A Little Thing Called Wendigo Psychosis

WARNING(: Gore, Violence. Mentions serious issues with one's mental health. Wendigo Psychosis is indeed a real disorder, if you show symptoms of having such a disorder I recommend seeking help as soon as possible.)

"Wendigo Psychosis. Characterized by psychiatric manifestations such as paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations, and cannibalistic urges, often emerges as a result of a fusion of cultural narratives and psychological vulnerabilities. It mainly concerns Algonquian, Cree tribes and people living in the Nothern Ojibwa area. Making it a culture-bound disorder, to some." I explain to those in my class. Although, it seems to occur outside of those areas, to people outside of those areas. Such as my adoptive sister...

Claire.

"So, it's an actual disorder but because people didn't have the knowledge on it as we do now, they all thought it meant you were going to turn into some monster?" one guy asked. "Yep!" Claire answered him. "Doesn't it happen... to you...?" he asked her. She paused. Claire's been helping me study the disorder. She's...

Obsessed...

She has so many questions...

Why is it happening?

Where did it come from?

How do I make it go away?

Will it go away?

"Yes." She finally answered. "There's medications for it? No?" "Everyone's different, Steven. Some things work for one person, but not for the other.". She sighed and rolled her eyes. I laughed nervously. "I think that's it for the presentation." We both sat back down. "That was... " Mr. Raymond paused. "A very interesting presentation ladies, great job. Now, who's next?". Of course it was the most popular girls in school. I know what you're thinking but, only one girl is blonde, the other has red hair and the other has your average brown hair. No highlights. Just brown. If any highlights are seen, they are indeed fake. "Um, Mr. Raymond?" 'Reddie' said. "Yes?". Dude, he sounds mean sometimes but he's actually nice... if you aren't these girls, heh. "We didn't know we had to present something." "Oh, sure you did! I've been talking about it all week!". Steven chuckled. "He has." The whole class laughed. "Oh, well-" Mr. Raymond cut her off. "That's enough! "Oh, well." nothing! I've been reminding you, all this week, to prepare a presentation for the class!". 'Ms. Blonde' stood up and shouted "What are we even studying!? This isn't science!" in which I stood up and announced, "Psychology is considered a science because it uses scientific methods to study the mind and behavior! Whether you like it or not, we are indeed studying science!". I sat back down. I knew how people like this make Claire feel. She's told me the way she feels, the things she thinks. It's...it's, horrifying. "Thank you, Stevie. What do you got, Steven?". As Steven walked to the front of the class, Claire turned to me and whispered, "We can look into it more during his presentation.". When I said she was obsessed, I meant it, it's all she wants to talk about, read about, watch documentaries and such about. It's insane. "Claire, I don't mean to be rude but, you should probably take a break from all that." She looked forward then at her hands and then back at me. "But Stevie! I need to know more!" "Claire, what more is there to know!?". She looked she was about to cry. But didn't, thankfully. The bell rang and we all got up as Mr. Raymond said, "That's it for today class, I'll see you next Monday and every day from there.". As I walked down the hall, I heard someone shout my name. "Stevie!" I turned; it was Mr. Raymond. "The school's therapist would like to see Claire.". Claire turned to face me, terrified. This is why we had to leave our last school. "Stevie, I'm scared." She told me as we walked to the office. "Don't be. Perhaps, this time they'll be more understanding." She looked down. "Or less...".

She was much more understanding.

The therapist, Ms. Sandoval, was aware of the disorder. She recommended new medications for it, which helped Claire much more than the others ever did. For those last three and a half months, I thought it was pretty much cured. She never mentioned the disorder itself, those thoughts and attacks, her normal appetite returned. She stopped eating for a while, I mean she ate, but was really malnourished for some time. Life felt...

Normal.

She wasn't afraid of making friends anymore. That was something she was terrified of, terrified to hurt them, to scare them. But then, she was laughing and happy and... living the life she deserved. It seemed like that but by sometime near the end of April, I noticed her obsession in the study of her disorder returned. She brought it up sometimes, but not always. By May, it worsened. It was all she wanted to be doing. She began losing her appetite again. By June, we all discovered what was going on.

She ran out of medication.

"Honey, we can't afford it right now! I'm sorry!" Mom told her, kindly, but terrified. "But I need it! I need it!" Claire shouted. I ran downstairs and managed to calm her down, but she was even more terrified than mom. "Stevie, I don't know what to do..." We're a kind of poor Mexican American family, we all say that sometimes. "We're a kind of poor Mexican American family, we all say that sometimes." I told her. "How about this, why don't we go to that burger place you really like?" She sniffled, looked up at me and smiled. "The one over by the forest?". "Yeah!" I nodded and smiled. She was getting really pale. So, we walked out to the car, hopped in and drove off to the place. "What's today?" She asked me in a hushed voice. "Thursday." I replied. As we drove up to red traffic lights, I turned to face her and asked her, "Why? You tryin' to avoid someone?" She shook her head and smiled. "Your accent slipped out." she giggled. Whatever makes her happy, I thought to myself. Light turned green and we drove for four more minutes down before finally pulling up to the place. I think it was called, Burger Bear. Point is some fellow classmates were present. Some in which were tolerable the other three... not so much. "It'll be alright, just try to ignore them and enjoy yourself." I told her as she nodded her head and got out of the car. We went inside, with all the loud chattering and sat down. We ordered our food and just kept to ourselves. Until Steven came and sat down with us. "You know, everyone is here because of the blonde right?" Claire glared at the girls, and I replied "No. This is her favorite place in the entire world, that's why we're here.". "I see..." he said. I spoke with him for a while. His dark blonde hair in his face frustrating me. Suddenly 'Reddie' got up. "Where's Angela!? She's been gone! She should've been back by now! She said she was just going outside!" she screamed in terror.

"Stevie?"

"Not now Steven..."

"Claire is gone."

I froze in shock. Something terrible happened. I knew. We both bolted out and ran outside. There was nothing in front but once we ran to the back of the place...

"CLAIRE!"

"I- I couldn't help it!"

She was covered in- in blood. A- A-.... she was dead. She was torn apart, I swear. It was horrifying! "Did you find her!? Where is she!?" 'Reddie' ran to us then screamed at the top of her lungs. "Everywhere... " Steven told her. Claire began walking towards me. "Stevie... please... "

A gunshot rang out like a bell.

Claire dropped dead.

"Claire!" I called out her name running to her. She was gone... Turns out the man who owned the place was Cree, he says: "If I hadn't shot her, we would all be buried in the ground right now.". The place closed, everything closed. Everyone left and never came back. I have moved on, kind of. Steven never left my side, we're married, I have kids. But I'll never forget it...

"I understand, it's traumatic, but I appreciate your time Mrs. Rose."

"Why'd you want to know all this?" Stevie asked the man as he began walking out. "I investigate things like this. She turned pale, right?" he asked her. "Yes, that's right."

"Maybe the man was right."

He left; Stevie sat down in her living room.

"She helped so many people, promising to help them not become a monster... "

"To not let them become the same monster she became... "