[ARCHIVED FROM TWITTER] A Date With a Wendigo - Chapter One

 

So, this wendigo's been stalking you since you were a kid, right? because they decided you'd be a really good meal, but only at the right time. On your 21st birthday. but something happens on the day she chooses. You get invited by a friend and his acquaintances to a party at an abandoned farm out in the woods on the outskirts of your town. You went there once or twice as a highschooler, but never stayed there long. So you head out to this party, of which there is very little information.

The party is bustling at first, there are hundreds of people in and around the barns, hanging out on the decaying rafters and there's lights and booze and live music. Someone went all out for this party. What a coincidence it falls on your birthday, huh? So you're enjoying it.

However, slowly, vaguely noticeable, people start complaining about being sick. Someone mutters "maybe it's all the booze" through gritted teeth, trying to hold back bile. You just barely hear it. Lucky for you, you haven't had anything to drink yet. So you're fine.

as you're still trying to enjoy yourself amid the strangeness, your friend pulls you over to meet someone. A girl in a robe. She's extremely attractive. It seems like your friend wants you to try your luck on your birthday. It goes about as well as you expect.

However, she seems to be receptive to your charms (or lack thereof) and is expressing an attraction to you. You're confused, but you just go along with it. She suggests you sit down and have a drink. Around you, a couple more dancers have left, but more hooded people have entered.

You take notice this time. They seem to be standing around. Before you jump to any conclusions, though, The girl gets your attention again with a tap on the shoulder. She hands you a drink. You swirl it around in it's cocktail glass, noting how strange it looks.

you engage in small talk, and she keeps asking how you feel about prophecies. sorta weird, yeah? but it's a goth girl in a hood at a barn party, this is a once in a lifetime chance. Stop overthinking it. You think you hear something outside. Probably just drunkards.

Then, it happens. Somebody collapses on the barn floor. only you notice at first, seemingly because everyone else is intoxicated. The girl you're talking to seems awfully interested in you taking a swig of that cocktail, which you're still idly swirling around.

You put down the drink to go see if the fallen dancer is alright., and are surprised to hear a hiss come from the girl next to you. You double-take. "Did you say something?" 

She denies having made any sounds, and you rush over to the person who seemingly partied too hard.

The music is still bumping, so you get close to the fallen dancer. "Are you okay, dude?" You ask, genuinely concerned.

"M...my stomach." The man groans in genuine pain. "THE DRINK." He manages to spit these words out before seemingly losing consciousness. Not for long. With a sickening crunch and a crack that you can hear over the music playing, something bursts through the chest of the man. He lets out a scream as it does. His death throes. A small white hand clambers for a grip, before following with a head and the rest of the body. All around you, other dancers are collapsing. You stand there, in shock. out of the corner of your eye, The girl pulls her hood over her head. Her piercings catch the club lights for a second and the glint pulls you out of your trance. You're horrified. The music stops suddenly. Screams fill the air of the barn, which has suddenly become a lot more suffocating. The smell of old hay and dead grass mixes with the scent of copper and bile. You're going to be sick yourself. One of the white creatures suddenly shifts it's head directly at you.

In the mix of purple and other neon colored lights, you can just make out what seems to be a humanoid face. There's a nose missing, and the expression seems to be turned into a permanent scowl. It's completely bald, hairless and featureless otherwise. You lock eyes with it. Faster than you can perceive what's happening, the white creature closes the gap between you, covered in the blood and entrails of the hapless victim it's bursted from. in an instant, it's sharp claws are embedded in your leg, and you fall over in pain.

As you fall, you notice that the noise from outside grows louder. Maybe you did her something earlier. It sounds like a crash. It's followed shortly by a scream. The DJ collapses. A white creature bursts from his chest. Hooded figures fill the barn in a rush. you try to shake off the creature from your leg.

They try to barricade the door. What is happening? Why is this happening to me? Your brain is racing. Your nerves are screaming in agony as the short white creature climbs it's way up your leg, digging it's sharp nails in with each movement. You’re sure it’d hurt far worse if the adrenaline hadn’t kicked in. You slam your other foot into the face of the small creature. Your leg burns like hell. It feels like someone poured isopropyl into the wounds. The humanoid reels back in shock and pain, releasing you. Your use a barn pillar to get back up onto your feet. The door SLAMS loudly.

More white creatures converge on you as you try to limp away to the corner of the barn. The barn door splinters. Your life flashes before your eyes as hooded figures are sent flying backwards. You yell for help. You're immediately drowned out by the dying screams of dancers. Your wounded leg gives out, and you're driven to a knee. The white creatures move slowly, like predators eyeing their prey. Is this the end? The barn door splinters again. half the door is gone now. a long, lanky black clawed hand reaches onto the inside of the entranceway.

The door is finally completely smashed down, right as the creatures make their move. The sound of panicking cultists(?) grabs the attention of the fiends. The turn around and in an instant, rush the source of the noise. Through the tears falling, you can vaguely make out an inhuman figure.

You clear your eyes. A hunched figure steps through the door, and wraps a huge hand around the head of one of the shorter hooded figures. With a quick horizontal swipe of it's other hand, the cultist is cleaved in two. Is this better or worse than the small white creatures?

The aura surrounding this creature as it throws the upper body of the cultist into its mouth with a crunch is mortifying. You attempt to avert your eyes anywhere else. It’s not much better. The being stands up to its full height, partially illuminated by the full moon. It's easily over 7 feet tall.

it turns to the remaining hooded people, who were cowering together. Then, it speaks. It's not really like IT was speaking. It sounds like hundreds of people were speaking through it simultaneously. As if the huge thing had stolen the voices of many people.

"ʏᴏᴜ'ᴠᴇ ɪɴᴠᴀᴅᴇᴅ ᴍʏ ғᴏʀᴇsᴛ. ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴀᴛᴛᴇᴍᴘᴛɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀɪʙᴜᴛᴇ ᴍʏ ᴘʀᴇʏ?" The creature sounded as if it were in disbelief. As it steps further into the moonlight, you notice the figure is slightly curvy. Potentially feminine? IT'S a female...? It's hunting something?

The white creatures don't dare move. When it spoke, they all froze in place. The cultists, as well. The female(?) which you now notice is hooved, returns back to a hunch and strolls across the barn. Towards YOU.

"ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀs ᴛᴏ ᴄᴏɴsᴜᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ. ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ'ᴅ ᴅᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛᴀᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀᴡᴀʏ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴇ?" you can feel the anger in the hundreds of united voices as it speaks. Before you can back away or do anything, the creature grabs you. The barn is silent. Nothing will even shift a little. One of the remaining dancers sprints through the hole in the entranceway and runs out into the forest for their life. You're helpless in the grasp of this... this creature. Your leg is throbbing. You're being held by your scruff, like a kitten. You look up at your captor. She's covered in black fur on her shoulders and the sides of her extremely long torso. Her other arm drags as she moves. Her eyes are pure black, and she has huge ears. But the face looks like a human female's? She has freckles, but huge canine teeth.

She strolls back towards the barn's exit. A shaking cultist stands up in her path. "Y...YOU CAN'T! WE NEED ALL THE SACRIFICES WE CAN GET! WE MUST RESURRECT HIM!" He brandishes a broken piece of wood from the door. Before he can swing it, he's cut in two with a quick slash.

Blood sprays all over her, you, and everything in the general area. "ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴇ, ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ. ᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴡɪsᴇ ɪ ᴍɪɢʜᴛ ᴇᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇsᴛ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɴᴀᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴀs ɢᴏᴏᴅ ʀᴀᴡ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ." She says. You hear a chuckle? It hurts. Every time she speaks or makes a sound, it makes your head throb. The creature, the voice-stealer, you don't know what to call it. It climbs through the broken doorway with a single step, into the clear, dark night. Fully illuminated by the unclouded, pale moonlight, you notice she has styled, long white hair. The bangs are even trimmed evenly. Who does a monster’s hair? What do you even say? "Nice Hair?" you decide to stay silent.

She looks you dead in the eyes. "ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴡᴏɴᴅᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴡʜʏ ᴀ ᴡᴇɴᴅɪɢᴏ sᴀᴠᴇᴅ ᴀ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ? ᴡᴇʟʟ, ɪ'ᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴀʀɪɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏɴɢ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ʏᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴇᴀʟ, ᴀғᴛᴇʀ ᴀʟʟ." The voice still sends a shudder down your spine. You look up at her antlers, and see a blood-streaked mask hanging from the one on the left. The voice she speaks with is starting to sound comforting? Whatever the case, your relief is short lived when you hear the word "marinating". 

"W-what do you mean?" you stammer out weakly. She's salivating. She's walking down the wooded forest path, brushing tree branches away with her free hand, and she's smiling with her sharp, jagged teeth. there's saliva dripping from her mouth. Is she thinking about eating you?

"ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ ɪᴅᴇᴀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀᴄʜɪɴᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ɪ'ᴠᴇ sᴇᴛ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴀᴋᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴀsᴛᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴍʏ ʟɪᴋɪɴɢ. ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴄᴇɴᴛ... ᴛʜᴀᴛ's ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴀᴛᴛʀᴀᴄᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴇ." She says longingly. A branch hits you in the face. It doesn't really hurt.

"If you eat me... If I die... won't the scent go away? You won't be able to smell it anymore." You say, desperate for a quick way out. Maybe you can fool her?

She stops walking. She stops moving. Her smile drops, and she looks you in the eyes again. She didn't think of that.

She cocks her head, like a confused puppy, and looks at you for a moment. Soon after, she continues walking. The forest grows thicker and the canopy blocks the moonlight as she steps off the path and deeper into the thicket. "ᴘᴇʀʜᴀᴘs ɪ'ʟʟ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ ғᴏʀ ᴀ ᴡʜɪʟᴇ ʟᴏɴɢᴇʀ...." She says, tightening her grip on you.

"ᴀs ʏᴏᴜ ᴀʀᴇ ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ ᴍʏ ᴍᴏsᴛ ɢᴏᴜʀᴍᴇᴛ ᴍᴇᴀʟ ʏᴇᴛ, ɪ'ʟʟ ᴀʟʟᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʀᴛᴇsʏ ᴏғ ᴀsᴋɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴀɴʏ ᴏɴᴇ ǫᴜᴇsᴛɪᴏɴ." her footsteps echo as she crunches fallen tree branches and cuts down brush.

You can't think of anything worth asking.

Since you're about to die, you at least want to know who... or what it is that's going to kill you.

"What's your name?" you ask innocently.

she stops moving again. Her face slowly growing... red? A blush? Anger?

"ʜ-ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ... ᴍʏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ? ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴀ ᴡᴇɴᴅɪɢᴏ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏ ɴᴀᴍᴇ. ɪɴ ᴍʏ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ʟɪғᴇ, ʙᴇғᴏʀᴇ ɪ ᴄᴏᴍᴍɪᴛᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴀʙᴏᴏ, ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴋɴᴏᴡɴ ᴀs ᴄʜᴇɴᴏᴀ."

"that's actually a pretty name!" You reply, surprised. She drops you in shock. She covers her face with her large, clawed hands. This creature. This hell-sent abomination... her freckled cheeks were red. Not just from the blood. 

"I'm... Sorry?" You apologize. "Did I offend you?"

"ᴄ-ᴄᴇᴀsᴇ sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ!" Chenoa seems flustered.

You decide to attack her weak point.

"Chenoa, you're cute! I can't believe you're blushing!" You say, trying to hide your fear. 

Chenoa reels back in surprise, her face beet red. She brandishes her fangs at you. Now you have the upper hand. Time for a bluff or something! Anything to get out of this. "I'd take you on a date! Have you ever had meat that isn't from a human!?" You speak up with a fake surprise. She looks at you, her floppy ears perking up.

"I-I... could cook and prepare it for you! I  heard human tastes like pork anyway!" You give her a fake laugh. 

"ɪ ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴍᴇᴀᴛ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ ᴡɪʟʟ sᴜғғɪᴄᴇ."

"How will you know until you try? Won't you give it a chance?" You try to reason with her.

Chenoa picks you up again, her grip a little gentler. She seems genuinely curious about your proposition. She begins walking, but changing direction.

"ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ɴᴇᴇᴅ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴘʀᴇᴘᴀʀᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴍᴇᴀʟ, ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅɴ'ᴛ ʏᴏᴜ?" She asks you.

"Give me... Four days. Four days. I'll come back here and find you!" You answer quickly, fully prepared to never visit this monster ever again.

"ɢᴏ. ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴏᴜʀ ᴅᴀʏs." The wendigo seems excited as she drops you in a pile of branches. You try to get to your feet.

"ᴀɴᴅ, ʜᴜᴍᴀɴ? ᴅᴏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴡᴏʀʀʏ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ғɪɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ. ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʙᴇᴇɴ sᴛᴀʟᴋɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ғᴏʀ ᴛᴇɴ ʏᴇᴀʀs. ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ʏᴏᴜʀ ɴᴇsᴛ." The beast looks down at you and flashes something which resembles a smile. It's threatening. You want to cry just looking at it. Her mouth extends past where her cheeks should be.

You don't break eye contact with Chenoa as you limp through the forest, back towards the path leading to your parked car. Her "smile" never fades. It seems you've talked yourself into an inescapable situation. Maybe you should go to the hospital before anything, though?