Thanks a lot for being patient with this story and, once again, thanks for the lovely comments that you guys are leaving, hope you enjoy what comes next!
Important note: I have got exams coming up in a few weeks, so the next update will (most likely) be in July. Worry not, this isn't going to be abandoned, when my exams are over, I'll be back to writing! (Edit: Applogies for the lack of update.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn, its plot/story or characters. Those rights go to Supermassive Games and Sony Computer Entertainment.
You've got to be kidding me.
You've got to be kidding me.
You have got to me kidding me.
The same insisted thought persisted through Beth's mind as she stomped through the woods and back to the Sanitarium. She was more than ready to face the anniversary on her own, but to have even more reminders of that dreadful night? Now that was too far.
Despite being stuck on the mountain for a year, Beth never had it in her to address the painful memories of her friends. In all honesty, she couldn't bring herself to care because she assumed that she would never have to see them again. Well, a lot of good that did her. Beth had never learned of the details that had driven Hannah to run from the lodge, but she wasn't sure if she even wanted to know.
Beth stopped in her tracks as another dreadful thought entered her mind:
There was no way that Mike was planning on coming here alone. She tangled her fingers through her hair in frustration at the thought of more of her friends coming up here. The police, she could handle, but a bunch of college kids? And knowing what her friends were like?
She groaned. This was going to be long weekend.
"Bad news, guys.", Beth called out to Snowfall and Wolfie as the two wolves sprinted to get her. She knelt down and stroked their furs soothingly. "Looks like we're gonna have some company for a while now. She pulled out her bag of meat and fed each of them a small bite that they took greedily. "Yeah, I know it's not ideal. I mean, we've essentially got to watch everyone's back now."
She sighed heavily and then scratched their heads supportively. "But we'll be fine. We can handle this together."
Beth felt like a babysitter at this point; looking out for a bunch of people who had no clue as to what was going on around them. Was this how Jack felt everyday? Probably.
As much as Beth wanted to go up to the lodge, she couldn't bring herself to. That would inevitably lead to an uncomfortable explanation of how and why Beth was alive and fighting against a cursed mountain. And also having to admit that she failed to save both her sister and her friend. No, she couldn't afford that pain at this point. If Beth simply kept her distance from everyone and instead focused on keeping the Wendigos away from her friends, things would be fine.
Beth looked out the window. Sundown was in a matter of hours. She had a lot of preparing to do.
Said preparations involved carrying out final checks on the captured Wendigos, making sure that the cages were still sturdy and that the remaining ones were open wide with bait visibly inside if she had to trap the rest. She also triple checked the barricade blocking the tunnel that lead to the lodge's basement. Beth had considered it when she was alone in her efforts and the police were still roaming the mountains. With the possibility of the police investigations uncovering the truth of the Sanitarium at the back of her mind, Beth gathered the means and resources to block the connection the best she could.
With all of that out of the way, Beth pulled out Jack's notebook, flipping to a new page. If all her friends were going to be around the mountain and at the lodge, Beth decided that it would be useful to note down where they were going to be hanging out throughout the night. She didn't know how long they were going to be staying for, but they would definitely be safe by morning. It was nighttime that she was worried about. Keeping tabs on a bunch of people was going to be difficult but if she was going to keep everyone from the Wendigos, she was just going to have to go to such precautions.
She wasn't as capable in keeping Jack or Hannah safe. She would try her best here, or die trying.
Sam sighed as she and Chris approached the lodge. She had hoped that the place wouldn't bring back any painful memories but, realistically, that was going to be impossible. Last year, she had lost two of her friends and all of them never had the chance to make amends with either of them. Because of a stupid prank that the others played on Hannah, she and Beth suffered greatly as a result. For the first few months, they all held onto wishful thinking that they were simply lost and would eventually turn up. However, every single time the police came back with nothing, one by one, they stopped hoping for the best.
They had to face the painful truth: Hannah and Beth were gone and they were never coming back. Hopefully, this weekend would help them move past everything. However, Sam was worried about how Josh was going to handle everything. That night he had lost both of his sisters and, for most of the year, he had largely resented the group. It had taken a long time for him to open up to even her or Chris, so for him to suggest a get-together on the anniversary struck them all as a little odd.
But, hey, if this Josh's way of getting closure, Sam wasn't going to complain.
"Hope this goes okay.", she told Chris as they walked towards the lodge.
Chris frowned and shot a confused look at her. "What do you mean?"
Sam shrugged. "Well, it's been a long time since we all hung out together like this, but I can tell that things are gonna be awkward." She sighed. "And I know how important it is to Josh that we have a great time."
"Yeah.", Chris agreed. "He has seemed a lot happier these days."
Sam nodded. "Exactly. So if something goes wrong-"
"Hey.", he interrupted. "We shouldn't think about that. We should just go up there, have fun and it'll be like old times."
"Right.", Sam said quietly. "Old times."
Without Hannah and Beth.
The Wendigos shrieked and lunged for their prison bars as Beth was making her way to the corridor. With a deadpan expression, she turned back around the corner and, moments later, came back with a rusted pipe. Being careful that the Wendigos didn't grab her, she bang the pipe against each of the cages, smirking when it agitated each and every one of them.
Hey, Beth lived in an old Sanitarium with two wolves for company. She had to entertain herself somehow.
As much as she wanted to burn the Wendigos to a crisp to ensure that none of them suffered again, Beth couldn't run the risk of the evil spirits roaming free and someone possibly getting stuck in the mines at the same time. Besides, Jack had spent his life making sure that the Wendigos were captured, so if she threw that away, she would basically be spitting in the face of everything that Jack worked for. And he definitely didn't die for some kid to destroy all of that.
She sighed as she looked out of the window again. The misty clouds were shielding the sun but Beth could tell the nightfall was just around the corner. She gripped her flamethrower tightly and headed for the door.
This was going to be a long night.
Sam huffed as she sat on the stairs inside of the lodge with her head resting on her fist. As Jess and Emily were at it. Again. So much for old times. A lot had happened in the last year and if things weren't rocky amongst the group before, they definitely were now. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the 'boyfriend/girlfriend' drama. Emily was still bitter at the fact that Mike had broken up with her only to date her former best friend and some believed that she only dated Matt because she was rebounding hard.
Their social circle, however, tried to stay out of their business and get on with their own lives. Josh had diffused the 'cat fight' as well as one could've but the animosity still hung in the air. Even after both couples had left the lodge, Josh, Sam, Chris and Ashley found it difficult to make something that wasn't awkward small talk.
It had been a long time since they had all hung out together, let alone at the lodge, so they were drawing a blank on how they used to have fun whenever they visited the mountain.
Ashley rocked back on her heels, still struggling to warm up from inside the chilly lodge. "So…", she drawled out. "What should we do know?"
Josh clapped his hands together. "Well, how about you guys go on a little scavenger hung around the lodge, while I figure out how to make this place less of a freezer and more of a place for humans."
Chris frowned. "So, essentially, you're leaving us to figure it out?"
"It's not like you're doing all the work." He gestured to the fireplace. "Fire."
Sam sat up from her seat from the steps and followed after Chris and Ashley. "Fine." She pointed at Josh as she walked away. "Just don't set the place on fire while we're gone."
Josh held up three fingers. "Scout's honour."
"You weren't even a boy scout."
"The sentiment still stands.", he replied with a wink.
Sam shook her head in amusement. When she caught up to the other two, she heard Chris mutter, "Okay… fun… fun…" He looked to Ashley. The way she looked at him expectantly but innocently for an answer made him stutter nervously. "What do we usually do for fun?"
"Well.", Sam said herself. "This is definitely going to be an interesting night."
Matt rolled his eyes when Emily growled as they left the lodge. "Seriously, Em? I thought we said that we wouldn't let them get to us."
Emily pouted and crossed her arms. "Well, it's kind of hard when those air-heads were so busy flaunting their perfect relationship.", she sneered.
"I doubt that was what they were doing.", Matt replied, his tone betraying the fact that he wasn't taking this seriously.
"Really?", Emily asked incredulously. "Did you ever Mike and I kissing each other non stop where all our friends could see?"
Matt winced. Picturing his girlfriend making out with her ex-boyfriend wasn't a pleasant thought. "I guess, some couples show affection in different ways.", he said, trying to placate his girlfriend with an explanation.
Emily scoffed. "Yeah, right. He's so trying to make me jealous."
"So what if he is?", Matt retorted. "If anything, it's probably because he's jealous because we're doing so well."
"Really?", Emily asked reluctantly, looking at the ground nervously.
"Yeah.", Matt replied determinedly. "Besides, he broke up with you. Why would he try to make you jealous in the first place?"
Even though Emily could see Matt's side of things, she was obviously trying to come up with an excuse for her ex-boyfriend's actions. Why Emily was trying to do such a thing, Matt didn't know and it wasn't something that he didn't want to think too deeply into.
"His loss then.", Emily said finally and walked up to Matt. "Since he can't have me back." She passionately pecked his lips.
Matt grinned in response. "Ohh, that's good to hear.", he said teasingly. "So, promise me that we'll at least try to have a good time."
Emily rolled her eyes and giggled. "Promise." She took Matt by the hand. "Come on. Let's have some fun this weekend."
Hiking across the mountain and towards the lodge wasn't much of a concern for Beth. Whenever she had to make her way around and avoid the eyes of the police, the heavy snow made it useful to literally cover her tracks. Now with her friends staying in the lodge, she was unsure if they would venture out through the mountain, but had the comfort of knowing that her tracks weren't going to be seen. Easily, at least.
Getting close to the lodge proved to be a challenge. Partly because of her focus on it being caught but mostly at the anxiety rising within her about getting close to her friends again. Even if they weren't going to be seeing her, the guilt she felt over the past year came rushing back like poison in her gut. So, if the risk of getting caught wasn't motivation enough, she had no intention of making direct contact.
Still, Beth thought, it would be fun, I guess, getting to see everyone after a year.
Her friends.
Her brother.
Yet another reason why she had no intention of speaking to anyone. Out of everyone, Josh was the last person that she wanted to talk to about what she did. Talking to him would involve having to admit that she failed to protect and rescue her sister. And there was no way that she was ready for that.
She wasn't ready then and she was definitely wasn't ready now.
It was when she had reached the six month marker that Beth had truly began to feel the crushing loneliness and vulnerability. There were less and less police with each recent passing day and she could deduce that they were giving up on searching for her and Hannah. On the one hand, she was relieved, since it meant that she no longer had to watch their backs. However, on the other, there was now little to no hope of seeing another person on the mountain. At least when the police were around, it gave Beth a sense of civilisation, that she was never truly alone.
Well, it was now time to say goodbye to that.
Presumably, for the rest of her time on the mountain. The rest of her life. Well, not entirely.
The first time it happened was a month after the police had ceased their investigations. She had been patrolling the mountains through the night and had no run-ins with a Wendigo and dawn was just breaking. That was her cue to start making her way back to the Sanitarium and Beth's gaze kept on wandering to the horizon as the morning sun peeked out from behind the clouds, though it wasn't as if it were going to warm the chilly atmosphere.
However, Beth stopped in her trek when she saw movement through the trees some ways from her. She didn't have time to ponder and instead opted for hiding behind the nearest and thickest tree trunk to shield her appearance. Who in their right mind would be heading to the lodge? Especially after the amount of time that had passed since the police closed the investigation, she didn't expect anyone to be roaming around. She peeked out from behind the tree, but couldn't get a good look at who was there.
Curiosity getting the better of her, she quickly surged forward and went behind the next tree. Still, she couldn't see clearly. She repeated the process several more times, being sure that she was following behind the person so that they couldn't catch sight of her. However, by the time the person was just about to reach the front steps of the lodge, Beth spotted who it was.
And her sorrow came back to crush her all over again.
Her big brother, Josh.
He was carrying two bulky duffel bags, one in his hand and the other over his shoulder. Based on the strained expression on his face, it looked like he was carrying a lot. For what reason, Beth didn't know. At this time of year, what was the purpose of Josh bringing stuff into the lodge? Did their parents even know that he had travelled up there?
Bringing a hand up to her mouth to stifle a cry, Beth turned back around to hide around the tree. She wanted nothing more than to rush up her big brother and bring him into a hug. To cry in his arms, reassure him that she was okay, tell him how sorry she was about failing to keep Hannah with her.
But that was what scared her. She didn't want to explain what had happened during her time in the mountains, revealing the dark secret that stole her sister away. Besides, she made a promise to Jack that she'd continue his work. She wasn't going to give that up the second she caught sight of her family. How petty would that make her? Hunting down the remaining Wendigos and protecting who visited the mountain were all she could do to make sure that Jack's work didn't go to waste. This was also her way of making up for her weakness that led to Hannah's death. She had suffered the loss of two people close to her and she wasn't going to let that happen to her ever again.
So that's why she left Josh be and turned and headed back towards the Sanitarium. It was only daybreak so her brother would be safe for the time being. If anything went south, however, she would be there. She would protect others like Jack had protected her. What she wanted to do when Hannah's life was at stake.
She would keep the promise that she made and she wouldn't step a foot off this mountain until that promise was fulfilled.
However, what if, even after this was all over, she didn't deserve to go back home?
Beth shook that memory away. There wasn't much point in dwelling on that thought. She made that decision a long time ago and she hasn't changed her mind since. Even though Beth didn't want to make direct contact with her friends and brother, she would at least have the comfort of knowing that they were safe and protected. And as far away from her and the Wendigos as possible.
Keeping eight people safe and away from cursed creatures? Yeah. She could make that work. Probably. Beth (and Jack for the first few months) had spent time keeping the police away from the Wendigos, so it wasn't much different now. However, at the same time, Beth couldn't help but feel a lot more pressure in this instance. With the police, Beth felt no connection to them, however, with her friends, there was more at stake. All seven of her friends and her older brother were now at risk, which meant that Beth had to work and fight just as hard to make sure that nothing drastic.
Well, she couldn't promise that nothing drastic would happen, but Beth could promise that she would do all that she could to make sure that not one person's blood was on her hands. That's why her determination couldn't waver, no matter what. She had to put aside her personal fears and conflicts to be the protector that Jack was to her. If only she could tell him of all she was doing to carry on his work and memory. Based on those painful final moments with Jack, he didn't blame her for what had happened. In fact, he was the one apologising to her. He had felt so guilty for what he had done even when he was letting out his final breath.
All to protect her, a stubborn teenager. But that wasn't what she as going to be anymore. She wasn't going to be just like Jack, that much she knew, but she was going to take on what she had learned from him and show these Wendigos who had the real strength.
Stealthily approaching the lodge once again, Beth hid herself when she saw two people standing on the wooded balcony. They seemed to be conversing but Beth couldn't hear nor make out who they were. However, they started to go on the move as they headed down the stairs and away from the lodge. Beth manoeuvred herself so that they didn't catch sight of her and, when they were at a closer distance, she was absolutely gobsmacked.
Mike and Jess. Alone. Holding hands.
Beth had expected a lot have stuff to have gone during the past year, but Mike presumably splitting up with Emily and to get together with Jess was definitely a possibility that she didn't consider. Just how much did she miss?
She ran a hand over her head as she processed this new information. Mike and Jess were together.
They were a thing.
Oh, now this she had to see.
I'm used to writing Beth and Jack, so I hope that the other characters were okay here! See you guys next time!