Second chapter is here! Hope you like it :)

Guest: Thanks for the review, I'm really glad that you like it! Chris and Ashley are definitely part of my favorite couples as well :)


Chapter 2: Enlightenment – Animating The Fire

O Death, won't you spare me over 'til another year?

"He's not dead, is he?"

"Of course he's not, look at him!"

"Dear god, what happened to him…"

I woke up to the sound of familiar voices around me. When I opened my eyes I noticed I was sitting on a couch, in the main room of the lodge. Wait, the lodge?

I was utterly confused and rubbed my eyes, kind of expecting that it would change whatever was happening but it did nothing in particular. Everything in the room was intact, as if the lodge has never been blown up in the first place. Was this one of those terrifying nightmares? If it was, I just hoped I would wake up before the horrors began.

"He got knocked off pretty hard."

"Yeah, such a goofball."

"Would you guys just shut up?"

The voices… it was them, I was sure of it. I lifted my head to be met by the worried glances of my friends.

Right in front of me was Ashley…

There was also Josh.

Sam.

Emily.

Matt.

Jess.

Mike.

Even Hannah and Beth were there, smiling.

There they were, all standing around me. Unlike my previous nightmares, everything felt so tangible and so… safe. My senses were fully awakened and I was in full control of my body. For once, I trusted that environment and I could let my guard down. It was great to see everyone together, just like in the good old times. Right now I didn't care whether this was real or not because I was just happy to see them.

The couch slightly shifted as someone sat next to me; it was Ashley. The moment I saw her, I couldn't hold the tension inside of me anymore so I let myself pour out tears, letting all the emotions out. Everything flowed back and forth, the dreadful memories of their death, the aftermath and the lodge burning down to ashes.

Then I felt Ashley's warm embrace around my shoulders.

"Chris."

I looked in her eyes, those I fell in love with.

"Ash…"

I pulled her into an embrace. Her body was so warm, making me realize how real she was. How was this even possible… Anyway, I took her hand into mine and squeezed it gently. I thought her touch was soothing and putting me more at ease.

"Look who's finally gotten into the bone zone!"

I turned to face Josh, who was standing in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest and staring at me with his signature smirk. I snickered. Typical Josh.

Nevertheless, I was still unsettled of what I was seeing and could only manage to spit out a few words. "How… What… what's happening? I'm so glad to see you all!"

"Chris, we're also really happy to see you…" Sam said, as she sat on the other side of me and gave me an apologetic look.

I could already feel my smile fade away, expecting the worse. This was all just my imagination, wasn't it?

Ash pulled her hand away from mine despite my silent protests, only to softly caress my cheek. She had a seriously worried expression on her face. "Chris, what have you done to yourself?"

"Hm, what do you mean?"

I honestly didn't have any idea of what they were talking about and why they were so concerned about me. It wasn't like I killed myself… did I?

Sam gently put a hand on my shoulder. "You've let yourself down."

Not too far away, Emily crossed her arms and scoffed. "You've let us down."

Jess walked towards me, holding a large rectangular object in her hands. She passed it to Ashley, who turned it in my direction with a disappointed look on her face.

It was a mirror. It was supposed to show me my own reflection but I couldn't recognize the person in front of me. The image reflected in the mirror was one of a guy who had a dirty and poorly maintained beard, dark circles under his eyes, pale and lifeless skin deprived of any warmth. He looked very sad and empty, devoid of any sense of humour. This was very unlike me. In fact, it wasn't like Christopher Hartley at all; I couldn't see myself through this mirror.

Then realization dawned upon me. The burning lodge, the burned bodies and the smell of death followed by guilt and depression, the gun, the mental hospital, the bridge...

I pulled my legs close to my body, embracing them. I betrayed my friends and failed once again to do what I had to do: keep the remaining flame burning and alive.

I have killed myself. I have let them down.

I was being selfish and along with myself, shattered the memories of each one of them. Nobody was there to try and convince people about the reality of the Wendigos anymore. The sole person possessing the only truths and memories was gone. I also destroyed my own persona; I have erased who I was.

"Hey Chris, don't give up just yet. We're here for you."

I could sense the genuine concern and confidence in Mike's voice. That was exactly how I remembered him to be.

Matt approached me. "You may have made a mistake, but nothing prevents you from starting over."

Their shift in attitude destabilized me. By any means, I was dead. So what was the point in trying to lecture me? This was the afterlife, a world and a concept that was superficial and non-existent to me back then, before all hell broke loose and before my life fell apart.

"Christopher Hartley."

They called my name, but I didn't recognize my own name anymore. Josh stood right in front of me and rolled his eyes.

"Cochise, stop sulking. You are not dead."

Am I?

Ashley's hand softly made its way to mine and stared at me with her deep green eyes.

"Hey, I know how much pressure you've put on your shoulders. This must have been weighing you down so badly," she started. "You have also given everything you've got to save me and I cannot be thankful enough. I hope you realize that."

To everyone's surprise, Emily's voice suddenly echoed in the room. "We're all there for you and we always will, don't forget that."

Jessica also joined the conversation. "You can start over only if you get a hold of yourself, you know," she said with a grin. "Like, you don't even have any reason to blame yourself. You did what you could."

"It was not your fault," added Mike.

I shrugged and looked away, letting out a chuckle. This was slightly encouraging but what was there to do anyway? It wasn't like I could exit this "game of life" and start a New Story. After all this time, I've been forgetting that they were still there. Not physically present, but present within my heart and embedded in my dearest memories. In the end it was very simple, yet I chose to be lead by emotions instead of reason.

If only I could start over...

Sam nodded. "Mike's right, you couldn't do anything more to save us."

"I realize that now," I said gloomily.

"Christopher, I can tell what you're thinking right now. You think there is no way to start over, hm?"

I turned to Josh, who still seemed the least affected since the beginning. Geez, he hasn't changed a bit, even in this semi-reality or dimension, or whatever state I was in.

"You can start over only if you believe in yourself," he continued. "You have to convince yourself that you can do it and stop acting so emo and shit."

I chuckled. He was right, I've been acting like such an emo, falling in a deep state of depression and suffering over my own fate. I've been the coward all of this time, skulking beneath a pile of guilt and refusing to acknowledge that I was lucky to be alive.

"You have to trust yourself," Ash said, "as much as you trusted me. You deserve to live, Chris. You deserve to forgive yourself and move on."

She paused. "And I believe in you."

They all stood in front of me with confident smiles. I felt some warmth spreading through me, as if I was coming back to life.

"We all believe in you."

Josh grinned. "We won't let you down only if you do the same. Not only for us, but especially for yourself."

If only I could start over… I would not surrender to an endless decadence and void of darkness. I would make my friends or should I say, my lifelong partners proud of who I am and who I want to be. Even if they weren't on Earth with me, even if all this setting wasn't real, they were guiding me through every step, every obstacle. And I would not let them down.

I felt powerful and better than ever. "Thank you, guys."

Suddenly, my eyelids felt heavy.

No… I didn't want to wake up. Don't leave me.

We believe in you.

My eyes closed as I felt Ashley's lips on mine, sending an electric shock through my body, knocking me out.