The Aftermath.

She didn't sleep that much. Nor did she eat, she rarely spoke, and the confident smile she always wore never appeared on her face again. Not since what happened at the cabin. She couldn't handle silence for too long, hyperventilating and screaming fits to the point she'd sink to the floor and pull at her hair. Dark and closed rooms were no different.

She heard most of her friends were seeing psychiatrists to deal with what happened. Taking pills to handle their stress, nightmares, PTSD and depression. In all her time knowing them, she wouldn't have thought Emily would trip a few times over her words, she was still strong, snarky, but there was that trembling point that anxiety would eat at her, wringing her hands until she'd walk away and try to block it all out.

The last she heard from Sam is that she's seeing someone for depression. But any other details were lost. Ashley and Chris both had anxiety issues, loud noises gets at them, but at least they have each other.

Occasionally, Matt would come see her. They'd talk a bit, but that was it, the gap between them was too wide and she was grateful, but she couldn't stop the images replaying over and over inside her mind.

Jess never asked about Josh. The stories the others told her was too much, the images too harsh. The police think one of them offed him, or he committed suicide, she never believed them. She believed in what truly happened and that whatever pulled her from the house was the culprit, she wouldn't say that outloud, not again.

Weeks went by, months, a year, and still she couldn't push it away. The screams echoing inside her head, ice burning her skin, the scars reopening and hot slick blood running down her skin, the cold flesh of that monster grasping her, pulling her away from everything she ever knew.

"Hey…" A voice, so far away, calling her, yet she can't follow. The wind drags it away, and the trees move, the snow building higher and higher. Her clothes ripped from her skin while the snow is covered in her blood. "Jess.." The monster murmurs against her naked shoulder, its claw wrapping around her waist, digging into her flesh, the scream she wants to release won't escape. Another of its claw grasps her shoulder, slamming her down onto her back. She sobs, trying to fight, but it's too strong and the icy wind is freezing her fingers, turning them blue.

"Jess.."

"H-help.. me.." she sobs, grabbing snow as the monster drags her. "Please.. help me!" This time, she screams and it burns her throat.

"Jess! Wake up!"

Her eyes open and she's covered in darkness, not snow, warm hands grip her shoulders as she sits up, pushing them away from her.

"No. Please.. don't hurt me.." Tears run down her face, but her wrists are held firmly in Mike's hands.

"Hey.. calm down, Jess, it was only a nightmare."

He drops his hands from her wrists as her shoulder slacks and he's able to pull her into his arms. Caressing her disheveled hair. "It's okay. It's okay. You're in your room, with me, you're not alone, Jess. Believe that."

His breath is hot against her ear as she nods frantically.

Exhaustion runs through her entire body as the fear slowly dissipates and relief is replaced.

After the events, Mike dealt with the same misery as the rest of them, but he stayed with her. Sometimes she wondered why, always questioning his reasons. There were moments like this that instead of her, it was him. But unlike her nightmares of the monsters she didn't have a name too, Mike would wake up and search for her.

His hands moving along the bed until he found her. Nudging her awake just to know that she was alive and with him. It was nice, but she could see the infliction of what happened to him after he thought she was dead in that elevator shaft.

The panic in his eyes, hands trembling, cold sweat coating his skin. The relief on her face must mirror his on those nights.

Once her breathing calmed, she laid down while he grabbed the blankets and covered them both. She realized he couldn't sleep by himself either, the same anxiety, mild depression, but he was strong, always holding a mask over his face that made everyone think he's okay.

He was the only one who didn't see a psychiatrist every other week. He got his diagnosis, his advice, and now he's just waiting until the nightmares fade.

Jess never considered the nightmares to ever leave. The open scars in her mind, and the ones on her skin. Every time she looked in the mirror, she'd close her eyes and try to hold back the tears. The scars were there, large, easily hidden under clothing, but they were there. Never fading, the memories of thick blood drying on her skin and the flush of bruises.

She always held onto hope that the screeching of those monsters would go far away into the recesses of her mind. She curled herself against Mike, her ear to his chest and listened to his beating heart. Knowing they were safe from those monster, not safe from the memories of them, but for now, they were with each other.

.

.

fin.

author's notes:

Hey. I've wanted to write an Until Dawn Fic since my brother beat the game and I watched Markiplier play it. :) What I enjoyed most is the ending, sure the characters were all obnoxious, but Jess, she was so perky and inconsiderate at the beginning, at the end, she was struggling with what happened to her. I really like that Mike, even though their relationship seemed off, he really did care about her, during their interrogation, Jess smiled when she asked about Mike and that he came for her.

So yeah.. the fic is short, but I like it. :)

Reviews are appreciated. No flames or bashing please.