Josh Washington shouldn't have pranked his friends, but he didn't deserve the ending he got dammit! Takes place when Sam and Mike return to the lodge with everyone alive.

You Deserve Better

Mike and Sam enter the dark and dreary Washington lodge. Closing the door behind them, they both hear nothing but the others' breathing.

Sam takes a minute to catch her own breath before looking over at Mike. "Mike, w-what happened to Josh?"

Mike takes his right hand and rubs the back of his neck. "It got him," he answers her question while avoiding eye contact.

Sam looks at her friend in confusion. "What got him? What do you mean Mike?"

"You know what Sam. Come on." He takes his arms and folds them across his chest. "We should look for the others."

This time, Sam looks at him in disbelief. "We have to go back for him Mike. He could still be alive!"

"That's not a good idea Sam." Mike scolds. "We're already here and Chris, Ash, and Emily are waiting for us," he reminds.

"You were supposed to bring him back Mike." Sam looks up at the taller man with a frown. "I'm going back for him." Sam turns the knob to the lodge door and heads back out into the dangerous snow storm.

Mike grabs her free hand. "Sam," he whispers to Sam. "Don't be stupid."

Sam yanks her hand away from him and opens the door to be greeted by a huge wind. "I said I'm going for him." Sam steps into the night, ready to find her helpless friend.

"Sam get back here," he adds a bit louder. "Fuuuuck!" Mike brings his fingers to the bridge of his nose with mixed feelings of irritation and worry.

"Ah, ah so cold." Sam wraps her arms around herself after dropping down into the pond that led her and Mike to Josh earlier in the night . Goosebumps form up and down her arms and on the back of her neck as she reaches the gravel to get back on land. "I'm coming for you Josh. Don't worry." Sam says to herself, also while trying to reassure herself.

Sam pulls herself back up to land. She walks past Hannah's journal and quickly glances away. The thought of her best friend being trapped down here without any help made her sick. The thought of her best friend eating her own twin sister and becoming a wendigo scarred her for life.

Sam grabs the chain-link fence and wood planks and pushes them out of her way. She is able to slide her way through them and shines her light around for any signs of Josh.

Nothing.

Then, something she sees out of the corner of her eye, draws her attention. It's a wendigo. She places her back against the cold, black cave and clenches her teeth together, staying as still as possible. The monster, which Sam now discovers is Hannah, stops in front of her. Hannah looks over in her direction as a long, earth shattering screech escapes from her mouth. She then takes off down the long cave hall in the opposite direction.

Sam makes sure it's clear before heading in the direction Hannah came from.

She takes a sigh of relief.

"Even Mike has left you now," Dr. Hill shakes his head at Josh. "The last person who could have saved you has left!"

Josh trembles as he gets a cold chill. "I didn't mean it." He thinks to himself. "I didn't mean any of this!" He says aloud this time. Josh forms himself into a fetal position as he murmurs how sorry he is. He apologizes to Hannah and Beth for not saving them. He apologizes to all his friends for the night of horror he delivered to them all.

"No one cares about you anymore Joshua." Dr. Hill scolds the teenager. "You had all the love and care in the world and you can blame no one but yourself for that being taken away from you!" Dr. Hill hollers, causing Josh to place his hands over his ears.

"No more," Josh whispers and balls his hands in front of him. He feels his eyelids growing heavier and heavier with every second. "No more pain..."

xXx

There she sees Josh laying down, his back facing her. "Josh," she whispers. He doesn't respond. "Josh please be okay." Sam slowly makes her way to her close friend. She places her hand on his upper arm. Not even a flinch.

Sam sighs and closes her eyes, preparing for the worst as she turns him around. "S-S-Samantha?"

Her eyes shoot open like a speeding bullet as she stares back at Josh. "Josh," she says with a small smile. "Y-you're okay."

"No. I'm not okay Sam. I-I need your help." He stutters with a dazed look.

"I know. And I'm gonna get you out of here okay?" Sam smiles at him once more. "I need you to get up, okay?"

Josh stares back at Sam. "Okay. I trust you." Josh takes Sam's hand as she helps him stand. "Sam, I don-I don't like it here." Josh declares as Sam leads the way toward a safer place.

"I don't either Josh." Sam turns back to face him. "We're going to get out of here. I'm going to get you out of here, unlike Mike." She says Mike's name with a bit of a sneer. Sam gets why there would be a reason to leave Josh. After the damaging prank he brought them back to the lodge for, many if not all of her friends would leave him behind without a thought. However, Sam understands that Josh is sick. He needs help and yes he is to blame for leaving his friends distraught. Josh is to blame for the hoax he pulled.

But Josh was not to blame for his grief driving him to madness.

Sam continues to keep hold on Josh's hand and does not let go. She'll be damned if they get separated again. Even dropping back into the pond, she squeezes his hand as the ice cold water runs through her entire body.

"Mike he left me here." Josh states in a disappointed tone.

All Sam can do is shake her head is disappointment. She'll feel better when they're both back at the lodge with everyone. Then maybe she'll feel like this nightmare is over.

After what seemed like an endless journey, they finally make it out of the mines. Josh shivers in the cold and shakes his head as they continue their walk in the snow. Sam can't wait to escape this all. It'll be numerous months, maybe even a year of nightmares, but she'll be back home. She'll be safe, with all her family and friends. And Josh will finally get the proper help.

The wind gives out a nasty howl and the sound of the snow crunching beneath their shoes gets louder with each step.

"Wait Josh stop." Sam puts her arm out in front of Josh and they both stop walking. Sam hears the distant sound of growling and slurping. The screeching sound sounds so far away, yet so close.

Just up ahead she sees an orange glowing in the sky. It's so bright. Could it be help? She turns back to the sound and then back to the light. If it is help, all they have to do is make a run for it.

And it if isn't? This may very well be the end for Sam and Josh Washington. Sam looks over at Josh who seems to be in deep thought and having a mental conversation with himself as his lips are slightly moving.

It's up to Sam to get them out of here.

"Josh?" Josh snaps out of his daze and turns to Sam. "Run." With their hands still entwined, they make a risky run for it. They do nothing but gape ahead through the tress as they get closer and closer to their destination.

Sam begins to pick up more speed, eventually losing her grasp on Josh's hand. "Come on Josh!"

"I'm trying." Josh replies in a hushed tone as the screeching seems to be getting closer and closer. Running through the snow is too much for Josh to handle because he soon feels himself falling into the sheets of snow.

Sam turns around to a scene she'd hope to avoid. Josh is trying to pull himself, but failing to do so. Approaching them, is a wendigo. "Josh stop moving!" She says in barely a whisper.

Josh moves around a bit more before finally stopping and lying still in the snow. The disgusting creature gets deathly close to him. A small dribble of saliva from its' mouth connects with Josh's forehead causing him to bite the inside of his mouth to keep from moving or making a sound. Sam holds her breath knowing that death might not be too far from them. They made it this far. How could things go so wrong now?

Suddenly the monster skirts off to pursue a noise in the trees.

Waiting a few seconds before moving, Sam rushes over to Josh. "You really scared me tonight Josh," she helps him up and takes her hand in his.

Just then the pair are blinded by bright lights above.

"We have more survivors!" Someone shouts from above in a helicopter. "Let's get those kids out of there." Soon a ladder is dropped and a man in a huge coat drops hard into the snow.

Sam feels a hand on her back and it makes her tense up. Who wouldn't after what they've been through tonight. "You saved me Sam. You came back for me." Josh tells her with a bit of hope left in his eyes.

Sam smiles at Josh and squeezes his hand. "I could never leave you back there." Sam lost both Hannah and Beth. She wouldn't be able to live if she'd lost Josh as well. "We're going home." Sam wraps her arm around Josh as the officer approaches the young adults. There's no doubt that this gang will be scarred for life. Sam doesn't know whether or not things will ever be the same. The officer tells her that all her friends are waiting for them in the choppers so that's one good thing about tonight. She'll never be able to shake off the things she's witnessed plus the things she had to do. It will stick with her, follow her, haunt her.

However, she's glad no one else had to die. Being at the lodge after Hannah and Beth disappeared gave her a weird feeling inside. And now she knows why. Besides the strange man they met briefly, no one else died. Nor did anyone have to suffer the same fate poor Hannah did. Sam and Josh enter the helicopter and sit on the bench in comfort as the helicopter takes off toward the sky. Sam looks over at Josh as he rests his heavy head on her shoulder. She risked her life to go back and save that boy.

Sam doesn't regret a single thing either.

Because I needed a happy ending(: Hope you all enjoyed!