. Let's just make sure we've got plenty of supplies with us this time."

###

It was déjà vu.

Mike stood on the other side of the cable car station. The weather this time was sunny, negating the necessity for the headlamps they'd packed. Both he and Sam carried a backpack with the basic supplies both felt they needed.

"Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Sam murmured from somewhere to his right.

Mike tore his gaze from the bench... the memories of the snowball fight between him and Jess... and checked in his pocket for the keys to the cable car. "At least we're not going to be stranded this time."

Sam checked her phone. "We have just under twelve hours before it'll start getting dark. We should spend about half that searching. If we haven't found anything by then, we need to hole up somewhere... set up traps..."

"Sure you don't want me to carry your backpack along with mine?" Mike teased. He wondered what it said to his state of mind now that he felt more comfortable... more like himself... here on the mountain. The bitter cold seeped into his body in a way that was scarily familiar.

"Don't push your luck."

The two began walking side by side. Mike's rifle and some extra clips of bullets were shoved into his belt, where he'd practised removing and reloading until he could perform both manoeuvres lightning quick.

It was a surreal feeling, to be walking the same path they'd followed months ago. Even in the daylight, he was expecting to see one of their friends. There was even a part of him that expected to see Hannah and Beth... despite knowing both of them were dead. He couldn't imagine how much Hannah had suffered... wounded and bleeding... eventually having to resort to cannibalism to survive. And how alone she must have felt...

"We should avoid the lodge and the sanatorium." Sam's voice cut into Mike's musings. "No matter how intelligent or tame your wolf is, he's still a wild animal. And we blew both buildings up, so he's not going to stick around there."

"So we need to head to the mines."

"Yeah. We'll just put our heads right in the den of the sleeping lions," Sam murmured.

Mike fell silent and just concentrated on walking as far as he could in a direction he only remembered in the dark. He suspected, no matter how strange it was, that he would have had an easier time finding his way at night.

It was Sam who broke the silence, after they'd been walking for close to half an hour. "Are you sure we're going the right way? I don't remember this area."

"I guess you didn't come this way. It's how me and Jess got to the second cabin. We fell into part of the mines along the way. I figure we can set up base there... from what I recall, it should be easily defensible."

"Look at you, Mr. Class President."

Mike glanced sideways at Sam, but he couldn't see even a hint of the smile he'd heard in her voice. The joke had fallen flat; the easy banter was too difficult to sustain. And even though the daylight hours were safe, Mike couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

Then again, his wolf wasn't the only one who had acted strangely.

In the daylight, it was easier to see the path Mike had taken with Jess... to find the entrance to the mines she'd stumbled down into. As he peered over the edge, he imagined he could see her... still waiting for him to jump down and join her.

Sam wasted no time shimmying down into the shaft, landing in a crouch. Mike waited until there was a clear space and then he dropped down behind her, landing with enough force to send jolts through his legs.

By the time Mike had stood and opened his backpack, Sam already had hers open and was taking her sleeping bag out, along with the baseball bat she'd packed. Within moments, she had her own space set up... and a couple of flamethrowers in hand. "Good job, Mike. If we need to stay overnight, we can sleep in shifts... and if we stay against the wall, we can see anything that might come at us."

"And set up traps above... just in case any of them get any ideas." Mike unpacked the bear traps as he spoke.

Sam eyed the traps. "I know we have to defend ourselves, Mike... but I don't like the idea of using traps like those. I've seen what they can do to an animal's leg and... well... remember what Chris said about them being human once? What if... there was a way they could come back?"

"You can't think like that, Sam." Mike set two of the traps a short distance in front of them, leaving enough room for them both to move. "It's them or us... and we both know they won't hesitate." He stood up and took a step back to admire his handiwork. "Besides, I'm not expecting to hurt them. Fire's the only thing that will penetrate their skin. But if we can just slow them down a little... enough to buy us some time..."

"Remind me again why I agreed to do this?"

"You can't keep doing this, Hannah. You're going to get yourself killed and then where will we be?"

Mike froze at the sound of the voice. A glance at Sam revealed she'd done the same. There were various legends about wendigos that claimed an ability to mimic human voices. Mike couldn't fathom why one was copying Josh... unless Hannah had spared him, for whatever reason, and their insane friend had managed to survive this long without turning... but that wasn't possible. Wendigos didn't remember... they didn't know.

Did they?

Sam's gaze was focused on Mike and he could read the question in her eyes. Had he seen the wendigo... Hannah... kill Josh? He remembered hiding... being ashamed he'd hidden like a coward, despite knowing that trying to save the other would have only resulted in them both being killed. But he hadn't seen him die.

Holding eye contact with him, Sam moved very slowly and touched a finger lightly to one of her flamethrowers. If Mike hadn't been watching her so closely, he would have missed it. As it was, he gave a slight nod and then began stepping forward... rifle in hand without a single thought.

Sam stayed next to Mike as he moved with slow, sure steps in the direction the voice had come from. Her earlier words of putting their heads in the lion's den flittered through his mind and he considered turning back... but then again, if he'd wanted to be safe, he wouldn't have come back to the mountain at all.

The sound of voices... more than one and both human sounding... grew louder the further the two of them got into the mine. Mike frowned as he began considering several possibilities: that a wendigo (or more than one) was mimicking human speech to draw the two stupid humans who'd escaped once already into a trap; that Josh's mental problems had grown so much, he had an extra split personality; or... the least likely (considering they'd seen everyone else die), there was another survivor. And for some reason, instead of leaving the mountain, they'd chosen to stay and...

Speculating wasn't going to help... and if Mike was thinking about that, he wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him.

Reaching a corner, Mike exchanged a glance with Sam and tightened his finger on the trigger of the rifle. He saw her tighten her own hold on the flamethrower and they exchanged a nod before he stepped round, preparing to fire.

There were two people on the other side. One was standing... and that was Josh. He was facing them... but his eyes were focused on the person crouched in front of him; a person who looked far too familiar, even seeing her back.

Sam pushed past Mike, dropping the flamethrower. "Hannah?!"

Mike quickly scooped up the flamethrower, holding it and the rifle trained on the siblings. Hannah had stood and turned round, making it clear who it was... but the sight was so impossible, he was wondering if he and Sam were hallucinating.

"Hey, Mike..." Josh edged forward, stepping in front of Hannah and holding his hands up. "You're not gonna shoot us... are you?"

"What the fuck is going on here?" Mike demanded.

"I don't know." Josh kept his hands raised defensively. "When I found her... I thought I was hallucinating. I figured at least I wasn't alone, though. But you can see her?" His gaze darted uncertainly between Mike and Sam. "You can both see her?"

"I don't understand how." Sam edged closer, moving around Josh... who stepped to one side, but still kept himself in between Mike and his sister; as if he was expecting Mike to just randomly start shooting. As if Mike couldn't see for himself that Hannah wasn't one of the wendigos... even though he didn't know how that was even possible.

For her part, Sam had crouched down with one hand held out... as if Hannah was a wild or frightened animal. Mike watched as Hannah slanted towards the other woman... and as if that was a signal, Sam wrapped her arms around her and hugged on tight.

"How are you both alive? And not turned?" Mike asked suspiciously.

It was Sam who spoke. "That old guy said fire sets free their spirits, right? Maybe, if the wendigo let go of Hannah... she was able to come back." She looked down at the woman in her arms. "Do you remember anything?"

"And how do we know you aren't possessed?" Mike asked suspiciously.

Josh shrugged. "I don't know what the criteria for getting possessed is... but there is wildlife on this mountain. And our third member has been useful in keeping us fed..."

"Third member?" Mike asked.

A familiar grey, shaggy head pushed its way past Josh's legs. Mike didn't know where the wolf had come from, but he quickly shoved both rifle and flamethrower into his belt and crouched down to reach his hand out to his furry friend... who stepped forward and pressed his head into Mike's chest.

Mike didn't even care that he could smell rotting meat on the wolf's breath... though he did wrinkle up his nose. "Hey, buddy. You managed to get away from the fire?" He ruffled the shaggy fur and then stood up, taking in the cuts and bruises that covered Josh and Hannah. "Why didn't you leave?"

"Where would we go?" Josh asked.

"I became a monster..." Hannah whispered. She leaned into Sam and closed her eyes as a couple of tears tracked their way down her cheeks. "I don't think I can even go home... I deserve to die..."

"No, you don't," Sam replied, her voice more serious than Mike had ever heard it before. "I don't want to hear that from you... from any of you," she added, looking at all of them. "I've seen too much death. I don't want to see any more."

"Then why did you come here?" Josh asked.

"Your parents are selling the mountain," Mike said. "And I wanted to come back for Wolfie...?"

"They can't do that!" Hannah protested.

"Hey, you wanna come back with us and tell the world we're telling the truth... be my guest," Mike said. "But they already think we're insane... and they can't explain away the disappearances of everyone. It's not like they could even find the bodies."

"Are you just... living off the land, then?" Sam asked.

"We've been trying to trap the wendigos," Josh said. "After I found Hannah? Well, it was obvious fire only destroys the host... at least in most cases. But Hannah was possessed by a different kind of wendigo, which is why she escaped unharmed. At least physically," he muttered.

"But how are you trapping them?" Mike asked. "Where are you holding them? How are you holding them?"

"I still have... I don't know what it is," Hannah said. "I can run faster. And we can use me as bait. I guess... maybe they still see me as a threat."

"Is that what we heard, Josh?" Sam asked, straightening up and looking at him. She looked back at Hannah. "Did you get yourself hurt by using yourself as bait?"

"It was just a scratch..."

"I know I'm insane, but I don't think your behaviour is very indicative of good mental health... or something," Josh mumbled.

"How safe is this place?" Sam asked, standing up and linking her hand with Hannah's.

Josh shrugged. "It's clear up until the next area. Unless someone else has turned, but we haven't seen anyone else up here. Of course, with four of us... plus the wolf... who knows what could happen?"

"That's all I need to know." Sam pulled Hannah to her feet and headed back the way they'd come.

Josh glanced after his sister and her best friend. As they moved past Mike, Hannah flinched visibly and ducked her head... but didn't say anything. Mike could see a long, deep scratch on her arm as she disappeared from view with Sam, though.

"I'm sorry."

Mike turned back to Josh. "I blamed you for what happened to Jess... I guess... I mean... you wouldn't have hurt her, right? Any of them? I know it wasn't you..." He shook his head. "Man... I don't even know what I'm really doing back here. But I know we can leave. The five of us."

Josh shook his head. "Can't do that, man. They'll lock me up for sure. And Hannah? They'll run tests on her... I've gotta protect her, Mike. I didn't think she was real... now I know that she is and I couldn't protect her before?" He shook his head. "I can't take her back into the world. What if it doesn't stick or something?"

Mike wanted to tell Josh he was being stupid... but was it really that stupid? He'd seen for himself how everything was so different here. The animals were different... and who could say what would happen to the wendigo curse once they got off the mountain? Hell, Hannah could die, for all he knew. Even so... "Aren't you supposed to be taking meds or something?"

"It hasn't been as bad now... or maybe me and Hannah are just... insane together. Who can tell?"

"I think we both got a little crazy when we got back," Mike said quietly. "I don't know about Sam, but I feel more at home here now."

"And I thought I was the crazy one."

Mike glanced back over his shoulder, wondering what Sam was doing with Hannah, and then looked back at Josh. "I'm not sure you're as crazy as you think you are."

"Crazy enough to put all my friends in danger. If I hadn't insisted we all come out to the lodge... if I hadn't planned everything I did... you all only came because I asked you to."

“I don’t think any of us would have agreed to come here if we’d known what was waiting,” Mike said. “I’m just sorry your sisters had to go through what they did.”

“There’s nothing to stop you and Sam from leaving,” Josh said. “You shouldn’t be forced to stick around here. Even if someone does buy out the mountain… there are plenty of places me and Hannah can hide. And I’m sure we can start rumours that this place is haunted. Maybe, with a few videos out there, word will get out this is a dangerous place.”

“You’ve given this a lot of thought.” Mike sat down against the wall, propping the rifle next to him, and smiled when the wolf flopped down, head on his leg. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he addressed his four-legged friend… then spoke to his two-legged one. “Same with you. I'm glad to see you’re alive.”

"You shouldn't be. I'm a monster. Worse than the wendigos here," Josh said, his voice filled with self-loathing. "They can't help their nature. I... could have helped everything."

Mike didn't know what to say to help Josh feel better. He didn't even know if he should say anything. It was probable none of the others would have died if Josh hadn't invited them all to the lodge... but it was always easy to look at the past and think of what-ifs. It was called hindsight for a reason. "I don't think anyone would have steered clear of this place for long," he said out loud. "It was going to come out sooner or later." He strained his ears, glancing back in the direction Sam had taken Hannah. "Are you sure your sister's safe?"

"I'm not sure of anything anymore, Mike." Josh sat down next to him. "But I think I know what Sam's doing." He swallowed. "If... there wasn't anything wrong with me, I'd have done what Sam's doing?"

"What does that mean?" Mike quickly stood, the wolf lifting his head to free his leg, grabbing his rifle, as he heard the sound of flesh hitting flesh. It was very faint, but the sound was unmistakeable.

"Sit down, Mike." Josh looked around and then lowered his voice, as if worried they might be overheard. "Sam's spanking Hannah."

###

Hannah's hand was soft and warm in Sam's as she led her from the boys. As she walked with her friend, Sam thought about what she was planning to do; about whether she should be taking on this responsibility, even though it was clear Josh was unable to be responsible for another person right now.

As they reached the packs, Hannah spoke. "How long have you known?"

"Do you remember that time Jess and Emily dared you to shoplift?" Sam asked.

"I remember you stayed with me until Josh came to pick me up." Hannah paused and then added, "I thought it might get Mike to notice me. If I was... more adventurous. More like..."

Sam turned to face her best friend. "Jess and Em weren't nice people, Hannah. They didn't deserve what happened to them... no one deserves that... Oh, shit." She sighed as Hannah's face crumpled. "You didn't deserve it either."

"I think I deserve to die." Hannah's voice was a low, tortured moan; barely able to be described as human at all.

Sam thought about shaking Hannah. She thought about it... but she didn't do it. Her time here had affected her enough that she could no longer consider herself a pacifist; at least when it came to defending herself and those she cared about. But fighting for Hannah wasn't about picking up a baseball bat... or about hitting a switch... or even shooting a gun.

Avoiding the traps Mike had set out, Sam sat down on her sleeping bag, pulling Hannah down to sit next to her... and then she paused, a bit lost. While she knew what Josh (and Beth, she suspected) had done in the past to respond when Hannah had done something she shouldn't, Sam had never had to physically punish someone before. And Hannah looked so dejected, Sam wanted to tell her it was all right; that she didn't have to be punished.

But then Sam remembered Josh implying his sister acting dangerously by using herself as bait. She remembered Hannah running off into the snow without even a coat, all because of a prank. And while the prank had been cruel, Hannah shouldn't have reacted like she did.

Sam thought about that and she found the decision to punish her friend an easy one to make. She decided not to worry about how Josh and Beth had handled it.

Sam took hold of Hannah's hand, squeezing it gently, before she gave a tug, drawing her friend across her lap. Well... in actual fact, she was encouraging Hannah to lay across her knee; she wasn't strong enough to pull her friend if she wasn't willing to go.

It was a strange feeling, to have a warm, solid weight across her lap. Sam noticed how Hannah's hands gripped tight on the sleeping bag, but she didn't know where to put her hand. In the end, she settled it uncertainly on Hannah's waist, drawing her friend closer against her stomach.

Sam slid her other hand under Hannah's stomach, undoing the button and zipper on her jeans. Within moments, she had Hannah's backside bare across her knees... and she felt her friend shift uncomfortably.

Raising her hand, Sam brought it down in a swat that was loud rather than hard. She knew nothing would be served by going about this half-assed... and Sam didn't want to risk Hannah repeating her behaviour because the consequences weren't severe enough. With that in mind, the second swat was much harder.

Hannah must have felt the difference, because she jerked forward and let out a tiny whimper. "Ow."

Sam paused, but when Hannah didn't move again, she resumed swatting her friend's backside hard. Each swat echoed with a crisp sound that was unmistakeable. Sam didn't pause or falter... but she cringed at how loud the spanking was.

By the time Sam had completed one full circuit of swats, including Hannah's sit spots and thighs, her hand was beginning to sting. Wincing, she forced away the discomfort and made herself continue swatting hard, starting a second circuit and ignoring the tiny whimpers and groans that escaped as Hannah wriggled and writhed across her lap.

As Sam began a third circuit, she let her hand fall a fraction harder... though she kept them at the same speed. Halfway through the third circuit, she began to speak... using the swats more as an emphasis to what she was saying. "I don't care how guilty you feel, Hannah. What happened to you was awful. I found your diary," she admitted. "It took a month before your will broke. I don't think I could have held out that long." She paused to deliver a few sharper swats to Hannah's thighs and felt her friend jerk. "It's understandable that you feel guilty about what you became, but if you kill yourself trying to set things right, all that's gonna do is let them win."

"I'm a monster..." Hannah's tears made it nearly impossible to decipher what she'd sobbed out... but Sam was fairly certain that was what she'd said.

"You are not a monster," Sam stated. "And killing yourself isn't going to bring anyone back. I don't want you to die," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I lost so many friends already... I can't lose my best friend again..."

Hannah had already been crying, but Sam felt her stiffen and then slump forward as she began to sob... the sound heartbroken and painful to listen to. Sam didn't know if it was the right point to stop or not... but she couldn't force herself to carry on. She quickly tugged Hannah's clothing back into place and then rested her hand on her friend's back. "I'm not going to let you get yourself killed. I'm not going to abandon you." She'd lost too much already. She was going to hold on tight to what she did have with both hands.

Slowly, Hannah began to lever herself up off Sam's lap. Sam let her and then looked uncertainly at her friend's tear-stained face. She only relaxed when Hannah wrapped her arms around Sam and hugged on tight, pressing in close with a sniffle.

Sam let out a breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding and touched Hannah's head, stroking her hair. "It's all right..." she whispered. "We'll deal with this. You and Josh aren't alone anymore. I promise."

###

Mike couldn't relax, even when the sounds of the spanking faded and all he could make out was the quiet murmur of voices. His wolf whined and pressed against Mike's leg, forcing a halt in his pacing.

"You're making the wolf nervous," Josh observed.

"This whole place is making me nervous," Mike muttered. "You saw that thing's lair, Josh. I mean... I know it was Hannah, but... Fuck..." He ran a hand through his hair wearily. "I had to set the damn sanatorium on fire to stop them, but according to that old guy, all fire does is release those spirits. Does that mean we're possessed now? Are we gonna reach the point those miners did?"

"We've got something they didn't have, though," Josh said. "We know what's coming. Forewarned is the same as forearmed and all that." He stared blankly at the wall and spoke in a much quieter voice. "I don't know what's real or not."

"Yeah, well, I'm real. You can count on that."

"If you were real, you would be punching me out right about now."

"I'm not following your logic. I was ready to hurt you because I thought you killed Jess. Now?" Mike shook his head. "I'm pissed about what you did, but more because we didn't need that and the wendigos. But I seriously think you need help, man. You're not well."

"I can't leave Hannah."

"I'm not saying we leave anyone behind. We head to the cable car. All of us, Wolfie included. If Hannah shows any signs of turning... anything like that... we come straight back here and figure out our next move. But we've gotta try. The three of you survived here... I don't think five of us will have the same kind of luck."

"I... where would we even go?"

"Well, Sam was saying something about taking a backpacking trip into nature. If we can survive wendigos, I figure we can survive camping. Or pool our money together and get a caravan."

"You should go," Josh said. "I'm not... I won't be of any use to you."

"Didn't you hear what I said? We're not leaving anyone behind."

Josh got a stubborn look on his face that was rarely seen on the man who used to be so easygoing. "You take Hannah. She doesn't need to stick here with me."

Mike ground his teeth. Before he'd had to take on the mantle of a warrior, he would never have dreamed of getting into a brawl. He would have never considered hitting a friend... even a friend who had done as much as Josh had done. But he was scared, even though he tried to hide it. He was relieved that Josh and Hannah were both alive, because at least that meant there was some good that came out of this whole horrible situation.

And now Josh was going to stay behind and force them to leave without him? No. That wasn't going to happen.

"Okay, Josh." Mike's voice came out calmer than he was expecting. "Here's what we're going to do. You're going to lean against the wall and I'm going to take off my belt and use it until we're satisfied you've paid for whatever you think you need to."

Josh stared at Mike and then barked out a laugh. "You're not serious."

In answer, Mike unbuckled the belt at his waist and pulled it free.

"Fuck." For one moment, Josh looked wild enough to flee in the opposite direction. But then, shoulders slumping, he turned and rested his hands flat against the wall.

Mike held back a sigh as he moved  to Josh's side. Doubling the belt over in his hand, he landed it hard across the seat of Josh's pants.

Josh jerked in response and Mike placed his free hand on the other man's back to hold him still as he brought the belt down a second and third time, hearing the noise the belt made as it whistled through the air... as it dully slapped against Josh's bottom.

Mike continued bringing the belt down until he reached Josh's thighs... and then he started over from the top. "I'm sorry about everything that happened, but giving the wendigos another victim isn't going to change anything. I'm not going to lie and say everything's perfect, but the four of us can stay together and none of us have to do anything we don't want to..."

"You don't want me with you...!" Josh burst out.

"Yeah. I do. We made a mistake... you made a mistake... everything went wrong and so badly. Me and Sam? We've been pretty much disowned by our families. All we've got is each other." Mike brought down the belt on each word to emphasise it. "And now we found you both... you don't think we're gonna make sure we can stay together? Unless I'm mistaken, I think that's what's Sam's doing with Hannah."

"I don't understand..."

Mike could hear the tears in Josh's voice and he dropped the belt, placing his hand on the other man's shoulder and squeezing gently. "We're still friends, Josh. Let's go and join the girls... I think they'll agree with needing to leave." He gave a smile he hoped was reassuring.

Josh sniffled, wiping his dirty sleeve across his face, and nodded. "Okay."

Mike picked up his belt and replaced it, then turned to the wolf, who'd hung back during the relatively short thrashing. "Come here, boy." He motioned with his head, pleased when the wolf padded to his side.

Josh wiped once more at his eyes and gave Mike a trembling nod, before joining him to find Sam and Hannah.

The End