The Damned

Eva, a young widow living in the 19th century, finds herself in charge of a remote winter fishing outpost situated in an icy Arctic bay. This outpost was inherited after her husband, Magnus, tragically lost his life in a shipwreck on the jagged rocks known as the Teeth. Isolated and cut off from the nearest village by a treacherous snowbound mountain path, Eva’s crew faces the brutal challenges of the harsh winter, with dwindling supplies adding to their mounting difficulties. The crew consists of several members, including soldier Duncan Vezain, helmsman Ragnar, and crewmen Daníel, Hákon, Jónas, Skúli, and Aron, all working together to survive in the unforgiving environment.

As their resources diminish, the crew resorts to eating bait to sustain themselves. One morning, they witness a shipwreck at the Teeth, a disaster that intensifies their bleak situation. However, with their supplies limited, Eva is reluctantly forced to make the difficult decision to leave the shipwreck survivors behind, deeming them too desperate and dangerous to rescue with their current resources. This moment marks a turning point, highlighting Eva’s dilemma between compassion and survival.

Later, a barrel of salt pork from the wreck washes ashore, offering a glimmer of hope. Driven by desperation, Eva leads the crew on a risky night-time expedition along the icy shores to scavenge more supplies. Their efforts pay off—among the recovered items are a crate filled with lamp oil and brandy. But their relief is short-lived as they encounter a group of survivors desperately clinging to the rocks, fighting to get to their boat. Chaos erupts as the survivors scramble for safety. The crew fights to defend themselves, resulting in Daníel killing one of the desperate castaways. During the chaos, Ragnar is pulled into the frigid sea, forcing the crew to make a heartbreaking decision to leave him behind and escape with their meager gains.

The following day, the crew finds bodies from the wreck scattered along the shore, and strange, unsettling events begin to unfold. One corpse is discovered with live eels inside its stomach—a disturbing omen. Helga, the cautious cook, expresses concern about the possibility of draugr, folklore creatures from Nordic legend known as revenants driven by hatred and vengeance. She takes precautions to prevent the dead from rising. However, Eva begins experiencing vivid dreams and visions of a dark, ominous figure haunting her mind, deepening the sense of dread. Helga warns that to put an end to the curse, the draugr must be burned.

After a brief period of relative calm and a successful fishing catch, disaster strikes again. The fish stores mysteriously vanish overnight, creating panic among the crew. Then, Helga goes missing, and her trail leads to the burial site where the crew discovers one coffin is empty. Paranoia spreads as suspicion and madness take hold. The crew’s mental state deteriorates, leading to violent conflicts. In a tragic turn, Hákon, overwhelmed by paranoia, attempts to strangle Daníel, only to be killed by Aron in self-defense. Later, Daníel retaliates violently, attacking Jónas before ultimately slitting his own throat, further illustrating the chaos consuming the team.

Determined to confront the evil, Eva ventures out to face the draugr herself. Her journey is perilous, culminating in Skúli falling to his death at the fog-shrouded burial site. Eva discovers Helga’s frozen corpse, an ominous sign of the mounting horror. When she returns to the cabin, she is ambushed by the terrifying draugr. In a desperate act of survival, Eva shoots the creature, burns the cabin to eradicate it, and escapes with her life. She believes she has ended the nightmare, but the truth is far darker. It is revealed that she had killed a shipwreck survivor who, speaking in Basque, offered her a gold pocket watch in exchange for her boat. Unsure of his intentions and unable to understand him, Eva shot him and set his body ablaze, adding a layer of moral ambiguity to her actions.

Throughout this harrowing ordeal, themes of desperation, folklore, and mental unraveling intertwine in a chilling story of survival against supernatural evil and human frailty. Eva’s harrowing experience reveals not only the physical dangers of the Arctic but also the darker fears that lurk within the human mind when pushed to the brink in the face of incomprehensible darkness.

Last Updated: August 19, 2025 at 05:15