Until Dawn: Embers of Hope
Chapter 9 of my Until Dawn story, again, we'll see a scene from the game, but some of the dialogue is different, especially an important talk between Josh and Sam, hope you enjoy.
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thedarkpokemaster: Indeed, yes there is more danger than anyone knows, yet we can only wait and see how they will unfold :)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn or its characters.
Chapter 9
Back at the Washington Ski Lodge, Sam was upstairs in the bathroom, adjusting the taps at the bathtub and shaking her head. She checked the water with her hand, sighed and adjusted the taps some more. She sighed, no matter what she tried the water wasn't heating up.
'Urgh, great, well...guess I should...' She thought to herself.
Straightening up she began to make her way out of the bathroom and prepared to make her way downstairs; as she did she stopped at the top of the stairs and looked down at where Josh was working on the fire, Chris and Ashley watching him.
Sam's eyes gravitated towards Ashley, she was relieved to see the red haired girl seemed calmer than before.
'All the same, there's still something, something in her eyes it seems...' She thought, feeling her face heating up. 'Whoa, okay Sam, calm down...'
She took a moment to compose herself, wondering where that strange sensation came from. Instead she focused on the task at hand. She stepped down, listening in as her friends began talking.
"Alright peanut gallery, you know what? I got an idea for you two." He remarked.
"What?" Ashley replied; taken aback by his sudden remark.
Grinning Josh explained. "Okay, well, I'm pretty that somewhere in this crazy place we used to have... a spirit board."
Ashley made a face at that. "A what?"
"Wow..." Chris sarcastically gasped. "You have 'a spirit board'?"
Finally realizing just what he meant Ashley asked incredulously. "Wait are you saying...we should have a seance?"
Chris however shook his head. "Those things are a joke, man, they don't do shit."
"No way bro." Josh insisted. "We used to do it all the time, me and...well..."
They all went quiet at that, knowing he was talking about his sisters.
Sam decided now to make her presence known.
"Hey Josh." She called out; trying not to react to Ashley jumping at her sudden appearance. "No hot water's kinda major oversight, doncha think?"
Josh just smiled and gestured. "Yeah, yeah, just gotta fire up the boiler, it's in the basement."
"You guys see if you can find the spirit board." He said, turning to Chris and Ashley.
Enthusiastic Ashley stood up. "Chris, let's go find it, it'll be like a scavenger hunt."
"Ummm...okay..." Chris replied, uncertainly. "I guess so."
"Rad..." Josh replied happily. "You're not gonna regret it."
So they split up, Chris and Ashley headed off on their search while Josh began to walk towards the basement, inviting Sam along, she followed. As she did so, she smiled at how much better Ashley seemed compared to how she was when they met at the base of the mountain.
'Still, I can't, I can't believe it, everything that happened last year, now, the issues this year...' She wondered. 'How, how do I even begin to...'
She cringed, she had been so worried about Ashley she never stopped to consider her own thoughts and feelings. It was only now she was aware of just what a confused jumble they all were. Josh paused for a moment as he went to retrieve a flashlight from the drawer.
"Sam, I...I need to talk to you, about Ash." He said at last.
Sam tensed, a little uneasy. "Ash...What, what about her?"
"What about both of you, you mean." He said. "Listen, everything that's happened, yeah it's hard, for a lot of us. But...Sam, you yourself saw how Ashley was struggling and, and you are too."
Sam blushed again, once again she was facing that confusing mix of feelings. "I...I just...I don't know what I feel."
Josh shook his head. "Look Sam, just be honest with yourself; you know how Ashley feels about you, do you feel the same way about her?"
"I...I don't know." She admitted at last, looking defeated.
Josh nodded calmly, smiling reassuringly.
Finally he shrugged and replied casually.
"Well, just tell her that, at least let her know how things stand." He said. "Better than just letting things fester, not good for either of you."
Sam shook her head. "What I just say, Ash, I know you're into me, but I'm not sure how I feel?"
Josh replied. "I wouldn't say, exactly like that; but, trust me, if you can just clear the air, make it clear that you're still trying to work things out, it'll be cool, alright. Ash will accept that."
Sam sighed but nodded. "I hope so."
Satisfied Josh nodded and began to lead the way as they headed down to the basement, seeking the boiler. Soon they found the boiler cabinet and Josh got to work, opening it and preparing to set things up.
"Alright...sorry to drag you down into the bowels."
Sam shook her head. "Just get me some hot water and I'll be super-fine."
"I mean..." He replied, glancing at her. "I wouldn't want you coming down here on your own, you know?"
Looking around Sam bit her lip. "Well it is definitely creepy down here."
"Yep, not a place to be on your own."
While Josh worked Sam spotted something in the cabinet and picked it up, a little surprised, it was a baseball bat.
"What's this doing here?" She asked, turning to show it to Josh. "Is this yours?"
Smiling widely Josh took it from Sam and examined it, even giving a practice swing as he spoke.
"You bet it's mine." He said excitedly. "I used to play ball with my Dad all the time. Of course that was before he got too busy to hang out with me... Oh well, save it for the couch, right?"
Sam couldn't deny she was a little worried at how rapidly Josh's mood seemed to switch, but she held it back.
Setting the baseball bat against the wall, Josh examined the boiler again.
"Okay, lemme see what I can do with this old hot water machine." He quipped, handing Sam the flashlight. "Here, can you...can you hold this?"
Sam took but then turned quickly, hearing a strange noise. "What was that?"
Josh turned to her. "What was what?" Just, shine it here so I can see what I'm doing."
Turning Sam did so and held the light steady while Josh worked.
"Nice one." He said once he was finished. "Okay first things first: we gotta increase the water pressure before we get the boiler fired up."
Sam bit her lip. "Sounds kinda complicated."
Josh shook his head. "No it's actually pretty simple."
He then walked her through it and Sam took her place, ready. While Josh worked the water pressure began to build and, when the light flashed, just as instructed, Sam pulled the lever, the boiler came rumbling to life.
"Whoa!"
Josh grinned. "That's more like it, alright! Five, girl!"
Returning the grin Sam high-fived Josh who smiled widely before turning and closing the boiler cabinet. It was then, suddenly, Sam was sure she heard the noise again.
"What the hell is that…?"
Josh stepped forwards, shrugging. "Could be a lot of things...and none of them nice..."
Seeing his smirk Sam shook her head. "Hey quit it."
"I'm just...just 'Joshing' ya."
Sam rolled her eyes and mock laughed at his bad joke.
Josh genuinely laughed however as he teased her. "You were really freaked out."
Sam scoffed and tried to protest. "I was not scared."
"No, no..." Josh replied quickly, still joking around. "You just jumped because you wanted to squeeze in some aerobics?"
"Don't be an a-hole okay?" Sam continued to protest. "I totally didn't jump! All I said was "what was that" which is a totally normal reaction to hearing a super creepy noise in a super creepy basement."
She was cut off by the sound happening again.
Josh tensed, stepping forwards slowly, now both of them were looking down the corridor leading further into the basement.
"Okay, so, you hear that too, right? Josh?"
"What…?" He whispered in disbelief.
Sam shook her head. "The rhythm's like, weirdly regular..."
"Not, no, nothing 'regular' about it." Josh replied in a whisper.
Sam shuddered at that but then squared her shoulders and put on a brave face.
"I'm gonna check it out." She said as she began to move down the corridor.
Josh was startled by this. "What, why?"
"What do you care, fraidyface?"
"It's probably just like, not anything." He said.
Sam shook her head. "Why don't you hold down the fort while I make sure?"
"Okay, whatever you say, madam." Josh snarked back.
Sam continued down the corridor until suddenly a man wearing a hockey mask and a monks robe leapt out, roaring. Sam screamed and turned to run, Josh started and cried out.
"Whoa, Sam, whoa..."
Sam ran to him, pulling down a wooden pallet against the wall as she passed. Josh stood his ground until Sam just passed him and then ran too. They were so caught up in running they didn't see the man stumble over the pallet and pull his mask off, although the hood still hid his face.
Sam and Josh's attempts to flee were hindered suddenly when they encountered a locked door.
"Oh come ON now." Sam cried as she struggled with it. "Why are these doors locked!?"
Josh shook his head frantically. "To keep out strangers!"
He tried to cover Sam as she struggled to open the door. But it was no use, the monk caught up with them, Sam spun around and they pressed themselves back, against the door.
"Hey..." The monk said in a gravelly voice.
"What…?" Sam gasped.
"Heeyyyyy..."
"WHAT THE HELL!?" Sam choked out, her voice strangled from her earlier screaming.
The monk removed his hood and grinned as his identity was revealed.
"Boom!, you just got monked!"Chris announced triumphantly.
There was a stony silence before Josh burst out laughing and Sam looked outraged.
"WHAT!"
"Nice, nice one." Josh managed to say between laughs and he fist-bumped Chris. "That was good."
Sam spluttered, trying to get the words out, unable to believe what had just occurred. "Why w...why would you do that?"
"There's all this cool old movie crap down here." Chris explained. "What, was I...was I not supposed to take advantage of the opportunity?"
"Are you, are you serious?" She shot back before turning to Josh and shoving his shoulder. "Were you in on this you putz?"
"Nope." Josh defended before admitted. "But I wish I was, that was too good!"
The two high-fived and Sam groaned before they all finally left the basement, Josh locking the door behind them before they made their way to the main room.
With a heavy sigh Sam glanced over at Chris.
"I'm ready to admit that your dumb little prank may have had a slight whiff of humor to it." She admitted.
Chris grinned in response. "Jokemaster!"
Shaking her head Sam responded. "I said nothing about jokes. I said your prank, which was dumb-"
"Holy crap, you were scared, admit it." Josh cut in with another laugh.
"I was not!"
Josh wouldn't let it go however. "Come on, you totally pissed yourself."
"Josh!"
Chris walked further ahead than the pair, to where Ashley was waiting. Sam stopped by the stairs going up, Josh followed Chris. Ashley took a moment to take in Chris wearing the monks robe.
"What..in God's name...are you wearing?" She asked at last.
Jokingly making the sign of the cross in front of her, Chris replied. "I found my true calling."
Clasping her hands together Ashley jokingly replied. "Please tell me you're going to take a vow of silence."
Chris continued to joke, pretending to speak inaudibly, making Ashley laugh.
"Okay, okay, did you at least find the...thingy?"
"Boi-oi-oi-oing!" Chris produced the appropriate sound effect as he pulled the Ouija board from his costume. "Here's our one way ticket to the spirit realm...!"
Ashley nodded and Sam sighed.
"You know what, you know what, No." She said. "I've just been through enough spooking for one night, okay? I see a hot bath in my crystal ball."
The others all nodded and Sam began to ascend the stairs.
She called back. "Alright? So have fun...! Oh but watch out for that Josh. He's a schemer!"
Josh just laughed and joins Chris and Ashley as they prepared to use the Ouija board, with Sam heading up for her bath at last.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.