“He’s very handsome,” she said, and he was. She knew that the man in the photograph had been Sasha’s father, a news reporter who had been openly critical of the government’s regime. When Sasha was only nine, he and his family had been brutally attacked by government agents. His mother and brother had died, and Sasha himself had barely survived. He hadn’t seen his father since that night, and had always assumed the government had murdered him as well.
Aleandra understood the attack had left scars on Sasha’s psyche, wounds that would never heal. While his father had been a drinker, they had been a close family, and though it had been fourteen years since the attack, he still missed his parents and brother every day.
“He was here, Allie. I can feel it.”
She shivered. Their isolated camp on Kholat Syakhl was creepy enough without fretting about the spirit of her boyfriend’s slaughtered father hovering over them. Grigory had been convinced the government was conducting unethical military experiments in the mountains, which was why they’d chosen the desolate place to begin their search for answers.
Aleandra shouldered the responsibility for her friends’ wellbeing. While they liked Sasha enough, he was not the sort of man who was easy to be close to. She had been the one to appeal to them for help, and she understood they had agreed for her sake. No matter what happened in the next few days, she had to make sure everyone got off the mountain safely.
“Everything all right?” Oleg asked. She suspected that her adventurous friend was the only one who’d actually wanted to go, rather than responding from some sense of obligation.
She stood, dusting bark and other debris from her snow pants. “Yes, everything’s fine, but it will be dark soon. We should prepare dinner while there’s still light.”
“Works for me. I’m starving.” At six-foot-seven and well over two hundred pounds, Oleg was always hungry. But his jovial nature was a welcome respite from the gloominess that shadowed their camp, so no one minded feeding him. He clapped Sasha on the shoulder. “How are you feeling, my friend?”
Tucking the photograph inside his jacket, Sasha straightened. “I’m fine; thank you.”
It was a lie, and all three of them knew it, but Aleandra was still relieved. Maybe this trip would help Sasha put some of the demons in his past to rest. If so, it was worth the risk.
FORCED CHEER SET the tone for the evening as the six friends tried their best to forget the grim reason for their adventure. As the vodka bottle was passed back and forth, they almost succeeded.
An unearthly howl split the night. Oleg stopped talking, mid-joke, and Aleandra felt a crawling along the back of her neck. She shivered.
“What was that?” Tatiana said.
Mishka grabbed the bottle out of her hand and chugged. “Sounds like wolves.”
“That wasn’t a wolf. I’ve heard wolves. That was something else.” Elena stared into the distance in a way that made Aleandra nervous. She tugged on her friend’s hand, urging her to sit back down.
“What, then? Coyotes? A dog?” Mishka narrowed his eyes as he challenged her.
“That didn’t sound like any dog I’ve ever heard,” Oleg said. “I agree with Elena. It’s something else.”
“Canines are pack animals. If it were a canine, it would have gotten an answer by now.” Elena retrieved the bottle from Mishka.
The group fell silent, listening, as Aleandra tried to ignore the sensation that something was creeping up behind them, preparing to pounce. When she couldn’t tolerate it any longer, she stood, trying her best to appear casual. “It’s been a long day. I think I’m going to turn in. Sasha, will you walk me to my tent?”
Her friends’ goodbyes were intertwined with teasing remarks and snickering, as she’d expected, but even though her cheeks flushed, she didn’t care. She needed to tell Sasha about her concerns privately, and if the rest of them wanted to think there was something more carnal going on, that was the fault of their own sick minds. Her boyfriend smiled for the first time that day, but as they left the fire, his seriousness returned.
“What is it, Allie? I can tell something’s troubling you.”
She hesitated, regretting they’d left the warmth and light of the campfire behind. The temperature was dropping rapidly, and for the first time, she was concerned their gear wouldn’t be enough to keep them from freezing. “That terrible cry. What do you think it was?”
“Probably a wolf, like Mishka said.” He slipped his hand into hers, and she clung to it, his closeness making her feel safe for the moment.
“Elena grew up in the country. She’s listened to those creatures howl all her life. If she says it wasn’t a wolf, I believe her.”
“What else could it be?”
As they reached the tent she shared with Elena, she beckoned him inside. Though the thin nylon was hardly soundproof, she wasn’t comfortable discussing her fears outside. She still felt that something was out there, watching.
Listening.
Sasha followed and zipped the flaps shut. He tried to wrap his arms around her, but she insisted on keeping her distance. She needed a clear head; now was not the time for romance.
“I’m sure you’ve heard the stories about these mountains.”
Sasha was quiet for a moment, and she could see him turning her words over in his mind. “Please tell me you’re not talking about the creatures.”
“There have been so many sightings, Sasha. You heard what they were saying at the tavern. The Mansi are too afraid to come up here after what happened to the Dyatlov group, and they’re skilled hunters. Surely, they wouldn’t stay away on account of a few wolves.”
The fate of the Dyatlov group troubled everyone, and had almost discouraged a couple of their friends—Tatiana and Mishka—from joining them. Earlier that year, a group of nine ski hikers, led by Igor Dyatlov, had ventured into the same mountains, eerily close to where they now camped. When an expected telegram from Igor never arrived, a search-and-rescue team had gone after the hikers. Searchers had found their mutilated bodies scattered around their campsite. One of their tents had been slashed clean through, and many of the hikers had been half-naked, as if they’d had to leave in a hurry.
The government, eager to close the case and put an end to any questions, claimed an avalanche was to blame for the deaths, but Elena’s father had been on the search-and-rescue team, and said there were no signs of any avalanche. And then there was the photo.
Igor’s camera had been abandoned along with the rest of the group’s belongings. When the film was developed, one photo showed a shadowy figure. A figure that wasn’t quite human. It seemed related to the strange message that had been left in the tent:
From now on we know, snowmen do exist.
“You know I don’t believe in that. Whoever killed the Dyatlov group was human, just like whoever murdered my family and kidnapped my father was human. There are no such things as yetis.”
Aleandra prayed he was right. It would make it a lot easier to sleep that night. “Sasha, I don’t think we’re alone out here.”
“Of course we’re not alone.” He hugged her close, his voice softening. “There are many creatures in the forest: rabbit, bear, deer...”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I mean.” And she was sure he knew it too—she’d hardly ask to speak with him about the presence of a few rabbits. Why was he feigning ignorance? Since they’d met, they’d marveled at their ability to read each other’s minds, and now he acted like she was speaking a foreign language. “All night, I’ve had a strong feeling that someone was watching us—listening to us. And please don’t tell me it’s a bunny rabbit.”
“I’ve felt the same,” he admitted. “But this place would have anyone’s imagination running wild. It’s so isolated, so plagued with rumors of mysterious deaths and unnatural beings. What we’re feeling is our own nerves, that’s all.”
Aleandra bit her tongue to keep from arguing. Sasha’s explanation was rational and sensible, but she knew what she f
elt was real. It wasn’t her imagination, or her nerves, or anything else.
Something was out there, something sentient.
Something that didn’t want them here.
WAKE UP, ALLIE. Wakeup, wakeup, WAKEUP.
Her eyes flew open and she let out a startled cry when she saw a face looming over hers. A hand clapped over her mouth, stifling her.
“Ssh. Hurry, get up.”
Aleandra recognized the voice before she could make out the person’s features.
“What are you doing?”
Elena had grasped her arms and was tugging her upright, but Aleandra’s legs were still entangled in her sleeping bag. She stumbled, grabbing onto her friend so she wouldn’t fall. “Elena, tell me what’s happening. What’s wrong?”
“No time.” She shoved a jacket into Allie’s arms. “Come on, come on, we have to leave.”
The other woman’s terror was contagious. Aleandra followed Elena into the frozen night without asking any more questions. She’d known Ellie since they were girls, and had never seen her so frightened.
A bitter wind clawed at her skin, making her grateful for the jacket. She fastened the hood and neck protector while fighting to keep pace with her friend, who ran through the knee-high snow as if it were weightless. Light from the full moon sparkled on the ice crystals, rendering the scene strangely beautiful.
As she saw Elena was leading her to the forest, she seized her friend’s arm. “What about the others? Sasha, Tatiana...we can’t leave them.”
Elena’s face was blank, her voice a monotone. Aleandra, who was studying to be a nurse, recognized the signs of shock. “They’re gone.”
Sasha! “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”
“Just gone. We have to go, Allie. There’s no time.”
She turned and continued cutting a path through the snow. Hesitant, Aleandra looked at the camp they were leaving behind. It was silent, still. She glimpsed no movement, heard no signs of life. Tears stung her eyes as the painful truth sunk in—Sasha had left her behind without a word. He’d abandoned her to whatever fate had made him leave the camp.
Elena plunged into the forest without pausing, occasionally tripping over branches and rocks. Retrieving a flashlight from her pocket, Aleandra clicked it on and gasped when her friend whirled on her, looking crazed. Elena’s hand closed over the light.
“Turn it off,” she hissed. “Do you want to kill us both?”
Before she could answer, a chorus of howls sprung up around them, startling Aleandra so much she nearly cried out. Elena jerked her arm, urging her forward. Her pulse pounding in her ears, Aleandra forced herself to concentrate on avoiding the branches that snagged their skin and clothing, and the hidden obstacles beneath the snow.
She strained her eyes until they ached, struggling to see. The howling continued, the creatures sounding close enough to touch. Those aren’t wolves. She pushed the thought away.
Elena stopped short, causing Aleandra to bash into her, but her friend didn’t react. “There’s a cave or something up ahead,” she whispered. “We’ll be safe there till morning.”
Her lungs aching, Aleandra felt even more pressure build in her chest. “What if there are bears?”
She could see the cave now, a shadow against the night sky, its maw looming open as if to swallow them whole.
“Allie, if we stay out here, we are going to die. Do you understand me?”
Elena gripped her shoulders with gloved hands, staring into her eyes. But Aleandra didn’t understand, not really. She’d followed her friend this far as if in a dream, not sure what was happening or why. Not understanding why Sasha had abandoned her, why the rest of the group had left them. What about Oleg? He was so protective, like an older brother. She’d always felt safe with him, and yet, he had left her, too.
“I—I can’t go in there, Ellie,” she managed, the blood rushing to her brain so that she could barely hear herself speak.
“Yes, you can. You can, and you will.”
Before Elena could drag her the rest of the way, she hastened to explain. “You don’t understand. I really can’t. I’m—I’m claustrophobic.” The shame of her weakness, of not being like the others, made her cringe in spite of the direness of their situation.
“Better claustrophobic than dead. We have no choice.”
How could she tell Elena the truth—that the cave was the same one she’d seen in her nightmares?
The pressure on her chest worsened, as if something were squeezing her, allowing only the faintest of breaths. She gasped for air, choking it down in great gulps though its iciness stabbed her throat like needles. “I—I can’t breathe.”
Elena drove her forward, pulling and shoving and dragging, until they reached the entrance. She poked her head inside and then drew back, her mouth twisted in disgust. “Ugh, it reeks.”
A bad smell meant the cave was undoubtedly home to some wild animal—maybe more than one—but Elena wouldn’t listen to reason, and Aleandra could hardly catch her breath, let alone argue. Pressing her arm across her nose and mouth, she followed her friend into the stinking darkness.
Taking her light, Elena switched it on. Aleandra winced at the intensity as the light ricocheted back at them, reflected by a million snow crystals. Elena directed the beam towards the roof, and both women followed its path with their eyes, staring at the twinkling sugar walls.
“We can’t stay here, Ellie.” The tension in her lungs increased as Aleandra tightened her grip on her friend’s arm, yanking her backwards. “It’s a snow cave.”
Elena pulled away, shaking her head. “We have no choice. We have to stay low until morning. When the sun rises, we’ll leave.”
She ventured farther inside, and Aleandra’s panic intensified as the light left her. “B-but it’s not natural. Some animal made this. It’s not safe.”
“Do you see an animal?” Elena shone her light over the glittering surface. “Do you hear one?” Her voice had grown heavy with impatience. “Besides, even if there is an animal in here, it’s a hell of a lot better than what’s out there.”
THE CAVE WAS much larger than it had first appeared. Aleandra felt she’d been staggering after her friend for hours, with no end in sight. Thoughts of the structure collapsing and burying them alive tormented her, keeping her breathing shallow and her legs weak. She’d begged Elena to stop, trying to persuade her they were getting too far from the entrance, but her friend moved on as if possessed. She’d quit responding and wouldn’t answer questions about the others—just pushed forward.
Finally, she stopped, holding up her hand so Aleandra wouldn’t walk into her again.
“What is—”
“Ssh.” Elena held a finger to her lips. “Look.”
She peered over the other woman’s shoulder. The path split in two, each option packed down and free of obstacles. What snow cave was this large, or had more than one passage? No animal had made this.
As if Elena had read her mind, she cast the light over the path on the left. “There are stairs!”
They moved closer, gawking at an old yet sturdy-looking set of stairs heading into an abyss even more foul-smelling than the one they were in. “I don’t like it, Ellie. Let’s go.”
Elena cocked her head to the side. “Do you hear that?”
She could feel it more than hear it—a low, rumbling growl that vibrated through the earth and her boots, tickling her feet. “Are you crazy? There’s an animal down there. We have to get out of here, now.”
“That’s not an animal,” Elena said, shrugging her off. “It’s a generator, and from the sounds of it, it needs some help.”
“Ellie, what are you doing? Ellie, come back.”
“Do you want to spend the rest of the night blind, Allie?” She held up the flashlight, which had been flickering for the last ten minutes or so—a flicker Aleandra had desperately tried to ignore. “Maybe this place has heat too. I have to try.”
In a last attempt to keep her friend from descendi
ng, Aleandra seized her jacket. “I don’t like this. I don’t think we should be here. I’m going after the others. We never should have left them behind.”
“I told you, they’re gone. There’s nothing we can do for them now.”
“But—how can they be gone? They wouldn’t just leave us. Sasha wouldn’t...” Her words caught in her throat as she pictured her fiancé. How despondent he’d been that day, only brightening when she’d kissed him goodnight and held him close to her. At first, she’d been furious with him for abandoning her, but now a horrible thought occurred—what if he hadn’t abandoned her, but instead she’d unknowingly abandoned him, following a mad woman into the night? Tatiana had often joked that Elena was crazy, but maybe the jokes weren’t jokes after all.
The woman lunged at her, shoving her so hard the air went out of her and she lost her footing on the ice. Aleandra sat down hard, staring up at her friend, whom she no longer recognized. Elena’s eyes were wild, her expression that of a spooked horse. “Are you daft? They didn’t leave us.”
“But you said—you said they were gone.”
“They’re dead, Aleandra.” Her voice rose, echoing back to them.
“Wha—”
Time stopped, frozen. Aleandra gawked at Elena. The woman’s lips were moving, but she couldn’t hear. Sasha. No, he couldn’t be gone. They were going to be married in the spring. It was a trick, a cruel, horrible prank, and any minute, their friends would leap out to surprise them.
Elena crouched in front of her, resting her hands on Aleandra’s shoulders. Sighing, she leaned forward until their foreheads touched. Ellie’s tears fell on Aleandra’s face as she took a shuddering breath. “I heard someone screaming. I—I thought it was Tatiana, but it was Mishka. Something had him, something massive. I couldn’t tell what it was. It had a human shape, but it was too big. It was gigantic, Allie. I tried, but I couldn’t save the others. They were already...gone.”
“But maybe—maybe one is still alive. Oleg, Tatiana, Sasha—they can’t all be gone.” She couldn’t bring herself to say dead. It was impossible. She knew how Elena felt about Mishka; they all did. Obviously seeing her beloved killed had driven her insane, causing her to leave the others behind. “We have to go back for them.”
Hellhole Page 23
