Chapter Text
You’ve all heard of ghost stories and hauntings, apparitions and dreams. That’s what happens when your life becomes a nightmare instead of your dreams. Gwen was lucky to only have her dreams, Finn thought. That’s better than your life being haunted. That was his reality. Haunted. Those boys were his only friends. The ones that called him in that basement. That was his sad life.
The car swerved, dragging Finn out of his thoughts and leading him to look out his window. All he saw was white.
“I can’t see the road,” Ernesto called out in distress.
“This isn’t safe. We could drive off a cliff and not even see it,” Gwen yelled over the squealing of the brakes. She looked back in despair as Ernie struggled to keep the car on track.
Finn sighed, must all the hard work be left to him? “Stop the car,” he called out to Ernesto. Finn didn’t survive that blasted basement just to die in a car crash. The music in his ears stopped abruptly when he pulled the ears of his headphones off. “I’m gonna run in front of the car so I can see the road. Just follow me,” Finn explained.
He immediately regretted his words as he climbed out of the nice and toasty car into the cold. When he started moving, his body warmed up as well but it was still freezing. Ernesto owed him for sure. A minute after starting running, a flashlight blinded him: a girl on a horse with a flashlight.
“Follow me!” she said followed by, “Mando! I found your stray CITs.”
Finn told Gwen to get out of the car as Ernie drove inside Camp Alpine Lake. For all he knew his sister and Ernesto would start making out as soon as they parked. No babies yet.
It was hard to hear over the snowstorm, but a man in a heavy coat and greying hair ushered them over to talk as he closed the gates. “You must be the Blakes!”
“Yeah, how’d you know?” Finn asked skeptically.
“Oh, they closed I6 at Silverthorne. You’re the only ones who didn’t get the call in time. I’m Armando. Or just Mando, if you like.” The man chuckled. “Come on. Come with me. Let’s get you inside.”
As they were walking back to what Finn assumed was the cabin when Mando's words registered in his brain. “What about all the kids? Aren’t they supposed to arrive tomorrow?” Finn tried to keep a calm voice. He couldn’t believe that he let Gwen drag him out here. At least this was better than Gwen and Ernesto being snowed in together.
If Mando caught the panic in Finn's voice, he didn't show it. “Camp’s canceled. They won’t plow the roads until the storm passes. You three are the only kids here. Support staff has only been here a week, but otherwise, you’re it. I’m sorry to say it, but for now you’re stuck here.”
Gwen was led off to her own cabin while Ernesto joined Finn in their cabin. “This isn’t good,” Finn conversed with Ernesto.
“It’ll be fine. It has to be,” Ernesto responded halfheartedly. He was just tired from all the driving. They both climbed in bed in their jeans, neither bothering to change. After a couple minutes, Finn fell into a restless, uneasy sleep, Ernesto falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
RINGGGG RINGGGGG
Finn nearly hit his head on the top bunk. Barely in his coat, he trudged to the phone booth where the relentless ringing came from. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you.” He hung up on whoever was on the line.
RINGGGG RINGGGGG
Finn left it ringing for a bit before he answered it again. Usually the ringing stopped after he hung up. “Who is this?” he finally answered. Silence. “Hello? Is anyone there?” he was sick of this stupid phone business.
“Hello, Finney,” the Grabber’s voice seemed to echo before Finn slammed the phone back. Finn sank to the floor in a daze.
RINGGGG RINGGGGG
Finn screamed in agony. He kicked the black phone off its hook to stop the agonizing ringing.
“Hell is not flames, Finney. It’s ice.” the Grabber whispered in Finn’s ear. A pause. “Nothing burns like the cold.”
That’s when he heard Gwen screaming in the distance. He shoved the phone back on the post and sprinted to Gwen’s cabin. If he were less focused on getting to his sister, he would have seen a ghostly figure standing in front of the door to another cabin. Not that it matters. Nothing matters when you have someone to protect.