Calian slowly regained consciousness, groaning as his head pounded with an unbearable ache. His vision was still blurry, and he could feel the cold, damp air on his face. It took him a moment to realize that he was inside a large, metal cage.
"Ouch..." the bump on the back of his head still hurt, a reminder that it had all been real, "W-where am I...?"
The sound of footsteps echoed through the faintly lit basement, and a figure emerged into view. He squinted, trying to make out the face of the approaching man. As he came closer, the man realized it was none other than Phil. However, his name tag indicated that he was Dr. Phillip Werner, the director of the McCarthy Institute of Anthropology.
"Ah, you're awake. Good." Werner said, his tone devoid of any warmth. "You've given us quite the scare, running off like that. I trust you've had time to reflect on your actions and come to the realization that this place is the best place for you."
The stunned man tried to speak, but his voice came out as a hoarse whisper. "Wh-what... Phil? Who are you? What happened to Jalen?"
"I'm afraid you won't find any answers here in the basement, locked inside a cage like a filthy animal." Werner's smile was cold and calculated. "But perhaps, in time, you'll learn to accept your place and understand the true purpose of the Institute."
"Why are you doing this to us?!" Calian shouted, anger flaring in his eyes. "Jalen is dead, and you're acting like nothing happened? Release me right fucking now!"
"As I've mentioned, we're here to conduct research..." Dr. Werner's smile never faltered, "And everyone is following their purpose. As for your friend, well, sometimes, the dangers of the world can't be controlled."
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Young roared fiercely, frustration clear in his voice as his demand for freedom was completely ignored.
"You're an unpredictable variable. And unpredictable variables must be contained to ensure the success of our research. We're doing this for the greater good, for the betterment of humanity. It's for the best, trust me."
Calian stared at Dr. Werner, his mind reeling. Trust this man? The man who stood in front of him, spewing lies and manipulation as if it were the most natural thing in the world? He didn't know what to believe anymore. But two things was certain - he didn't believe a single word from that crazy man and he also had to find a way out of this place. The caged Young man had to find the truth and to seek justice for Jalen.
"You're the one who killed Jay!" Calian exclaimed, his voice filled with rage. "His blood is on your hands, and you have the audacity to stand here and lie to me!"
"You're delusional, my friend." Werner said, still laughing. "You think I'm responsible for your friend's death? Do you even know the true nature of the monstrosity that lurks in these woods? It's a part of the folklore of the Wabanaki people, an ancient and powerful creature that has been part of the Algonquian legends for centuries."
Calian's confusion deepened. "What do you mean?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger and fear.
Dr. Werner's expression grew serious. "The Wendigo, my friend. A vengeful and insatiable spirit that consumes everything in its path. We're here to study it, to understand it, and to find a way to control it. But first, we must contain it, and that's where you come in."
The poor man's mind raced as he tried to process the new information. The Wendigo, the legendary creature of his ancestors... Chavez was raving about this before, but how could it be real?
"You're lying!" Calian bellowed, his voice hoarse from shouting. "You're the one who killed him, and now you're trying to pin it on some old legend!"
"No, young man..." Phil shook his head, a smug expression on his face. "The Wendigo has always been here, and you witnessed it with your own eyes, didn't you? But you, with your reckless actions, have only made things worse. We'll have to deal with the consequences of your actions, and perhaps, in time, you'll come to understand the importance of our work."
As the researcher walked away, leaving Calian alone in that stainless steel cage, the young man couldn't help but feel a sense of despair and helplessness. Jalen's death, the creature, and now this. What had he gotten himself into, and could he possibly find a way out of this nightmarish situation?
Werner, after distancing herself from the cage, chuckled and mocked the imprisoned man, comparing him to a mere insect; "You're nothing but an insignificant guinea pig. A speck of dust in the grand scheme of things. But we'll see how you fare against the Wendigo, and maybe then, you'll finally understand."
"You sick motherfucker!" Calian's anger and fear only grew as he listened to Dr. Werner's mocking words. The realization that he was trapped in a situation far beyond his control sent shivers down his spine. All he could do now was wait, hoping for a miracle that would save him and, perhaps, the Wendigo's other victims.
"Tell me, Mr. Young..." In that dimly lit room, the self-titled 'director of the McCarthy Institute' turned to the captive man, who was cowering in the corner, clearly looking for a way out; "Do you know the legends of the Japanese youkai, especially the Oni?"
"..." taken aback by the question, Calian remained silent, his confusion evident.
The bald, middle-aged researcher continued, "Mr. McCarthy, the founder of this institute, personally traveled to Japan to research these legends. Specifically, the myth of an Oni that was associated with the Jubokko, a sentient and monstrous tree that fed on the blood of the dead."
"What does this have to do with anything? You've definitely lost your mind."
"To facilitate his research, the old Irish anthropologist even established a branch of the institute in Tokyo." the man continued, his tone showing authority.
Confused, he inquired; "Get to the point, Phil."
Dr. Werner's response was chilling. "The parallel I'm drawing, Calian, is between the Wendigo, a creature from your own culture, and the Oni. In both legends, human blood is the key to eternal life."
"What...?" the realization that these ancient legends could be coming to life right then and there hit him like a ton of bricks. The Oni, the Wendigo, and the incident at the mansion all seemed to fit together, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread and responsibility for the consequences of his actions, "Wait a minute, where are the others?!"
Satisfied with the information he provided, Phil remained silent and left the locked man to ponder over the new revelations. Young's world had been turned upside down, and he could only hope that he would find the strength to overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacle before him.
As Phil prepared to leave the room, Calian couldn't help but speak up, his frustration and disbelief palpable. "Don't be foolish. You are crazy for believing in these old legends and myths. Now let me out of here!"
Unphased, the director responded, "Is that so, young man? Don't worry, soon you will feel the truth of my words on your own skin."
A shiver ran down Calian's spine as he recalled the harrowing encounter with the supposed 'Wendigo' in the mansion. The memory of the beast's terrifying form and inhuman growls filled his mind.
Before he could say anything, Dr. Werner's pager, a device that seemed far too modern in 1972, began to beep. The researcher rolled his eyes and said sarcastically; "Pardon me, 'sir subject', but I've got some concerns to attend to. You'll have to excuse me for the moment, but I'll be back shortly."
"Wait!" anger boiling within, the furious man demanded, "Stop playing games, and release me immediately!"
However, the plea fell on deaf ears as Dr. Werner left the room, leaving Calian alone, trapped in the claustrophobic space filled with several boxes and some other cages, a stark reminder of his predicament. To make things even worse, before leaving, the researcher turned off the lights in the room. It took a few seconds for the young man's eyes to adjust to the darkness.
***
The underground room was really dark, the low luminosity coming from outside cast long shadows that seemed to shift on the walls. Overall, the entire room was quite spacious, with metal cages and wooden crates of various sizes lining the walls, most of them currently empty.
In the center of the room, there was a table with a stainless steel surface, resembling something you'd find in a veterinary clinic. The table was surrounded by an array of medical tools, scalpels, forceps, and syringes. On the far wall, there were shelves filled with books, papers, and bones, the latter looking like they belonged to a variety of animals, both large and small. The air in the room was thick with the unmistakable scent of disinfectant, as if the place had recently undergone a thorough cleaning. The atmosphere was gloomy, as if the room had witnessed many dark and disturbing events, and it seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the next one to unfold.
The only window in the room, positioned high up on the wall near the ceiling, offered a narrow view of the inky black night. The darkness outside was only punctuated by the occasional moonlight, casting a silver glow on the snow-covered ground below. The position of the window, so high and secluded, was a clear indication that the room was indeed part of a basement, hidden from the world above. The sight of the night sky served as a penetrating reminder of the claustrophobic and isolated nature of this underground basement-like space.
It was not uncommon for large mansions, especially those built in the early 20th century, to have basements like this one, hidden away underground. This was particularly true for the wealthy, who might have desired a discreet place to conduct their personal affairs or research, away from the prying eyes of the outside world. Such spaces were also often used for storage, and in the case of this room, it seemed to have been repurposed for more sinister endeavors.
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Calian paced anxiously within the confines of his small cage, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the cold, damp walls. The cage, approximately the size of just over 5 square feet, was hardly a comfortable space, but it was all he had to move about in. He tried to process the surreal turn of events that had brought him to this mysterious, shadowy room.
While he tried to think and reason the whole situation, he listened intently for any sounds from the other cages, hoping to find a clue as to his whereabouts. In the distance, at the end of the corridor, he heard a faint, haunting moan.
"Hmmm... What...?"
A shiver ran down his spine as he recognized the familiarity of the voice. "Who's there? Is someone there? I thought I was alone!"
"C-Calian...?" a soft, strained voice echoed through the corridor, instantly recognizable to him.
"Kate, Is that you?!" his heart swelled with relief. The man had finally found someone he knew, someone he could trust in this bewildering, inexplicable situation.
"Calian, it's you?! Where are we? Who are these people?" Kate's distant voice quivered with fear.
"Yes, Kate. It's me!" the man hesitated, the full weight of their predicament settling upon him, "I don't know... They just knocked me out and put me here. They... A-are you alright?"
"Oh no!" Kate's voice trembled as she continued, "I-I don’t know, it all happened so fast... A few hours after you guys left the cabin, another Institute van came to us. As I was approaching to ask for help, one of them suddenly grabbed me and put a rag embedded in some chemical in my face..."
"Those damn maniacs!"
"That's the last thing I remember before waking up here..." confused she looked around, trying to see through the darkness. "Wait, where's Chavez?"
"I don't know. Until now I thought it was just me here..."
"He was in that other cage earlier, unconscious." the hesitant woman continued, still very stunned; "At least until... Moments before I blacked out again..."
As Calian listened, he pondered their next move. Together, they needed to gather information and devise a plan to escape this harrowing ordeal. Their shared wits and determination would be crucial in overcoming the unimaginable obstacles they faced.
"Shit... And here I was, hoping that you and the others were at least safe." Calian's voice shook with a mixture of anger and despair. "We have to find a way to get the fuck out of here!"
"Yeah!" her voice, though still strained, held a steely determination; "We need to call the police and tell them about this."
"Okay, okay... Let's try to calm down and think of something." the young Abenaki tried to remain calm so as not to make things worse.
"And where's Jalen? Wasn't he with you?" she continued, her thoughts racing.
Calian's heart ached as he shared the terrible news. "They...! They killed him, Kate."
"What?! There's no way!" The line went silent for a moment as she processed the shocking revelation. "It... It can't be true!"
"And that's EXACTLY why we need to leave this place as soon as possible!" Calian pressed on, urgency lacing his words.
"I... I don't know what to say." The gentle young woman, though still trembling, tried to contain herself as tears rolled down her face, "I just hope Hania is safe... When I woke up, she was nowhere to be found."
"Wait a moment!" Young let out a low, frustrated growl. "Shit! That doesn't sound good."
"What's going on here, Calian? What do these people want from us?"
"I don't know, but maybe they're using us as guinea pigs for some kind of bizarre experiment..." the man put his hands on his face, trying to focus on the facts, "See, if Hania wasn't here and then they took Chavez... That means they're taking us one by one. I think we're caged here waiting for our turn to serve as 'entertainment' for these psychopaths!"
"Oh no! That can't be!" she began to cry between her words; "My little sister, my mother, my family... We have to do something, we have to escape from here!"
"I agree! Let's look around us and see what we can find." said Young, desperately looking around for something useful, "Anything that can help us."
Together, Calian and Kate began to devise a plan, driven by their shared desire for survival and a need to put an end to the horrifying ordeal they found themselves in. Their captors, however, were a formidable adversary, and the two friends would need to use all their cunning and strength to overcome the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in their path. As they plotted their escape, the weight of their situation weighed heavily upon them, and they knew that they had little time to spare.
As the caged duo contemplated their predicament, they noticed a slender piece of framing wire nestled against the bars of Catori's cage. His eyes lit up with hope, and he instructed her to reach for it. "There,that would be very useful for us! Can you reach it?"
"I think so, I'll try." Kate tentatively extended her hand, and with a bit of effort, she managed to dislodge the wire from its resting place. The metal felt cold and unyielding in her grasp.
Recalling a previous infamous experience, Calian instructed her on how to use the wire to open the padlock. "Bend it into a hook-like shape and try to hook it onto the latch. Then, with a swift, controlled motion, pull it upwards to lift the latch off the shackle."
"I don't know if I can..." Kate's voice quivered, laced with extreme anxiety.
"Don't worry." Calian, ever reassuring, countered her fear, "Just keep calm and focus. I've done this before once, and I know you can do it too!"
Taking a deep breath, Kate focused on Calian's words and carefully bent the wire into the desired shape. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins, but she managed to maintain her composure. With a flick of her wrist, she hooked the wire onto the latch, and with a swift, controlled motion, lifted the latch off the shackle.
"You know, once, when I was young, I used this trick to go into a friend's room and play a prank on him..." recalled the young man, trying to keep the atmosphere less tense; "My grandpa was so furious that he stayed for almost a whole month without talking to me."
"I don't blame him." she replied, clearly calmer, as she continued following the instructions given to her.
As the padlock on Kate's cage swung open, the door creaked noisily as she pushed it wide. Her eyes, filled with newfound hope, met Calian's, and he promptly urged her to hasten and unlock his remaining cage, ensuring their swift escape from their captors.
"Good job, Kate! I knew you could do it." the man's voice brimmed with urgency; "Come on, we need to hurry and get out of here before Phil comes back!"
"Okay, but how?" Kate, pondering their escape, responded, "I think he locked the door after he left the room."
Calian's eyes settled on a small window high up on the wall, and he suggested, "I think we can get out through there."
Kate's brow furrowed, voicing her concern, "But it's too high..."
Calian, quick to propose a solution, said, "Well, I think that if we place some of these smaller cages one on top of the other, we could be able to reach it safely."
"O-Okay..." Kate agreed, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and determination.
The young man, eager to find anything that could aid their daring escape, scoured the vast room. His gaze finally settled on the corner, where his backpack lay, untouched. Relief washed over him as he approached, knowing that all of his belongings were still inside, including the oil lamp he and Jalen had taken from the very mansion they were now trying to flee. This discovery filled him with hope, as it provided them with a vital resource: light.
So the duo swiftly went to work, stacking the smaller cages to form a precarious pyramid. They tested its stability before Kate cautiously ascended, her movements cautious and deliberate. Reaching the top, she grasped the window's edge and, with a powerful heave, pulled herself up and out.
"Almost there." the man reassured his friend as he carefully guided her out of the window, the cold air brushing against their faces. With a final push, he secured her freedom, a sense of relief spreading through him. "We did it, now let's move on!"
Once safely outside, Kate extended her hand back down to help Calian escape as well. Free from their captors, the two friends didn't linger; they fled the scene, their harrowing ordeal driving them forward into the snow.
***
As Kate and Calian trudged through the thick snow, their journey away from the mansion seemed to have no end. Their weary minds and bodies were desperate for a break, but their situation demanded they keep going. Their eyes locked onto a faint, inviting glow emanating from a nearby shed, likely a storage for firewood.
The light caught their attention, and Calian couldn't help but ask, "What is happening in that shed?"
"It looks like there's someone inside..." she considered his question for a moment, her mind drawn to the allure of the warmth and safety the shed appeared to offer. "Do you think we should go take a look?" she pondered aloud.
"No,these people are psychos!" The man's response was immediate and firm, "We need to get out of here as soon as we can!"
The memory of their harrowing escape from the mansion still fresh in their minds, the last thing they needed was to get caught in another web of madness. With Calian's words ringing in her ears, Kate reluctantly agreed, and the two continued on their perilous journey, the mysterious shed now a fading light in the distance.
"ARRRRRRGHHHHH BASTA, POR FAVOR!" The sudden, spine-chilling scream shattered the serene stillness of the snowy night, its familiarity sending shivers down the Young man's spine.
"That voice..." he stumbled over his words, "Was that...?"
Kate, her heart in her throat, finished his sentence, "Chavez!" Her mind raced, piecing together the dire situation unfolding before them.
Both of them exchanged a heavy, uncertain glance, the sound of Amarillo's haunting cry for help echoing through the snowy landscape. Their initial instinct was to flee, to find help as quickly as possible, but the cries of their friend were a burden they couldn't bear to ignore.
"I need to go back." consumed by a fierce loyalty, Calian pleaded with Kate, "I'm going to take a peek at the shed, and you must follow the trail back to the cabin. It's too dangerous for you to come with me."
The young and beautiful woman, her heart heavy with fear and determination, refused to leave him alone. "I won't leave you. We're in this together."
"You have to go, Kate." he, with a steely resolve, firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Think about your family, they are waiting for you to return safely. At least one of us must escape and seek help from the authorities."
"But Calian, I..."
"Go and wait for me at the cabin. If I don't arrive until dawn, you must go down the trail and find help."He handed her his oil lamp, a precious source of light in the darkness. "Keep this lit, and use it to scare away anything that might be lurking around you. Be brave, as the spirits will guide and protect you."
"..." she found herself unable to speak.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she reluctantly agreed, knowing that Calian's words held truth. Overwhelmed by her love for her family and the aching desire to see them again, her thoughts were consumed by that single, powerful emotion.
With a final silent embrace, they parted ways. Kate, her heart heavy, retraced her steps back to the cabin, the flickering light of the oil lamp her only companion. Calian, armed with a fierce determination, ventured back to the shed, the weight of their desperate situation pressing down on them both.
The brave man, his heart pounding in his ears, silently approached the shed, careful not to make a sound that might alert the inhabitants. As he reached the corner, he peered through the small window, his gaze fixed on the scene within.
Inside, three shadowy figures, clad in the distinctive coats of the Institute, stood in a menacing circle. Their cold, unblinking eyes were fixed on Chavez, who was bound and gagged in the center of the room. The once-familiar figure appeared to be in the throes of a macabre ritual, as a circle of what appeared to be blood had been painstakingly painted around him.
The air was thick with the heady scent of incense, and the room was dimly lit by the flickering light of candles. The three figures, their faces hidden in the shadows, chanted in unison, their voices deep and resonant. As Calian watched in horror, one of the figures approached the Mojave man with a long, wickedly sharp knife. His struggles seemed to have no effect on the unrelenting trio.
As the figure drew closer, it raised the blade high above its head, preparing to deliver a devastating blow. In that moment, Calian knew he could no longer hesitate. He burst into the shed, determined to put an end to this heinous act.
"Get the fuck away from him!" the Youngblood family descendant bellowed with a fierce, righteous fury, his eyes blazing like hot coals. In a blow of bravery, he confronted the mysterious figures, his body trembling with rage and determination.
The three figures, startled by the unexpected intrusion, turned to face Calian, their faces still shrouded in mystery. A fierce battle was about to ensue, the fate of Chavez and the identities of the sinister figures left hanging in the balance. The true nature of the McCarthy Institute, and the role these figures played within its twisted confines, remained a chilling enigma. As Calian stand for the lives of his friends, the night took on a darker, more ominous hue.