I couldn't really help myself with this. I love Lucifer and while I wasn't able to play Until Dawn because I don't have a PlayStation, I did watch some walkthroughs of the game and I was completely enamored with it's tragic story. So I came up with this little idea and I hope you all like it. The timeline of Lucifer will be changed a little to better fit what happened in Until Dawn, just to be clear. This story will be taking place in Season 3 of the show, as far as my plans go. I will also be breaking from canon of Until Dawn a little in regards of who Sam had feelings for. I will also be putting the Light's Shadow on hold until I finish the Diana arc for The Goddess Among Us.
Note: IF you guys have not played Until Dawn and/or are planning to play it, I must warn that there are spoilers to the game in this story. So you know... MAJOR SPOILER ALERT! Then again, the game came out in 2015, so I would imagine that a fair bit of you who were interested would've played it by now.
Note 2: I would like to note that my writing this story was heavily inspired by the video "Until Dawn music video: Hannah- The Devil Within" by Daikaiju Danielle on YouTube. They did a really good job on it and it is one of my favorite tributes to a game.
Note 3: I will do my best to write these characters, but they might be a little OOC. Just a little forewarning.
I don't own Until Dawn, Lucifer, the characters within these two or any other franchise/characters that may appear in this story. They all belong to their respective owners. [Note: I do not own the song seen in this chapter. It belongs to it's respectful owner(s).]
The Demons That Haunt Me Ch. 1
O' Death, O' Death,
Won't you spare me over 'till another year...?
Well what is this, that I can't see?
With ice cold hands taking hold of me.
When God is gone and the Devil takes hold,
Who'll have mercy on my soul?
O' Death, O' Death,
Consider my age, please don't take me at this stage.
O' Death, O' Death,
Won't you spare me over 'till another year...?
Sam followed Mike down the stairs, the two moving through the room leading to the basement when she asked "How do you rate our chances of survival?"
Mike sighed "I'm trying not to think about it."
They were just about to the door when they heard running footsteps and shrill shrieks, their friends running out the door with Chris shouting as they ran past the other two "GO! WE GOTTA GO!"
Emily and Ashley were right behind him, Mike turning to run after them as shrieks echoed out, Sam turning her sights to the door just in time to see one of the Wendigos land at the threshold. Before it could leap at her, Sam reached in and pulled the door closed, running after the others as fast as she could as the monsters slammed against the door. Turning up the stairwell, she had ran into the main room when she heard the quick puffs of air, stopping in her tracks as her blood ran cold. Somewhere behind her, she heard Mike whisper "Don't... move. Don't fucking move a muscle."
Her eyes slowly drifted up, a panicked breath slipping out when she saw the creature crouched on top of the globe-style chandelier, it's clawed hands clutching the iron bars as it scanned the room. Darkened skin surrounded it's pale eyes while it bared it's razor sharp teeth, dried blood covering it's jaws. It's death-pale skin glowed in the soft moonlight, pulled taut over it's massive skeletal frame, it's head darting back and forth as Sam tried to keep completely still. It's attention was drawn when a growl echoed out before another Wendigo appearing out of the corner of Sam's eye while another leaped onto one of the wooden beams, the larger one leaping from the chandelier to a railing above them before it leaped down to the floor a few feet away from the other one, letting out another ear-piercing shriek! It rose to it's full height just as one of the other Wendigos attacked, the third jumping up and out of sight as it's brethren scrambled onto the pale one's back, it's claws tearing at flesh as the bigger one tried to grab hold of it. One of it's claws managed to grab hold of the other's leg and pulled it off, the bigger one slamming the smaller creature through the staircase before throwing it into the fireplace, shrieking as it fell limp to the floor. A faint whistling caught Sam's attention as the larger Wendigo chased the third, the blonde slowly turning her head and catching sight of the broken gas line, her eyes looking back to Mike whose eyes flickered to a light bulb only a few feet away from him. Remembering the light switch next to the door out of the lodge, Sam gave a slight nod just as the larger Wendigo grabbed the other smaller one and pinned it against a wooden beam.
Just before it could kill the other monster, the one that it had thrown into the fireplace jumped upstairs and gave a short shriek, the larger Wendigo tossing the other away as it met the challenge. With both of them distracted, Mike quietly made his way to the light bulb, only a few feet away when both of them leaped at each other with the larger one latching it's crooked teeth into the smaller one's neck. They fell to the ground with the larger one scrambling to it's feet first, the smaller Wendigo's shriek cut short when the bigger one grabbed it by the neck and slammed it back into the ground, the pale creature lifting it again and it's other hand grabbing hold of it's head before pulling it clean off of the body. Sam watched in horror as it dropped the body to the ground, stepping back only to freeze in her tracks as the floorboard creaked under her weight, the pale creature spinning around at the sound with it's terrible shriek.
Holding completely still, Sam watched as it slowly walked towards her, it's head swiveling up when it caught sight of the other Wendigo moving about. Dismissing the distraction, it took another step towards her while puffing out quick breaths of air, it's steps quiet against the wooden floor. On the other side of the room, Mike slowly reached up to the light bulb and grabbed hold of it, gritting his teeth as he tightened his grip just before it broke in his grip. By the door, Chris bolted out as Mike lowered his hand, the pale creature turning at the sound of breaking glass. Sam watched as it leaped on top of one of the chairs, moving closer to the bruised teenager. For a moment, her eyes drifted to the door, the voice in her head telling her that she could run. That she could flip the switch and just leave him, end it. That part of her told her that she didn't owe him anything, that he deserved it after what he and the others had done. Those thoughts died when the creature moved closer to him, only a few feet away from where he stood. Her heart clenching tight and stomach twisting, she turned her eyes back to him and did the stupidest thing possible.
"Hey!"
Sam held completely still as the creature swung around at her voice, her hair standing tall all along her body at the awful shriek it gave before it started stalking towards her, her heart pounding in her chest as it approached. By the door, Emily timidly stepped back, careful not to be caught in the monster's line of vision as she ran out to Chris. The Wendigo stopped a couple of feet from where she stood, the bullet flattened against it's head glinting in the pale light for a second. It shrieked again with it's claws ready to attack anything that tried to run, but she held completely still, the monster huffing as it turned back towards the door. Sam holding her lips shut when she saw the simple tattoo inked on it's shoulder, barely holding in a sob at the sight of the black butterfly. Walking another few steps, it stopped just as it passed one of the beams supporting the building, breath huffing as it's eyes darted back and forth for any sign of it's prey. Moving quickly, Sam moved and hid behind the beam, the creature turning at the sound of her steps with another shriek.
Breathing out, Ashley slowly moved to the front door until she was at the threshold, turning around and bolting out the door to join the others. Sam and Mike were the only ones left inside the lodge with the pale monster, the smell of gas hitting the blonde's nose with every quiet breath. A short shriek almost made her jump, the blonde forcing herself to be completely still as the Wendigo stepped closer and let out another terrible shriek, knowing that the creature would attack the moment she moved a single muscle. Harsh huffs of air coming from above told her that another Wendigo had entered the room, the one behind her turning towards the new challenger, it's large frame jumping atop a railing. Using the distraction, she bolted to a small corner as short shrieks sounded out, holding herself flat to the wall just as the larger one leaped over another railing to land a few feet away from where she hid. She could hear it stepping closer, the creature so certain that it had heard faint footsteps a few moments ago.
On the other side of the room, Mike carefully stepped towards the door but not yet stepping outside, watching in horror as the monster walked closer to where Sam hid. The blonde's breath trembled as she heard the quick huffs of air grow louder, frozen where she stood as she watched the creature's face come into view, loud clacks sounding from above her as it's claws hit the stone walls just above her head. She watched as it slowly started to turn it's head, closing her eyes and turning her head away as it growled again. She could smell the rot on it's breath just before it shrieked in her ears, her bones practically vibrating under her skin before it ended. Hearing it give a quick puff of air a moment later, she slowly opened her eyes and cautiously turned her head to look for any sign of the monster, nearly smiling when she didn't see any sign of it. Quickly moving around the wall's edge to start for the light switch, Sam's heart stopped when she saw the skeletal figure standing right in front of her, it's shriek ripping through her eardrums just before one of it's bony hands wrapped around her throat.
She yelled as she felt it's cold flesh against her skin, the creature lifting her from the ground to it's eye level, those milky pale orbs looking into hers as if asking a question. There was no color left inside of those two eyes, no sign of the human that they had belonged to once. That's when she felt it's clawed hand rip through her abdomen, the blonde screaming in pain as blood shot from her mouth onto the creature's face. She felt the cold creeping along her body as her eyes drifted down to the creature again, tears springing to her eyes as they settled on the black butterfly again before it pulled the blood-coated limb from her body. She was dropped to the floor with a heavy thud, her hazel eyes staring up at the ceiling when the creature leaned over with saliva dripping down it's jagged mouth of needle-like teeth, it's hands coming to rest beside both sides of her head. For a moment, it's pale eyes flashed into a warm chocolate brown before it spoke in an all too familiar voice "Why?"
As the creature spoke, a shadow flickered into existence behind it, hovering over them both. The soft moonlight let her see the fuchsia winter coat it wore, the white beanie atop it's head. Brown eyes identical to the ones belonging to the Wendigo stared down at her, both the figure and the creature speaking in unison "Why didn't you save us, Sam? Why did you want us to die?"
A loud click echoed in her ears just before a blaze of orange filled her vision, the blonde screaming as an inferno rippled over her flesh, the two watching her intently while the black butterfly was burned away.
Sam woke and shot up in her bed, screaming into the night as the feelings of the flames burning her flesh away faded into the cold air of winter, the blonde's chest heaving as sweat dripped down her skin. Looking over to her alarm clock, she couldn't help the shiver that traveled along her spine when she saw the 2/2/16 on her alarm clock. A few seconds later, she heard footsteps closing in just before her door opened, her mother rushing into her room and coming to a stop just a few feet from the bed. After scanning the room for a minute, Heather Giddings seemed to relax and she walked over to Sam's bedside, sitting down on the edge of the bed "Are you okay?"
Sam only nodded, looking away from her mother as she answered "I'm fine. It was just a stupid nightmare. Another stupid nightmare."
Heather sighed, one of her hands reaching to rub her knee with her thumb "Sam, look at me. Please."
Reluctantly, Sam slowly turned her head back to her mother, the same hazel eyes as her own meeting hers. The older woman closed her eyes for a moment before she started "Sam, this has been going on for a year. I've been trying my best to understand, but you just pushing me and your dad away. You barely got through your classes this year and you've been waking up screaming almost every night after what happened last year."
Sam rolled her eyes as she moved to get out of bed, but her mother's next words stopped her cold "I think that I might need to send you to go live with your Aunt Linda for a while."
The blonde spun around with her hairs standing on end, irate fury in her eyes as she yells "You-you can't be serious!"
Heather stood up, her hands going to her hips "You're not giving me a choice here, Sam!"
Sam scoffed, turning away for a moment as she shook her head in disbelief "Why can't you just leave me alone?"
Her mother sighed "I'm just trying to do the best I can here, Sam. You're not the same girl you were before what happened. You used to be so passionate, driven, but now... you just drift. You barely even talk to your friends anymore."
Sam sat down on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking slightly "I just need time, Mom."
Heather moved next to her, gently taking hold of her daughter's hand "Listen, Sam... I can't imagine what you and the others went through on the mountain. Losing Josh... and on the anniversary of that terrible night, no less."
Sam turned her head away at the words, scoffing as her eyes roamed about the room. Her mother didn't even know half of what had happened and if she even tried to tell her, Heather would skip the therapist aunt to sending her to the insane asylum. Her mother continued "I just feel like maybe getting some distance might be good for you. You could meet some new people who could help you try to move forward."
Sam couldn't stop her eye roll even if she tried, climbing to her feet while she asked "Can you... can you leave, please? I... I'm going to meet with Chris."
Heather nodded, standing from the bed and walking out, closing the door behind her just as her daughter sat down on the floor with her head resting in her hands.
Sam closed her eyes as cold air blew against her skin, the cool air helping to calm the blonde's nerves as she tried to process everything that had happened in those few hours she had been awake, rubbing her hands together as snow fell around her. The cold brought back unpleasant memories, a stick snapping almost making her jump from her seat as her eyes scanned the trees. She could hear the branches rustling in the wind around her, but little else disturbed the silence that her isolation brought her... until a single pair of footsteps crunching through the snow reached her ears. Turning around, she gave a slight smile to Chris as he walked up to her, wrapped up in his winter clothes with frosted breath leaving his mouth every couple of seconds. He stopped for a moment, looking out over the lake before turning to her "Is it okay if I sit?"
Motioning to a spot next to her, she looked back over the lake as he sat in the spot, the blonde speaking after a moment "A part of me wishes that this day... just didn't exist anymore."
Chris nodded "I know what you mean. More than you know."
Sam looked to him for a moment and let out a frostbitten breath "I know you do. Josh was my friend too, even after what he did."
Chris took off his glasses, wiping them for a moment with a piece of cloth "I know I'm supposed to be mad at him for what happened, but he... he was my best friend and he's gone. There's no more movie nights, no stupid jokes that I can roll my eyes at. They didn't even find his body."
Sam sighed "Maybe that's for the best. I'm not sure if I would've been able to handle it if I saw what that thing had done to him."
Things were silent for a time between the two friends, a slight feeling of tension filling the air before she asked "So, how are you and Ashley doing lately? Any big plans?"
Chris put his glasses back on after a moment, turning to her "Well, as you know, things were a little difficult at first. It took a while for us to start opening up again, but things have been good lately. It's just... she's... Ash told me that you haven't talked to her in a while. I talked to the others... and they said that they haven't heard from you for a few months now. What's going on?"
Sam closed her eyes and ran a hand through her blonde hair, shaking her head slightly "I can't. I just... I can't talk to them. Especially not now."
Chris leaned in a little closer "What's going on, Sam?"
Sam looked to him for a small while before laying her head in her palms "I just can't anymore, Chris. After everything that happened, to Josh, to Beth, to Hannah. I've been having these nightmares and I just keep being reminded of what we lost. All because of their stupid fucking prank."
Chris shook his head slowly "Sam, they apologized for what happened. It was just a joke. A joke that just went... terribly wrong."
Sam nearly growled at the words, her hairs on end as she said "It wasn't a joke, Chris. Hell, it wasn't even a fucking prank. The shaving cream and feather move is a prank. Glue on the beer bottle is a prank. What they did was cruel, almost sadistic. Just a way for Emily to feel better. Jessica practically said the same thing to me before they actually did it. They humiliated Hannah for having a damned crush on Mike. Even Ashley. I can't just move on from that."
Chris winced at the words, rubbing the back of his head for a few moments before trying "They didn't know what was going to happen, Sam. They couldn't have known."
Sam's next words were cold and harsh "And that just gives them a free pass? They got our friends killed and all for what? A laugh. A way for them to feel good. I can't forget that just because they said 'we're sorry'. That's just not how it works, Chris."
Chris huffed, standing up for a moment before kneeling in front of her, looking into Sam's eyes as he said "Sam, I... I know how close you were to them and trust me, it took me a while to even think about talking to them again after that. But you have to trust me, Ash... she hates herself just as much, if not more, for being a part of it. She just wants her friend back, Sam."
Sam sniffled for a moment, brushing a strand of hair from her face as her thoughts went back to the mountain and what had happened when they had gone back. The psychopath's voice taunting her as she wandered through the lodge. Watching him play his sick games with her friends. Hiding from him as he looked for her in the cellar. Watching him take off his mask to show Josh beneath it. Her friend had dragged them all through a terrifying prank as payback for what happened to his sisters.
I mean, how does that feel? Right? How does it feel? Do you enjoy feeling terrorized? Humiliated? I mean, panicked? All those emotions that my sisters got to feel once one year ago. Onl-only guess what? They didn't get to laugh it off! No! Nope! No no no, they're gone!
She had been... so hurt and betrayed knowing that he had targeted her in his game, after she had tried to be there for him after the twins disappeared, but those feelings had almost disappeared when Mike had told her that one of the Wendigos had attacked them after she had left, telling her that Josh was gone. Looking back on it all, she could hardly blame him for the prank after everything he had been through. Months after Hannah and Beth disappeared at Blackwood Mountain, she had been so angry at the others for what they did to her friends, but she had tried to move on. After they didn't come back, they all helped to search for the twins for weeks after they had disappeared, searching up and down the entire mountain for any sign of where the twins could be. They never found them... that year. When they came back to the lodge the very next year at Josh's request and they were caught up in his prank, a few of them had been forced into the maze of underground caverns and mines in the mountain, where they had found some of the twins belongings... and other things. When Emily told her about finding Beth's remains down there... she had known that Beth was dead, but that... that had made it real to her. It had made what she found in the mines real. Her friends were gone, taken from her by the merciless cold of that godforsaken place with their brother joining them. The wounds that had started to heal over the year were ripped open, deeper than they had ever been before that night.
Looking back to Chris, she had nodded for a moment "I know, Chris, and a part of me... it wants to forgive her. To forget what happened. But I can't. I'm not strong enough to. I need time and... I think I'm gonna get a lot of it, if I'm being honest."
His eyebrow raised quizzically, Chris asked "What do you mean?"
Sam sighed, closing her eyes as she confessed "My parents have apparently had enough of my attitude so my mom decided to tell me that they're sending me to live with my aunt for who knows how long."
Chris's mouth gaped for a moment before he asked "Are- are you serious? Can they even do that? You're not a minor anymore. They can't do that."
Sam rolled her eyes "I wish. I don't exactly have a job or any money to speak of. Unless I want to be on the streets, I go where they want me to be."
Chris tried "You could come over to live at my place. I have plenty of space there and I don't charge rent."
Sam shook her head, rubbing her hands together in the cold air "I couldn't ask you to do that, Chris. If I'm being honest, maybe a little distance is what I need after everything that happened. New places, new faces... might make my heart a little softer for the older ones."
Chris scoffed "Is that what your mom told you?"
Sam chuckled "Yeah, pretty much."
Chris looked away for a moment before he said "Sam, if I'm being honest, I am worried about you. I get why it would be difficult to talk about, but I think that you should try at the very least. Try to find someone to confide in, you know? I think it could really help if you let it. Just... don't forget the people over here, Hollywood."
Sam chuckled a little at that "I don't think that's possible, Chris. And I swear that I will kill you if you make that a thing by the time I get back. Get it?"
Chris gulped "Got it."
Sam snapped back "Good."
The tension between the two friends built until they both burst out laughing and embracing one another as snow fell around them, Sam promising herself to make the most of every moment that she spent with her friend. Promising that she wouldn't let him down, not like the others.
Linda let out a breath as she stepped into her office, walking over to her desk and setting her purse down before pulling her phone out to set it down, her gaze shifting over to the clock once to check the time. Seeing that Lucifer wouldn't be here for a little longer, she was about to move over to her cabinets when she heard the vibrations coming from her phone. Running a hand through her hair, Linda stepped back over to the desk and picked it up, her eyes widening when she saw her sister's name across the screen. Hesitating for a moment, she grasped whatever courage she could muster and connected the call, holding it to her ear as she asked "Heather, is that you?"
She heard a sigh over the phone right before her sister's voice answered "Yeah, it's me, Linda. It's been a while."
Linda replied "Yeah, I know. I hope that you and the family are doing okay."
She could hear the wariness in her sister's voice over the phone as she said "That's... actually what I wanted to talk to you about."
Concern laced in her tone, Linda asked "What's wrong, Heather? Did something happen?"
Heather answered "No, no, it's nothing like that. Listen, I'm... I'm worried about Samantha."
Her eyebrow peaked inquisitively, Linda pressed further "What do you mean? What's going on with Sam? She's okay, right?"
Heather replied "No, she's not, as much as she says that she is. Do you remember what happened with her friends at Blackwood?"
Truth be told, it had been too hard for the doctor to forget after Sam told her about what had happened. About how Hannah had ran out into a blizzard after Sam's other friends had pulled a prank on her, despite the blonde's protests. How her sister, Beth, had gone after her and neither of them came back. How they spent nearly a week trying to find them with the police, but the twins were never found. That was nearly two years ago. Nearly one year later, she had woken up to see a news story about how the Washington lodge had gone up in flames on Blackwood Mountain, with the last Washington sibling announced as "Missing". The woman nearly had a heart attack until she saw that Sam and her friends had been rescued and brought back from the mountain. Linda had tried to keep in contact with her niece after that, but Sam stopped accepting her calls. With everything that had been going on in her life at the time, Linda had just tried to convince herself that her niece needed some space. That she would talk when she was ready. With a breath, Linda answered "Yeah. Yeah, I do remember. What about it?"
Heather sighed "I... Nathan and I have been trying to help her, but she just keeps pushing us away. She wakes up screaming practically every night and I've found her in different rooms, crying and curled up in a corner. She used to be a straight-A student and she barely scraped by this last semester. It just... I'm worried."
Linda tapped her fingers against her desk as she asked "Heather, where is this going?"
She could hear the exhaustion in her sister's voice as she heard "Linda, I know that I might be asking for too much, but I have to. Could... could Sam stay with you in L.A. for a few weeks?"
Linda froze where she stood, her eyes darting back and forth for a moment before she managed "...what?"
Heather whimpered slightly, the doctor starting to hear faint crying over the phone "Look, I know I have no right to ask you for a favor after what I said, but Sam... I don't want her to throw everything that she worked for away. She barely talks to anyone anymore and I don't want this getting any worse. I'm worried that she might start drinking... or worse. I don't want to lose her, Linda. I just want what's best for her and... I'm hoping that even if you can't, that maybe some new faces could help."
Linda gulped once as Heather continued "I would've talked to someone else, but... I feel like she won't open up if I just send her to another doctor. I'm hoping that she can at least try to trust you, to tell you what's happening."
A part of Linda honestly wanted to say no, to simply spite her sister after what had happened between them. Two other pieces, the affectionate woman and the doctor, couldn't help but want to say yes in that instant. Before she moved to Los Angeles, she had already known Sam as a determined and passionate young individual. A sweet little girl who helped anyone who needed it. To hear her mother almost begging for her to help... Linda took a small breath before she said "I'll do everything I can, Heather. I just... when do you think that she'll be here?"
She heard a sigh of relief after that, followed by "Thank you. Thank you so much, Linda. I... I had a ticket ready for her for a few weeks now. I just wanted her to get through the semester before she went. She should probably be there in a few days. I'm sorry for not talking to you first, Linda."
Linda sighed "It's alright, Heather. I'll just get the guest room ready for her once I get home, alright?"
Heather took a few moments before she answered "Yes, of course. I can't thank you enough for this, Linda. It... it means a lot to me."
Linda closed her eyes briefly, opening them when she heard a knock on the door "Listen, Heather, I need to go. My first patient is here."
Heather's voice came through on the other end "Alright, I'll let you go. It was... it was good hearing you again, Linda."
Linda sighed "I'm glad that you reached out to me, Heather. I just hope that we can talk more often. Goodbye."
She heard Heather breath out on the other end "Goodbye, little sis."
Linda set her phone down when she heard her sister hang out, sitting down in the chair behind her desk as her mind tried to process everything that had just happened. A moment later, remembering the knock, she called out "Come on in."
A few seconds later, the door opened and Lucifer stepped in, his hair and clothes perfect as always with a soft smirk on his face "Trying to sneak someone out the window, doctor?"
Rolling her eyes once, she got up and walked over to the cabinet while Lucifer took his seat on the couch with a contented sigh. Pulling Lucifer's journal from the inside, she closed the cabinet and moved over to the chair across from him, breathing out as she said "So, let's get started, shall we?"
His smirk turning into a small smile, Lucifer's eyes glowed for a moment before he nodded "Yes, let's."
O' I am Death and none can tell,
If I open the door to heaven or hell.
No wealth, no land, no silver nor gold,
Nothing satisfies me but your soul
I'm Death, I come to take the soul.
Leave the body and leave it cold.
O' Death, O' Death,
Won't you spare me over 'till another year...?