[[Disclaimer: I do not own Until Dawn.
Set: After the 'Everyone Lives' ending.
Spoilers: For the most of the game, specifically the aforementioned ending.]]
Until Daylight
When the shrieks of the Wendigo faded, Chris thought he heard a chainsaw. Flashback to the moment he saw Josh 'sliced in half', when he and Ashley almost lost their heads— no, not now!
Chris clenched his jaw. They did not survive all of this shit just to be cut up by some psycho.
Was it Josh, coming to kill them for real? They'd left him— Chris had left him roaming the mountain with those monsters on the loose, just like Hannah and Beth… He couldn't blame Josh for everything, but he wasn't going to stand by while Josh took his revenge either.
His gaze scanning the forest, Chris put himself in front of Ashley, still crouched on the snow. Josh would target her first if he felt most betrayed by Chris. However, the woods were silent, devoid of prey and hunters alike. No sign of Josh with a chainsaw.
Then, Emily shrieked, "THEY'RE HERE, THEY FOUND US!"
More Wendigos? Where? Frantically, Chris spun a full circle. Could these beasts turn invisible or was he going blind?
Something… someone caught his wrist. Ashley. "Its okay," she soothed him. "Look up."
Shielding his eyes from the blazing lodge, he looked to the faint blue sky. The 'saw' Chris had feared was actually (mercifully) the sound of a helicopter's propeller. It was the Blackwood County Rangers, at long last.
"We're saved… We're safe…" Ashley mumbled. Chris nodded, though he wouldn't feel completely safe until he was miles and miles away from Blackwood Mountain, back home. Even then, he was sure the nightmares would follow.
The helicopter landed and a calm-faced ranger emerged, asking if everyone was alright.
"No, we are not," Emily spat. "We've been stranded in this frozen hell, there are monsters after us and my boyfriend is missing. You better find him or I will sue your asses!" With that, she scrambled into the helicopter.
Not the most gratified response, but Emily had been the one to call for help and she made a crucial point. The rescue team had kept them waiting for hours. In this case, you could chalk it up to the stormy weather, but what about Hannah and Beth? It was like the search party didn't search hard enough, like they weren't worried by a bunch of wayward teens.
How could anyone miss the Wendigos? Fair enough, Chris would've scoffed at the Native American horror stories before he'd seen them with his own eyes. But didn't the rangers receive reports of unusual activity at Blackwood? Or statistics of travellers who slipped off the radar? (There were a lot judging by the number of Wendigos they'd faced.) Flamethrower Guy did a better job of fighting the Wendigos… and he died for it.
If they were questioned— there would be a lot of questions on both ends—Chis vowed to defend the old man who saved them.
Right now though, Chris didn't have the energy to the criticise the rangers or thank them. Mike did most of the talking, explaining that Jessica and Matt were still lost and where they'd last been seen.
"The mines," Sam stated. "You need to check the mines."
"I doubt your friends are down there, Miss," the ranger shook his head. "Those mines have been closed up for years."
"You'll see." Sam smiled mirthlessly and climbed inside the helicopter. Chris followed, offering Ashley a hand up. He took the window seat, more for Ashley's sake than the view. She slotted in between him and Sam, who stared blankly out the opposite window. Emily sat across from them with her arms folded. Mike jumped in next to her when more rescuers arrived for Jessica and Matt.
As they escaped to the air, Chris braved a final glance at the Washington Estate, at Blackwood Mountain. The sun was beginning to rise— he hadn't noticed it earlier behind the burning lodge. Daylight chased away the shadows of the forest, the sanitarium and the perilous peaks.
The Wendigos were still out there, hiding somewhere, and the memory of them would haunt Chris forever. But seeing that sunlight gave him some hope. Jessica and Matt were alive, they had to be. The rangers would find them… and maybe whatever was left of Beth, Hannah and Flamethrower Guy. They could be laid to rest properly. And Josh… Josh would finally have the chance to say goodbye. He might forgive Chris and the others, one day. They could try to do the same for him.
Chris turned when he felt Ashley's head rest on his shoulder, kissing her hair. As for the two of them… Well, they would work through things together.
The five survivors jumped when the ranger's radio crackled. "The other team think they've spotted your friends," the ranger relayed the message. "Only problems is, there's some kind of predator with them…" They held their breaths. "…A grey wolf."
Mike laughed with relief. "I think he's mine. Can you ask your pals to pick him up for me?"