*Third Person POV*
The dark and wintery night casted above Mount Washington into Blackwood Mountain.
The snow had already touched the ground while more snow was falling and it felt endless.
The darkness was quite too great to make out what places could be seen in Blackwood Pines except for one cabin mansion. It was known to be as the Washington Estate.
Inside of the estate stood two girls who were looking outside of the window, looking as if they were trying to see if anyone was here besides themselves.
The first girl standing there was tall with a rather tan skin complexion. She had straight dark brown hair with bangs in front of her forehead and dark brown eyes. She was wearing a grey knitted sweater, a white knitted beanie, dark grey yoga pants and cream colored boots along with a black watch she wore on her wrist.
The second girl standing next to her was shorter, quite petite in height. She had a lighter tan in skin complexion that looked almost pale. She had wavy black hair with dark blue streaks and had blue eyes. She was wearing a black casual parka jacket over a dark blue V-neck top. She also had dark blue yoga pants and black Dr. Marten's boots.
The two girls briefly turned to each other then turned back to the window and continued to look out.
Out in the cold, the wind continued to blow when a tall figure appeared with possibly a machete in his hand.
Inside of the estate, there stood three girls and a young man standing by the bar.
One girl, a blonde-haired girl with pig tails was putting down a note on the bar table. The young man was scratching his head, another girl, a dark haired- girl looked quite surprised and another girl, another blonde-haired girl with her hair in a classic bun looked rather not pleased.
"Oh my god!" the dark haired-girl gasped, almost giggling. "I can't believe you actually did this.
The pig tailed blonde-haired girl was almost smiling at her.
"Shh...shh...shh!" she hushed her.
The blonde-haired girl with the bun shook her head in disapproval.
"Don't you guys think this is a little bit cruel?" she asked.
"Come on, she deserves it," the pig tail blonde-haired girl replied looking rather excited.
"But it's not her fault that she has a huge crush on Mike," the other blonde-haired girl with the bun protested.
"Hannah's been making moves on him," the pig tailed blonde-haired girl said with a smirk. "I'm just looking out for my girl Em."
They journeyed out of the kitchen and went into a hall, leaving the two girls and two young men who were passed out from drinking too much.
"Just because he's class Prez doesn't mean he belongs to everyone," the dark-haired girl said, pointing to the tall, dark-haired young man next to her. "Mike is my man."
The dark-haired young man shook his head.
"Hey Em," he said to the dark-haired girl. "I'm not anybody's man."
Em giggled briefly before she spoke again.
"Whatever you say darling," she said with a smile.
The blonde-haired girl with a bun strayed behind, looking completely skeptical about what they were planning. She immediately went to walk upstairs while the other three went down the hall and behind them were another dark-haired young man and a red-haired girl.
The blonde-haired girl with a bun opened a door that led to a hall then stood there as if she were waiting for something. She was worried about what would happen but she had to comply with the other girls and the dark-haired young man.
"Hannah!" she called as she stood still, waiting for the arrival of Hannah.
In a guest bedroom, everyone except for the first dark-haired young man who stood there patiently, were hiding in certain places.
"You got this Mike," Em said, nodding to the young man while she was hiding under the bed.
Mike nodded back to her as he waited for someone to come see him.
"Watch this get real, Ash," the pig tailed blonde-haired girl giggled to the red-haired girl.
"Oh my," Ash giggled. "Jess, you're so done."
She turned to the other dark-haired young man next to her in the closet who was holding a selfie stick with a camera in place.
"And so are you Matt," she giggled.
"Wow Ash," Matt said, almost laughing as he prepared the camera for the event that he would have to record.
"Shh!" Jess hushed down everyone as she hid under the bed. "She's here!"
Out of the guest room, there came a dark brown-haired girl holding a candle that was lit down the hall.
"Mike?" she called quietly.
She continued down the hall then opened the door to the guest room and saw the man she had a huge crush on standing there as if he were waiting for her.
"Mike?" she said as she closed the door behind her. "It's Hannah."
"Hey Hannah," Mike smiled at her as he prepared to pull something onto Hannah that he didn't imagine ever doing.
Back in the kitchen, the dark brown-haired girl and the black and blue-haired girl continued looking outside of the window of the estate.
Out in the snow, a tall figure with a bandana covering his mouth and what it appeared to be goggles covering his eyes walked past the lodge as if he were looking for something.
In the estate, both girls looked confused, unsure why they saw a mysterious man outside.
"Guys?" the dark brown-haired girl asked. "Did you see that? Dad said it'd just be us this weekend."
She turned away from the window and stayed still for a while.
"Josh?" she called.
She turned to black and blue-haired girl who looked rather shocked.
"Did you see who was out there Imi?" she asked.
Imi seemed shocked by what she had seen outside of the window.
"Yes I did, Beth," she replied to her friend rather nervously. "I wonder if he's probably checking on something."
Beth nodded in agreement as she took a few moments to look around before taking a step into the mansion.
*Beth's POV*
I walked around the lodge, trying to see if I could find anything interesting.
I briefly turned to my best friend Imi who seemed rather surprised.
"These two will sure be having a good nap," she joked, pointing at our friend Chris and my brother Josh who were sleeping.
"Yes indeed," I laughed before proceeding to find anything.
My eyes fell upon a bottle next to Josh on the bar table. It appeared to be a beer bottle.
I walked to the bar table next to Josh and picked up the bottle to examine it. The brand read Jeremiah Craig. I smiled before I turned to my sleeping brother.
"Once again brother, you've outdone us all," I joked as I shook Josh but I only heard a moan from him.
I smiled again and turned to Imi who too was quietly giggling.
"Hey Imi," I said, almost giggling. "Ever since you and Josh had met, you two should totally get together, like date each other or something. You two would be cute together."
Imi giggled more shyly than before, probably uncertain about what I had said.
"I'm not so sure," she replied rather shyly. "Of course he and I are really good friends but to be honest, I doubt he feels something more for me."
I gave her a little shove on the elbow as a sign to tell her to snap out of it and she laughed quietly. She and I were best friends ever since we were pretty much babies, or really when I was 2 and Imi was 1.
She even met my sister Hannah and my brother Josh too. Hannah and I were like older sisters to her while Josh was like her older brother.
Little known to Imi but only Hannah and I knew that Josh actually had a crush on her and still does. In my mind, I could just imagine my big brother and my best friend being a couple. Even my parents who knew the Harmonys for their entire lives even think that Josh and Imi would make one hell of a cute couple.
Despite what I had kept telling Imi, she always seemed to think that Josh was nothing more than just a friend to her.
"I won't bug you over that for a while," I laughed before I tried to find anything interesting.
I suddenly noticed a sheet of paper on the bar table. I went to go take a look at it and gasped in shock at the note that was written.
Hannah,
You look so damn in that shirt but I bet you're even hotter out of it.
Come to the guest room at 2:00 am. ;-)
Mike xxx
I couldn't believe what I had just read. This has to be some kind of cruel set up. I shook my head.
"Oh my god," I gasped. "What has our naïve sister got herself into now?"
From the corner of my eye, I noticed Imi's eyes seemed to show a hint of concern.
"What's wrong Beth?" she asked.
"You need to read this," I insisted.
She walked to myself as I held the note to her. Her eyes went wide from possible shock and a hint of horror. I could see that she too was concerned for Hannah.
"This has to be a prank," Imi said, shaking her head in disbelief. "That honestly can't be Mike's handwriting. It doesn't even look like his hand writing."
Maybe Imi had been looking a bit too much into our handwriting sand analyzing them but she had a point. This had to be a serious and messed up set up and we were going to tell whoever came up with this to pay for what they had done.
"We need to find Hannah right now," Imi said nervously. "I don't like this."
She had a point but in the back of my mind, I already knew it was too late. I turned to her with a sad expression on my face. Her face crumpled but nodded at what my expression told her.
*Third Person POV*
Back in the guest room, Hannah and Mike stood there in anticipation for something between the two of them to happen.
"I got your note," Hannah acknowledged Mike.
He nodded then gave a smirk before he decided to go for what he was about to do.
"Maybe we should start with a little, know, making out, and see where it goes from there," he suggested.
Hannah nodded then tried to find where to start in the process. She immediately felt her hands touch her dark brown blouse and decided to do something she had not done in front of her crush.
"Oh hell yeah," Mike smirked, enjoying what he was about to see.
Hannah continued to unborn her blouse while Mike watched with interest.
"She's taking her shirt off!" Jess whispered, laughing quietly in interest.
Hannah however heard the source of the voice and held up her shirt to cover up her cleavage in embarrassment.
"What?" she gasped. "Oh my god!"
She suddenly saw Matt pop up from his hiding place who was still holding the selfie stick with the camera on top.
"Matt?" she wondered, surprised. "What are you doing here?"
Mike was scratching his head awkwardly, now unsure of what to do now that everyone else that was watching were exposed.
The door suddenly opened and in came in the blonde-haired girl with a bun to see an embarrassed Hannah.
"Hannah," she said to Hannah. "Hannah hey."
"I'm sorry Hannah," Mike apologized.
"Mike!" Hannah shook her head before running out of the guest room.
"It was just a stupid prank," the blonde-haired girl said.
She turned to the others who were suddenly shocked by the turn of events.
"Sam, we were just messing around," Jess interjected.
"Uh... damn!" Mike muttered.
Sam shook her head in disapproval then gave everyone in the guest room a warning look on her face.
"You guys are jerks," she snapped. "You know that?"
She turned away from them then ran out to go find her best friend.
"Hannah?!" she called.
No answer was heard as everyone else in the guest room went to go follow Sam.
*Beth's POV*
After I put the note down, I suddenly saw a figure that was out in the snow that looked like they were crying?
"That has to be Hannah!" Imi cried.
I nodded in agreement but then I turned to Josh, now unsure if I should wake him up to tell him the news or to find the others.
"Let's just find the others," Imi suggested. "Josh is still in his sleeping slumber from drinking. He needs his time. We'll tell him later."
Imi always seems to make good points and I knew my options were minimal at this point.
"Good idea," I replied as I ran out of the kitchen with Imi behind me then we saw the others already walking outside.
What the hell was going on? Did they have something to do with Hannah?
"There's someone outside guys," I said, still unsure if the figure was actually Hannah even though Imi seemed to be certain that it was her. "What the hell...?"
"Hannah?" I heard someone call.
That had to be Sam. I wondered if she had any idea about what had happened.
I grabbed my coat and walked out, pushing Mike and Matt out of the way and Imi quietly followed me.
"What's going on?" I asked. "Where's my sister going?"
"It's fine," Jess tried to brush off whatever had happened. "She just can't take a joke."
"It was just a prank Han!" Em protested to the wilderness.
I shook my head in shock, now scared. Did they do something to make Hannah just leave?
"What did you do?" I asked, now angry.
"Are you for real?" Imi gasped, sounding furious.
"We were just messing around Beth," Mike tried to calm me down. "It wasn't serious."
I shook my head, now fuming over what they had done.
"You jerks!" I shouted before I ran off to go find my sister.
"Hannah?!" I called. "Hannah!"
*Imi's POV*
"So should we go after her?" Mike asked.
"You know, I think you're the last person she wants to see right now, Mike," Sam replied, shaking her head.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The note Beth had showed me made so much sense and the realization had hit me. Not just what happened but also who was responsible for making it happen.
"Jess?" I shouted, pushing her back hard, making her fall and land on her ass in the snow. "I knew you had something behind this!"
Jess got back up to her feet and wiped the snow off of her ass, looking surprised and shocked at what I was saying.
"You're really gonna push me?" she asked, looking offended.
"You hurt my friend!" I cried. "I can't believe what you have decided to do to her! Now it's my job to find her!"
I slapped her before turning away from my friends to find Hannah and Beth despite hearing a lot of protests. I was furious, disappointed and sad over the situation.
*Third Person POV*
"Jess?" Sam cried, turning to her. "It's all your fault for hurting Hannah. Now you've crossed Imi too."
She shook her head then shoved Mike rather hard. The only ones who had no knowledge about the prank were Josh and Chris and everyone outside looked at each other, wondering how to tell Chris and Josh.
*Beth's POV*
I ran out to the bitter cold, now in a pursuit to find my sister.
"Oh shit!" I shivered as I jumped over a log, dodged some obstacles and continued to run until I stopped at two different routes to head down.
I had two options to either take the stairs or to jump from the height. I decided to jump because I knew my sister was missing and I had to find her quickly.
I safely made the jump and continued to run until I stopped at two paths. The right side of the path seemed to be an eerie noise and the left path showed some footprints.
Before I could make my decision, I heard more footsteps. I turned behind me and there was Imi who then stopped to see me there.
"I thought you'd stay," I said with a smirk on my face between pants.
"I couldn't leave my best fiend," Imi panted. "We need to find Hannah."
I nodded to her and then decided that footsteps would be my option. Imi followed me but then we were stopped by some deer but I ran towards them, trying to get them to move out of the way to clear the path.
After that, something made us jump a bit.
"Oh gee! Fuck! Shit!" I gasped before leading the to try to find Hannah.
"Dammit Hannah," I whispered. "Where are you?"
"Hannah?" Imi called. "Hannah?!"
We suddenly stopped at another height for us to jump down. I let Imi jump down first because I knew she was quite the athletic one. I jumped down behind her then had an idea for a source of light.
I pulled out my cellphone bad unlocked it, letting it be my source of light.
"I hope we find her soon," Imi breathed between pants.
"Me too," I whispered, knowing how much of a caring friend she was.
We walked down the snowy trail, trying to find Hannah when a deer came across the path, practically scaring us. Nevertheless, we continued to walked down the path.
"Hello?" I called. "Hello?!"
No answer. I was scared, scared for Hannah and scared for my best friend behind me.
"Hannah?" Imi called.
No reply.
Suddenly, we heard something unusual, something that sounded like fire but I wasn't sure.
"What the hell was that?" I wondered to no one in particular.
Imi pushed a leaf of a plant out of the way and turned to me, nodding to me to tell me who is was.
"Hannah?" I asked when I saw Hannah sitting on a rock alone in the cold.
"Hello?" Hannah said, obviously sounding like she was crying.
"Oh Hannah," Imi sighed of relief as she gave Hannah a hug.
Hannah hugged her back as I came to her to hug her.
"Hannah you must be freezing," I said as I took off my coat to give it to Hannah. "Take my coat."
"I'm such an idiot," Hannah sobbed as she put on my coat. "I'm so dumb."
Imi shook her head rather sadly and looked at Hannah in the eyes.
"No," she insisted. "They were meanies."
We suddenly heard a screech that must have come from somewhere. We stopped dead in our tracks, unsure at first if we should stay or run.
"Hannah?" I gasped.
"Beth?" Imi shivered.
"Imi?" Hannah asked.
At this point, we had no choice but to run from whatever we were being chased from.
"Hannah!" I cried when I noticed that she tripped on the wooded ground.
Imi was already not terribly far ahead of us, being athletic as she was.
I quickly helped Hannah as we continued to run away from whatever we were being chased from.
Hannah and I suddenly stopped at a cliff while Imi strayed far from it.
"Oh Jesus Christ!" I gasped as I turned to face the snowy area, now unsure what to do.
I was sure that Hannah and I were doomed unless if Imi had to do something.
Imi looked to be in horror over what she was seeing.
"Don't do this!" she cried. "Please!"
Hannah and I backed up and Imi tried to come after us but something unknown threw Imi to a tree and she was there, unconscious.
I knew Hannah and I would be doomed at this point but that didn't matter at this point, if we had to do what it took to get away from whatever was chasing us.
"No!" I cried. "No! Shit! No!"
Hannah and I were itching closer to the cliff while Imi remained laying on the ground, still unconscious.
"Get back!" I shouted.
I knew it would happen at some point but not this soon.
"Fuck!" I cried. "No!"
Hannah didn't see what was behind us and fell off of the cliff and I screamed but managed to hold on to a branch. I was also holding on to Hannah's hand and my options were running out.
"Hold on!" I told Hannah. "Hold on!"
I turned to look up when I saw a hand of another human that looked like he was trying to help us or something? I didn't even know this person, not even close enough to trust him. Or should I trust him to help me up and I would have to lose Hannah in the process?
Immediately, my mind was made up. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the doom I would fall into and Hannah was coming with me.
I let go of the branch as we both fell. I heard something crack one second and then the next second, everything went completely white to the point that I was completely unaware of any happenings.
*Imi's POV*
I suddenly woke up when I heard a scream. I was starting to freak out, wondering where Hannah and Beth were.
"Hannah? Beth?" I called,
No reply and a lump in my throat was beginning to build up. This couldn't be happening. Not right now.
I was so focused on worrying about Hannah and Beth when I suddenly noticed that my back was hurting.
"Oh crap," I gasped at the pain.
I slowly got back to my feet and was able to walk normally but the pain in my back was being a pain in the ass.
The last thing I remembered before slipping into brief unconsciousness was when a man threw me to a tree and my back hit it hard.
I took deep breaths, trying to calm myself from the situation that I was just in. Trying to find Hannah was a crazy enough mission but running away from what had followed us had done too much to traumatize me.
I was walking normally until I noticed yet more pain but this time on my ankle. Did I just hurt my ankle already?
"Dammit!" I whispered.
All I could do was try to limp my way back to the lodge but then I wasn't even sure if I would make it back. Already with a hurt back and now a hurt ankle too? This was definitely going to be a pain in the ass.
*Sam's POV*
I was beginning to panic. I had not heard from Hannah, Beth or Imi. None of them had returned and I was already fearing for the worst.
I suddenly heard footsteps. I turned and saw that Chris and Josh had woken up from their drunk slumbers.
"Sup Sam?" Chris asked.
"Hannah had ran off because some people pulled a horrible prank on her," I explained. "Beth then ran after her then Imi went to follow them."
Josh looked completely alert and scared. I could see why. His sisters had ran off as well as his crush.
I noticed him putting on his puffer jacket and his beanie and I shook my head at him.
"Josh, what are you doing?" I asked, not exactly pleased at what he would possibly do next.
"I'm going to find them," he said.
And without another word, he opened the door and ran out of the lodge, and closed the door and I scared that it might happen to him too.
"Let's just hope they make it back safe," Chris said in a rather sad tone.
I couldn't help but nod at him in agreement. What was this? Rescue mission intervention? I held on to hope that they would all make it back safe and sound.
*Josh's POV*
Already hearing about my sisters and Imi took off from Sam had me scared. I was determined to find them and bring them back to the lodge safe and sound.
I quickly made my way to the path and I knew the way because I had been here many times.
I didn't care if I was still a bit tipsy. My main concern was to get my sisters and my friend to come home safe.
I suddenly heard footsteps that sounded like they were getting closer. I was confused but I continued forward then stopped to see a figure limping?
I walked a bit closer and immediately recognized who it was.
"Oh Imi!" I cried, hugging her as she did the same to me.
I could see that Imi seemed to be hurt which had to explain her limping.
"Josh," she whispered. "I have to tell you something-"
"Save it for the lodge," I interrupted her. "You're hurt and you're freezing. And you're in no condition to be walking back to the lodge. Let me carry you."
I picked her up without much struggle. She was tiny, the only petite one in the group and it was cute. I remember when Chris, Mike and I would poke some fun at her for being the petite one in the group but I knew that she didn't mind.
I ran back to the lodge while carrying Imi and knew we were getting closer. After a while, I kinda banged my foot at the door, trying to get someone to let us in. Sam opened the door to let us in.
"Thanks Sam," I nodded to her.
She nodded back at me before I placed Imi on the couch.
"Okay," I nodded to Imi. "Tell me the story."
She got up from the couch and limped to the kitchen but I didn't know why.
"Guys, fetch me some stuff from the first aid kit, please?" I instructed to my friends, worried enough for Imi who had already gotten hurt when she was following Hannah and Beth.
Sam and Chris left the living room to find the first aid kit. Already seeing the looks of it, Imi might have broken her ankle or something.
"Holy shit!" Ash cried, surprised. "You played hero Josh. You should totally ask her out."
I felt my face heat up and I laughed a little.
"I'm not sure about that," I replied a little shyly.
Shortly after, Chris and Sam returned with the first aid kit then Imi came back with a sheet of paper in her hand. She definitely had something to show me.
"Read this," she said as she sat beside me at the couch and showed the note to me.
Hannah,
You look so damn hot in that shirt but so bet you're even hotter out of it. Come to the guest room at 2:00 am. ;-)
Mike xxx
"Oh god!" I gasped before I turned to Mike. "Explain this to me, please?"
"Jess and Emily set this up Josh," Imi said.
I had a feeling Emily had something to do with it but Jess too? I shook my head before sitting down.
*Imi's POV*
I heard Sam went to go call the police, the others except for Josh and Chris left the living room.
Josh went to examine my ankle, probably trying to figure out what had happened. He tilted my foot and that was when the pain set in.
I gasped when I felt it, trying my hardest not to flinch away from Josh.
"Could be a sprain," Josh guessed.
Before I could answer, Sam returned from calling the police.
"The police are on their way," she said.
She seemed to have noticed that Josh wasn't really paying attention to her and I probably could understand why.
"What's wrong Josh?" Sam asked.
"First my sisters are missing and now she's hurt," Josh replied, frustration and sadness clearly evident in his voice.
"Josh," I said. "We'll worry my ankle later. Your sisters are the priority."
He nodded sadly, probably realizing that I had to mention it. I looked up at his eyes with a sad expression on my face.
"I'm so sorry Josh," I sobbed.
His eyes were practically on the verge of tears and I could already see why.
"It's not your fault Imi," he said, trying to fight back tears. "You tried to save them and got hurt in the process. You are a real hero even if..."
I could see he couldn't hold back from sobbing anymore. I felt so sorry for him.
"If... they're not coming back," he finished before he cried on my shoulder.
*Third Person POV*
The police had arrived just an hour after Josh had brought Imi back to the lodge.
All nine kids told the police about what had happened and Josh was most devastated. He still continued to hold onto hope that his sisters would return.
Imi continued to be there for him as well as Chris and Sam. The one thing that seemed to slow in all of the kids' minds were the unsettling fear that the twins would not be able to return.
