Author's notes: Yo, readers! Just wanted to say this will most likely be Climbing Class if I decide to add more chapters. I'd also like to thank Artistkurai for her support. Anyway, I obviously don't own Until Dawn. Enjoy!


The rope was digging into his wrists. "No wiggle room, nope. Should've used plastic ties. Why ya got to hit m-me, man?" Josh ranted, words slurred. His vision flashed again; Mike wasn't in the shed anymore. He was alone. "No, no, no. Please," he sobbed, trying to rock himself only to have the back of his head collide with the post he was tied to. He whimpered softly. Isolation… It was one of his biggest fears and, yet, it seemed he was always alone. Suddenly, he felt himself being plunged downwards. A heaviness, as if he'd been submerged underwater engulfed him. He kicked and wiggled, feeling as if he were being drowned before realizing, with a panicked gasp, that he could still breathe.

Dr. Hill's words whispered around him. "You fear isolation but you are alone because you push others away." He glanced around, looking for the doctor but all he saw was the darkness: a darkness so thick it almost appeared to be a solid wall.

"No!" He screamed as he frantically pulled at his bindings, ignoring how the rough ropes split open the tender skin of his wrists; it wouldn't have been the first time.

"You can lie to me but you cannot lie to yourself, Joshua," the disembodied voice of his therapist countered. Each word was punctuated by a mix of human and inhuman screeches from somewhere nearby.

"You're not real! None of you are real!" He yelled, throat raw. He stopped struggling, head slouching forward limply. The moment he stopped moving the sensation of millions of tiny legs began scurrying up his body: so many spiders, cockroaches, and rats clawing their way over his flesh. He twitched and repeated to himself, "Not real."

"Sam and Chris weren't even involved in what happened and you tormented them the most. They wanted to help you, Joshua."

Josh shook his head weakly, hopefully dislodging some of the pest biting his neck. "I-it was just a prank… I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt. E-especially not Sam and Chris."

"Regardless of what you meant, someone did get hurt. All the progress we made, you threw away for revenge. Revenge on people whom already expressed remorse for what happened!" Dr. Hill's tone was vicious, making Josh flinch. Tears had started slipping down his bruised, dirty cheeks. "They will never believe you didn't want to hurt them."

Mind muddled, Josh couldn't think straight. The only idea that pushed its way to the forefront of his thoughts was that his friends had left him to die.

"Josh!" A new voice cut in, a gentler voice.

"C-chris?" He said in a small, broken voice. He was being lifted from the abyss. His vision skipped, like a distorted vhs and, before he knew what happened, he was back in the shed.

Chris was crouched in front of him, hands on his shoulders. "Come on, Josh, come back to me, bro!" Another ear-splitting screech made the blonde glance fearfully over his shoulder at an older man wielding a flamethrower, who was seemingly guarding the door.

"We gotta go!" The stranger ordered urgently.

Chris quickly untied him, hesitating for a second when he encountered Josh's bloody wrists. He cursed softly, before shoving a jacket onto Josh and practically hauling him to the door. It was then that Josh realized Chris was carrying a shotgun. Before he could comment on it Chris had released his arm. "Listen, just stay close to me, okay? I'll protect you."