//------------------------------// // 8 // Story: The Windigo // by -Hidden Identity- //------------------------------// Day 8: How is it that I was able to sleep last night? Two of my friends are dead, and the only other one besides me in the cabin is acting stranger by the day. At least Peers can find this edible bark we’ve been burning and eating. Yesterday I tried to ask him what type of tree it was from; he glared at me as a response. I waited a while before asking him what the word on the door was there for, and at that point he started screaming at me in a flow of half-intelligible phrases. I swear that will be the last time I ask him about that. Whatever it is, he wants it to never be brought up. Why did he carve it on the door if he didn’t want anypony to ask about it? Something is eating away at him, but I don’t think I can bring myself to ask what. The days are getting warmer and warmer; perhaps we will soon be able to try and escape from this hellhole. The snow is beginning to melt, so water is no longer a massive issue, but there is so much snow on the ground that we could be out of here by the time it all melts. That also means that Wymble might be uncovered. I have an excuse to go and visit him now, Peers kept trying to convince me that it wasn’t necessary, and I must admit that I wasn’t going to, that all had been settled. I have been feeling better about the whole thing since I buried him, like Cross also has forgiven me for turning his back on him in his hour of need. Perhaps I can gain some of my own self-respect back by going back to visit Wymble. I have spoken to Peers about this idea, and while he agrees that snowmelt has a chance it will uncover him, he still doesn’t see any reason to go. What is done is done, we can’t do anything more for him. I don’t see it that way. We can show his memory, and body, respect by ensuring that he will rest soundly until time comes and takes the rest of him away. I’m sitting here, eating and writing, while enjoying a warm fire, with another live pony, while he is cold in the ground. What is Peers doing? His head is cocked to one side, and he’s staring at the other room. I would ask him under “normal conditions”, but even these days that is not a normal condition. Better to let him go his course; after all he’s not foolish, he would tell me if something was irritating him, besides the obvious. Another hour and I’ll go to revisit Wymble. It is warm enough that I actually went outside and ran around a bit. It’s been over a week, and I’ve never really had the chance to stretch my legs merely for that reason. I’ve walked down the hill to the south and back into the woods to bury Wymble, but being able to run around just for the sake of running! I don’t think I’ve ever been that happy to run in my entire life. I wasn’t able to be out very long while running, as it does burn off what little energy the food gives me, but if the days keep warming up… this is a very good sign. We will be able to try and leave in a couple of days. While I was outside, I noticed that Peers was watching me running, from inside the cabin. I didn’t (and still don’t) understand the expression he had while watching me; it was like a mixture between being slightly pleased, annoyed, and anxious. I swear that his eyes are getting whiter, but it may be that he is just keeping them all the way open all the time. That has also been curious, he goes into these trances where he just sits and stares at the door, or a wall, or the forest; eyes wide open. All right, just jotting down that I’m going off to revisit Wymble. Not that anyone besides Peers is going to need to know that right now. I’ve already told him, received a cold stare and silence as a response. Just before I wrote this I asked him where I could find some more of that bark, as to keep it stocked. Plus, it will be good to have some when we try and find our way out. Without looking at me, he replied that he took it all; that there was none left. I’m going to try and look anyway. Why is he so reluctant to tell me where I can find it? Well, wish me luck. Oh dear Celestia, why do you let this happen? That isn’t fair. Wymble was uncovered, and looked surprisingly similar to Cross. The main difference between his remains and Cross’s is that he was completely skinned. Other than that it was pretty much the same: parts of him torn open and the surrounding snow was stained almost completely crimson. His throat was torn open, and that doesn’t make any sense. He was already dead; there would be no point in killing him further, unless I can’t even think straight right now, too much has happened too soon. Peers hasn’t said a word since I got back. Between sobs I was able to at least partially relate back to him what had happened. He didn’t look surprised, he didn’t look disgusted or sad or anything. He was completely emotionless. At the end of my rambling, he just slid a piece of bark over to me. I must admit I was grateful for that, something to calm the nerves. I didn’t back out this time though. I went back after writing that last segment and reburied Wymble. I will not be haunted by two of my friends. If something haunts me, it will not be anything or anyone that I know. After I reburied him, I tried to look for some of that bark, but I didn’t know where to start. None of the trees were torn open anywhere, nothing gave me a sign about where I am supposed to find this stuff. I came back and, with regret, told Peers this, but he just restated that he had taken it all the first time he went out. I then asked him if there was any more down by where Cross was, but apparently he took all there was to be found down there as well. To make matters worse, he told me that it was likely that there wouldn’t be any more. How does he know that? Where is he finding our only food? We’ve agreed that tomorrow we’ll both go into the forest and try to find a landmark that would lead us out. Somehow, this decided to cheer Peers up slightly, as he actually smiled. Cath Wait, wait, wait, wait. He can only find this stuff, this “bark”, where the others have been buried. When I have returned to their gravesites, they have been unearthed, and are torn up. Obviously something has been eating them; that much is obvious. But there have not been any other tracks besides Peers and mine. None of the trees around Wymble were touched, and now that I’m thinking about it, none of the trees around Cross were torn open either. What is this stuff? It’s edible, burns for a long time, and only Peers can find it because he knows what he is looking for. He also refuses to tell me how to find it. Both of the bodies were missing skin. Cross had large sections missing, and Wymble was completely skinned. What the hell have I been eating? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- During the investigation, we did indeed find two bodies of the original four, believed to be Cross Dreedle and Wymble Skyre. They were both skinned clean.