The Mountain Ghost Part 1 | The Atbash AU

Date: June 16th 2017

It’s 9:30 in the morning. Mike’s making breakfast for himself downstairs. Journal 2 is on the kitchen tabletop. Left open, like someone was flipping through the pages, slightly.

Wheatley enters through the door. “You know, he’s still waiting up in the mountain, Mike..” Wheatley casually tries to start a conversation. “Yes, well- I left him with cans of beans, schematics and a book about economics. I think he can keep himself entertained. Also, if you haven’t noticed - I have a shift today so I can’t take care of him, I’m not his darn dad.” Mike responds with a grumpy voice. Wheatley: “Wait, did you say economics? Why?” Mike responds: “He took a look at it earlier and decided he wanted it. What ever he does with it is none of my business.” Mike hears noises getting louder upstairs. He closes Journal 2 and hides it behind his back. The kids run downstairs wearing winter clothing.

Mike: “Am I hallucinating or are you two going crazy?” Mason: “Nope!”, “We’re going hiking apparently.” Mark adds. Mike: “Wait, what? Hiking? You mean the mountains? It would be irresponsible to let you two go alone on some crazy, risky adventure in cold temperatures on high altitudes!” Mason: “Fifty bucks says we’ll come back to the shack at noon tomorrow and not any earlier.” Mike thinks about it. He seems to have forgotten the fact that he has responsibilities over the kids and shouldn’t put them in any danger. But let’s just say that by cartoon logic and Mike’s obsession with money he says: “I’m in. - But first off, ground rules.”

We cut to Mike at the table with the map of North Hills and two radio’s on the table in front of him. “Rule number one, you’ll get back to the porch of this very shack at twelve hundred hours exactly on June 17th of this year. Rule number two, you are not allowed the cross the green area marked on the map. Rule number three, if you get in any kind of trouble you’ll me using a walkie-talkie. Rule number four, I’m giving you enough supplies to survive a full night at the mountains which include: Five cans of beans, two sleeping bags, a box of matches, flashlights, this map, snowshoes, a com and a camera incase you see a yeti or whatever. Any personal equipment you take with you is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. Got it? Also, you already got.. fairly enough winter clothes so I don’t think I need to give you any extras. You got that?” Mason & Mark: “Yes, sir captain, sir!” Mike: “At ease, knuckleheads! I’ll drive you near the path up to the mountains at 8:30 PM. It should take about an half and hour so you should be there by.. nine, ish.” Wheatley barks. Mason and Mark rush upstairs. “So... you got fifty bucks?” Mark says, sweating. “Oh, ye of little faith.” Mason replies. “We’re gonna win this.” “You’re wearing two sweaters underneath your vest! You think THAT’s going to shield you from the cold?” Mark continues. Mason: “This is a really good vest, sorry if it’s not up to your expectations!” Mark: “You said we were gonna do something fun today! I was expecting like.. catching a monster in a WARM environment not this mountain climbing bologna.” Mason walks over to a bookshelf over his bed and takes out the third hourglass journal. “Listen bro, there are a lotta crazy things up in those mountains and I’ll be darned if I don’t find at least one of them! Just look at these! ‘A Wolf That Never Stops Howling’! ‘The Phoenix’!” Mark confusingly: “ ‘Abominable Snowlegs’?” Mason closes the journal. “You’re missing the point! You and me have seen a lot of crazy things for the few weeks we’ve already been here!-“ Mark, silently: “...Like, 4...” “-Besides, I want to see as much of this place as possible until we get a call saying that we have to leave! This place is amazing! So come on, trust me that we can do this.” Mark stares at Mason, barely blinking: “Ugh, fine.” Mark hugs Mason, somewhat.. brotherly I guess.

8:29 PM

Mike and Wheatley are still talking downstairs. “You seem reluctant on keeping them out of harms way.” Wheatley says. Mike: “Listen, if all goes well they’ll at least be out of my hair.” Wheatley: “Yes, out of your hair. Hello, dummy! MOUNTAIN TRIP?” Mike: “You know what they did when I visited on the summer of 2013? They ran away from home for 2 days and came back without a scratch. Not my fault by the way.” Wheatley: “They’re nice kids, I hope you’ll see that before it’s too late.” Wheatley starts walking away but then turns around trying to say something before he forgets. “By the way, on Tuesday morning I wanted to-“ Mason shouts from upstairs: “Okay, we’re ready! Let’s go!”

8:53 PM

Mike, Mason and Mark arrive to the bottom of the mountain. “Still time to give up.” Mike says with a somewhat confident tone. “You think we can’t do this? We’ll show you.” Mason states. The twins get out of the car. When they’ve gone up for a bit, they hear Mike driving away from below the mountain. “Welp, up we go! Hey, you wanna listen to some random facts while we go up?” Mason says. Mark responds quietly with himself: “..This is going to be a long climb...”

An hour es. They’ve reached a small snowy plateau on the mountains. It’s started snowing slightly.

Mason: “I just called Mike.” Mark: “Okay, what did he say?” Mason: “He said the weather could get bad fast, we should set up camp soon.” Mark sets the camp equipment down. Something howls in the distance for an extremely long time. Mark gulps. “Y-you think that could be a.. friendly wolf?” Mason: “Uhhh.. If it’s the wolf that never stops howling according to the journal it should be mostly harmless..” Mark, quietly: “MOSTLY? What do you mean MOSTLY!?” Mason creeps up to the direction of the sound with his snowshoes, Mark behind him. The howling is closer. They peer over a hill of snow. It’s a small pack of constantly howling wolves. It’s an accurate description of the wolves Mason saw the journal. As they notice Mike and Mason, the pack runs off to a different direction. Mark: “That was.. oddly magical.”

The weather has started to rage on. It’s getting worse.

Mark shouts through the blowing wind: “We need to find shelter!”

Mason shouts back: “No way, smarty pants! Where’s the equipment for the tent?!” Mark: “I dropped it!” Thunder strikes. We cut to Mike looking through the shack window up the mountain. “Sure hope they’re okay.. something tells me this could have been a bad idea..” Mark: “Without the tent we’re gonna become popsicles!” Mason: “We have to find a way back down!” Mark, shortly after: “Wait look, I see a light! It’s moving, someone could be over there!”

Mason follows Mark towards the eerie light. It’s coming from a window of a small wooden cabin. “Who builds a cabin on a mountain?” They look around the cabin before they find a porch and the entrance. They enter. “I’ll get a fire going, you take th-“

Mark presses against the wall and points at the white ominous glow on the table in front of them.

The light starts moving towards them. “Now what?” Mason says. The figure reveals itself. It resembles an oil lamp, but with Mr Peanut arms and legs and instead of an oil storage for a body, it looks like more of a futuristic battery and it’s lamp very straight, instead of curvy like a normal oil lamp. It’s light blinks a couple of times until it turns around and jumps back to the table.

To be concluded...