Mine Games

The group stops for food at a gas station. A newspaper headline reports a couple found murdered in their RV, foreshadowing the danger ahead. They continue toward the cabin, but darkness is already closing in.

As they near the cabin, someone stands in the middle of the road and they swerve to miss them, rupturing the radiator. The van sputters and stops a short distance away, forcing the friends to abandon it and trek toward the cabin. Night falls as they walk, increasing their anxiety.

During the trek, it is hinted that Michael takes anti-psychotics, suggesting unstable mental health. The group also notes a strange aurora like light in the sky, something they think is unlikely for their latitude. The tension rises as they push toward shelter.

They find a house with lights on and decide to enter after checking the front doors. Inside, they find a note addressed to TJ, Lex, and Claire telling them to stay, which unsettles the group. They decide to settle in for the night despite the odd warning.

TJ and Michael go outside to repair a failing generator, adding gasoline and hoping to keep it running. A loud noise outside prompts them to investigate, and Michael seems to vanish into the darkness before returning to bed. The others remain wary as the night wears on.

Matt and Sarah are in their RV when someone approaches from the woods and stabs Matt, then bursts inside as Sarah screams. The sounds pull the group further into a dangerous unknown and hint that there is a threat closer than they expect.

Michael dreams of his friends in a mine, watching them drag bodies and taunt him. He wakes with Lyla nearby, unsettled and unsure what the dream means for their predicament.

The next morning, Rose questions Michael about his wandering. Lex finds mining gear in a closet, and TJ discovers the mine entrance; Lex and Rose head toward the mine, taking mushrooms along the way. Curiosity grows as they near what lies below.

Inside the mine the group finds a Break the cycle inscription and an Ouroboros drawing on the wall. Lex and Rose separate from the others while TJ, Michael, and Guy cross a wooden bridge, with ominous noises prompting them to retreat. The mine feels alive with a sense of menace.

Michael enters a small closet and finds red writing on the wall that says This is the first time, hinting at repeated patterns. His friends lock the closet as a joke, but the door jams, trapping him briefly and heightening the sense of danger.

Rose experiences visions of figures in the mine and notices fresh scrapes on her leg that no one else sees. The group grows uneasy as the line between the living and the dead begins to blur, and Rose repeats Break the cycle under her breath.

While searching for Lex's wallet, TJ and Lex uncover a burlap-covered corpse that turns out to be their own bodies in the mine. The horrifying discovery confirms their fear that they are caught in a terrifying loop. They scramble back to the others in a panic.