Coming Together

This picture. It is the same round face. Same black glasses. Same dark brown hair. Same green eyes... Everything matches mine. It is saved on my phone, yet... Where did it come from?

This place is the same as that cafe I visit a lot, but I never take pictures there. So why would there be a selfie of me? Did someone else take it? No, I look to be completely aware of the camera so it shouldn't be so...

"Hey Ushas! What you looking at?" Jenny wrapped her hands around me as she peered over my shoulder to see what I was looking at.

"Oh, hey Jenny..." I didn't pay attention to her as I couldn't stop focusing on the image.

"Oh? You look cute in that picture. Were you thinking of which one to send to your beautiful girlfriend?" Jenny asked as she whipped her blonde hair around as if to say she was the best.

"Huh? Oh yeah, Jenny, when does this picture seem to be taken?" I didn't notice her playful jokes as all I could focus on was this picture.

Seeing me ignore her, she seemed annoyed as she pouted, "Why does that picture matter?"

I couldn't do anything but focus her attention back on the image, "Look at this. Do you know where this is?"

Seeing my serious complexion Jenny looked at the image confused, "Isn't that your favorite cafe? You took me there for our first date. What is special about it?"

"What is my rule there?"

Still seeming confused Jenny still answered my question, "No phones ever?" Suddenly like she had an epiphany she exclaimed, "Oh! So you took your phone out one time and now you are cursing yourself! It's okay..."

As she patted my shoulder I shoved her off as I yelled, "YES! NO PHONES! Don't you get it Jenifer?! I would never take this picture!"

Jenny seemed sad that I yelled at her, but still spoke with a pouting expression, "Why are you yelling so much? Why does it matter? So you forgot, what about it?"

Sighing I knew Jenny couldn't understand how seriously I took this personal rule. "Forget it. I need to get going."

Leaving, I found myself heading to my favorite cafe... The cafe in the picture.

Soon I saw the glass doors. With a blank stare, I walked inside and ordered a drink. I couldn't help but take out my phone to stare at the picture. As I looked at the background my rule came to mind and I quickly put it away.

Instead, I left the cafe and took out my phone just outside. Taking a sip I noticed something strange. The cafe always had a painting as decoration, but this time the painting was replaced by a strange sign.

I had been so focused on my face and making sure it was me I didn't notice the obvious change in the cafe. The more I looked the more I realized that I didn't own the shirt either. Several dots and dashes went down the right side of the picture.

The shirt was pure black with the only design being a picture of a deer skull. As for the dots I ignored them.

Everything seemed so close to the normal cafe, yet still with enough changes to feel strange. Looking back at the sign I recognized it as an address. I didn't know where it was, but I had a feeling that I had to check it out.

Taking a sip out of my drink I didn't think of the time as I simply started driving with the direction in mind. Even as the sky reddened I didn't pay attention. Even as I drove to the edge of town to the forest I didn't notice.

Only after I arrived did I see the time. Only then did I realize how strange I was being, but... I just couldn't help but look at that picture I was so sure I didn't take.

Sighing I stepped out of the car and looked around. The address was a simple cabin out barely in the woods. What caught my attention was the three other cars parked in the driveway.

Thinking the cabin had people living here I suddenly felt slightly awkward. After all, what am I supposed to say? 'I found your address in a picture on my phone so I came here to investigate?' I would sound crazy!

Despite thinking this I still walked from my car to the front door. Looking at the old wooden door I hesitated for a moment. I would have never done this before, but this picture made me feel that I had to be here. So, I knocked.

After a moment some talking could be heard from inside before the door opened. Nervously I spoke, "So umm... How do I say this, well... I was looking through my phone and..." Taking out my phone I quickly showed the picture, "I found this address with my phone. And... Well..."

Before I could embarrass myself more the person who answered the door interrupted me.

"So, you too."

"Huh?"

The man pulled out his phone and showed a picture of himself. Confused I looked at the photo closer and soon saw that in the background was the address.

"Come inside." The man quickly began to wave me in. The cabin was small and only contained one empty room. Entering I soon saw the two others inside beside him.

The two looked at him with curiosity as one of them spoke, "So what did your morse code say?"

"Huh?" Confused I wondered what she was even saying, but she didn't let me stay confused as she explained herself.

"Well, on some side of your picture should have been some dashes and dots, that was Morse code. I assume you never learned that."

Looking slightly embarrassed I pulled out my phone and showed her the picture. "Sorry, I never thought morse code was necessary."

Grabbing my phone she spoke casually, "It's no problem. Most people don't learn it in this day and age... So it is the letters W and E. Jackie what other letter do we have?"

The other girl took out a notepad and wrote the letters while speaking, "We have O, I, G, N, and D. Now with W and E. Maybe we can now figure this out?"

Unsure of what was happening I couldn't help but ask for help, "Can I get an explanation?"

The three who were clamoring around the notepad suddenly seemed to remember my assistance as one of the girls coughed and spoke, "Well I am Demi, and this is Jackie. The guy over there is named Keres. As for an explanation, well... if you have one we would like to hear it."

Hearing this, I felt a wave of helplessness, "Well, I am Ushas and I know nothing besides feeling like I need to be here."

Hearing this the trio sighed as if expecting my answer. "Does any of these letters mean anything to you at least?"

Following the group's lead, I also started clamoring around the notepad. Everyone started making up nonsense words all in the hopes of understanding what it meant.

"Wait wait wait, maybe since most letters came in pairs that means something?"

"Ok so the pairs are I, G, then is the pair N, D, then is the last pair of W and E. The last letter is O which isn't part of any pair."

"Last letter? Wait what if the only unpaired letter goes at the end of a word? We could also make sure each letter stays in the pair."

"So IGWENDO? No..."

"WENDIGO? Wait that actually sounded like a word..."

Suddenly I felt a chill run down my spine as if something that shouldn't have been said had been said. Still, I didn't think much about it until Jackie spoke.

"Did anyone else feel a chill down their spine?" When everyone nodded at once we realized we had just found our answer.

"So, what does the word WENDIGO have to do with these pictures. Or even just this cabin?"

"Can I see everyone's picture again?"

Confused everyone nodded as we took out our phones and showed Demi our pictures. It was then we saw something stand out. The deer skull was somewhere on all our bodies.

Jackie was wearing a hat with the deer skull. I was wearing a shirt. Keres had a tattoo on his right arm. Lastly, Demi also had a tattoo on her left arm.

"Does anyone have any relation to the deer skull? I sure don't have that hat."

Seeing everyone shake their heads, we all knew we had found the next clue.

"So we have the word WENDIGO. Everyone has a deer skull somewhere on their person. Everyone has this address somewhere in the background. Anything else?"

"I have something weird. This image is of a cafe I love, but that isn't what is weird... It is the picture itself. I would never use my phone in the cafe. It is my personal rule."

"Personal rule?... I would never get a tattoo that my mom could see. This is my mom's house."

"I would never get a tattoo on my arm. I would have gotten it somewhere well hidden. That is my personal rule."

"My personal rule is simply to never wear a hat inside. Much less take a picture of myself wearing on inside."

"So we all have a rule we have broken in the picture as well?"

While pondering what this all meant we suddenly heard a branch snap! Startled we all turned and looked around with caution.

Keres spoke up first, "Don't worry so much, This might be kind of close to town, but it is still a forest. It was probably a deer or something."

Everyone seemed to calm down, but then something came to mind, "Hey hasn't it been too quiet?"

"Didn't you just hear the deer?"

Suddenly everyone seemed to realize something. With a very soft voice almost whispering, Demi asked, "What about before that?"

The cabin fell into an expected silence. Unfortunately, this only amplified the silence outside the cabin. This was the forest where crickets roam and sing. Where even during the night activity is constant. It might be just a few bugs, but that made all the difference.

Just as the feeling of dread overtook me a sound interrupted the silence.

*knock* *knock*

Staring at each other we stood still. Unmoving.

*knock* *knock*

Jackie spoke up, "I'll get it."

Her footsteps reverberated throughout the quiet cabin. Still, no one stopped her. We all just watched as she opened the cabin door...

*creak*

"huh?" Looking outside I could clearly see there was no one. Only the darkness of the night could be seen. Jackie clearly confused peered her head out the door trying to make something out within the darkness.

"Anyone there!" Yet no answer came. Even more confused Jackie took a step outside...

*bang*

Jackie suddenly fell over. Having watched everything we saw she got hit in the head by something. We all glanced at each other as if asking what to do.

Keres was the only one who stepped up. "Are you okay?" Wating, no response sounded from Jackie. Seeing nothing happening, Keres took some slow steps toward Jackie...

"Hello?" As he neared the unconscious Jackie he seemed to have seen something that made him stop... Yet, the moment he stopped Jackie seemed to twitch...

Without warning she suddenly stood up and screamed, "AAAAHHHH! HELP MEEEE!"

It was then I could see clearly what was on her head. It was a deer skull. Yet the strange thing was what was happening to her body!

Jackie seemed to be covered in a strange black slime. As the seconds passed I could see the slime begin to change her as she seemed to morph.

Her arms and legs seemed to melt and meld with the skull. Frozen I didn't know what to do. I could only watch as she screamed for help until she no longer seemed able to.

Everyone was the same. Frozen. Unable to do anything. Only Watch.

Keres seemed to wake up and broke the silence as he suddenly burst into a full sprint! He jumped trying to get past the black ooze and deer skull blocking the path!

Unfortunately, the black ooze seemed to come alive as it caught him midair!

"AAHHHH! HELP ME!" He desperately screamed as the ooze covered his body, yet I couldn't move.

I could only stand still and watch as his body morphed even faster than Jackie and turned into a human arm made of red flesh and black ooze. As the last fingers took shape into long claws I suddenly woke up as I backed up against the wooden wall.

Unfortunately, the creature didn't seem to be so passive this time as it used its new right arm to pull itself forward! Unable to figure out what to do I only watched as it approached the frozen Demi.

Demi seemed to wake at the last moment and tried to back up to escape. Yet, it was already too late as the creature used its right arm to hold her in place as the black ooze covered her.

Unable to watch any longer I sprinted trying to get around the creature! The creature that had just put Demi on its' left side tried to grab me! Luckily I just so happened to choose the right time to escape as it barely missed me.

I couldn't think straight. I ran blindly into the forest! It was then that the creature let out a sound for the first time since it reached the cabin.

*SCREEEE*

"I have to escape. I have to escape. I have to escape. I have... ESCAPE! My car!" Suddenly I remembered how I arrived.

Despite the danger involved I ran back to the cabin in the hopes of starting my car. With only the moonlight to guide me I could barely see as I constantly tripped over small branches.

Soon the car I arrived in was just in sight! I was almost there!

*BANG*

Nearly falling over I stopped just in time to see the creature as it used two hands to drag its body along and crush each car one by one.

Realizing it was blocking my quick escape I had no choice but to run back into the forest! All I could do now is hope the brush slows it down enough for me to reach town.

"I have to escape. I have to escape. I have to escape. I have...

...Escape...

...Please...

...Just a bit more..."

Out of breath, I didn't stop. I kept moving even as I walked instead of running. So long as I kept moving I knew... I hoped... I wished I could escape...

"There!" The tree line! The town is just a little away! Smiling widely I couldn't help but be excited as i moved my legs faster.

I kept moving... and moving... and, moving... and...

This was the edge of the forest. I knew it. I saw it! I see the light of a house just over there! Yet... The trees don't move no matter how much I do... It doesn't get closer no matter how much I try!

"WHY! I AM THERE!" To my screams, there was only silence... "why..."

This time a distorted voice answered me, "Because, you could, never, escape." Each pause shifting in tone.

I recognized those distorted voices, "Demi? Keres? Jackie?... why?..."

"It, is fate, you know?" The creature slowly dragged its large body along with its hands.

I knew I couldn't do anything. I ran before and didn't change anything. Now, will it matter if I try to run again?

As the black ooze touched me I felt a searing pain overwhelm me as I felt my body melting!

"AAAAHHHHH!"

Eventually, I could see my body. Yet the pain didn't stop. It only got stronger. Yet, I couldn't scream. I was now a part of this creature and the never ending pain.

At least that was what I originally thought, but soon the pain dulled... Yet I wasn't happy about the small relief for it was replaced by hunger.

I could do nothing as my body moved on its own with a new desperate goal.

"I must Feed."