Just a suggestion to you all, if you have not played or watched a walkthrough of Until Dawn, I highly recommend that you do so before reading this story. It's a great decision-making game with a pretty good, if somewhat a cliché story, and there will be lots of spoilers for the game in this story. It will also serve as a sort of epilogue for it, but it will be focusing on Sam. Other characters like Mike may show in a chapter eventually, but it's not in the plans yet. I am sorry for taking so long to publish this chapter, I just had a lot of trouble trying to think of how to write it and managing to feel satisfied with it.

WARNING: There is some mention and themes of depression, suicide, gore, and death in this chapter, just to give you all some warning. I apologize if some are you sensitive to this topic.

I don't own Until Dawn, Lucifer, the characters within these two or any other franchise/characters that may appear in this story. I also do not own Simple Mind's Don't You (Forget About Me) or the Breakfast Club. They all belong to their respective owners.

The Demons That Haunt Me Ch. 2

Sam's fingernails were digging into the armrests as the plane finally landed, the blonde's eyes opening only when she felt the shaking stop. She gazed out the window for a moment and watched as the plane was guided along to the terminal as the sun glinted against it's metal wings. The flash sent a chill up her spine with the memory of intense heat washing over her body, watching the Washington's lodge burn to the ground as she and her friends watched. A swirl of fire and smoke shrieking out of the house and past her, vanishing into the woods as the sound of helicopter blades pierced the air. The stale air of the interrogation room as they asked her questions, the feeling of the blood slipping down her face as she answered. Almost crying in relief when she saw Jessica and Matt in the hospital after the police station, both of them a little worse for wear but alive. Her heart breaking as Chris cried when Mike told him about what had happened in the mines, about how the Wendigo had killed his best friend. Words written in black ink on discolored paper haunted her thoughts and the smallest sounds made her freeze in her tracks, listening for the shriek of the monster before she managed to calm herself down. She slept with one eye open in that hospital bed, just waiting to hear something... the footsteps on marble, claws sliding against the glass as the window opened. Just thinking that she would open her eyes and the first thing she would see would be those milky white eyes, the first thing she heard being that terrible shriek as it grabbed hold of her, the creature dragging her through the cold snow back to the mountain.

The sound of the jet bridge hooking up to the plane jolted her out of the trance, the girl watching as the people around her got up and took their bags from above. She waited a few moments before she climbed up from her seat and walked out of the plane and she found her single suitcase a couple of minutes later. After sending a text to her aunt, Sam walked through the airport with a tight grip on the handle, eyes staring straight ahead as she tried to drown out the thunderous noise of everyone talking around her. She found her way through the crowds and eventually made it to the exit, stepping out of the airport just in time to see her aunt pull up at the curb, the blonde walking over as the older woman stepped out "Sam. It's so great to see you again!"

Sam let a small smile cross her face as she walked over, hugging her aunt and closing her eyes tight. She smelled the somewhat fragrant scent on her clothing, something that almost felt like a piece of home. "It's good to see you, too, Linda."

They both pulled away and looked over each other for a moment. The age had begun to show on her Aunt, but she was still a beautiful woman in Sam's eyes, her eyes almost seeming to pierce wherever they looked. Her aunt smiled as she cupped Sam's cheek "You've grown so much since we last saw each other. It's a little to believe that you're the same girl who was only as tall as my shoulders once."

Sam nodded once and chuckled for a moment, walking over to the back of the car while she said "It has been a while since you last came to visit. Kids tend to grow up pretty fast."

She heard her aunt sigh as she popped the trunk, Sam pulling the suitcase up for a moment before she laid it down inside when her aunt spoke again "I'm sorry, Sam. I'm sorry for not being there... for everything."

Sam paused as she leaned over her luggage, closing her eyes for a moment while shaking her head. The metal of the trunk was warm under her hand as she looked over to the woman, but she swallowed the words for a moment and simply said "It's alright. Can we just... go? I'm a little tired of all the crowds here."

She watched her aunt's feet move out of her field of vision before she closed her eyes, taking a long breath before she pushed the trunk closed and walked over to the passenger door. Pulling it open and sitting down in the seat, she closed it behind her and taking a few moments to click her seatbelt in, waiting for a moment as her aunt did the regular checks for a moment. She stared out the window as they started to pull out of the airport, the streets starting to blur past a little when Linda started "I know that it wasn't your choice to come here, Sam, and I-"

Sam scoffed, looking over to her with hardened eyes "You're right. It wasn't my choice to come here. It wasn't my choice to leave my home and come to Sin City of all places. It wasn't my choice to leave my friends. It wasn-"

Linda glanced at her, her hands steady on the wheel as she spoke with a slight quiver in her voice "Your mother is worried about you, Sam. I'm worried about you. That's all this is and she is right to be. You lost people that you cared about, three of your friends. People that you knew for a long time. I know how close you were to them and it's already been another year since Josh disappeared. I know where all of this goes eventually and I don't want it to happen to you, Sam. Not to you."

Sam rolled her eyes once as the woman spoke and looked out the window, watching the people walking on the side of the street blur by with a hollow gaze. A few miles into the ride, Linda pulled over into the parking lot of a small park, the faint laughter of children as they raced around reaching Sam's ears through the glass window. Linda parked with a sigh and let her hands fall into her lap before she tried "Sam, I... I didn't want to do this either. I knew how you would feel about it and it isn't easy for me either, but I want to help. I can't... I can't imagine what you went through on that mountain-"

Tears were brimming in Sam's eyes when she interrupted, the droplets hot as they went down her skin "No, you can't imagine it. You can not even dream of what it was like, the hell I went through up there."

Linda tried "I can still help, but I can't do it without yours. I need you to tell me what happened."

Sam turned and looked into her aunt's eyes, her eyes fixed in a stone cold glare as she replied "You don't ever want me to tell you what happened. What we went through. What I saw. Trust me."

Linda took a breath as she tried to keep the tears down, gently reaching out for her niece's hand "Sam, I'm-"

As soon as Linda's hand even began to grasp Sam's hands, the blonde gently pulled them away and her eyes drifted back to the dashboard, her empty stare watching the children playing in the park. Linda's eyes widened slightly under her glasses at the movement, but she shook her head internally, trying to convince herself that it was just the mood of the moment. Before she could try to say anything, Sam spoke in a monotone voice "Can we please just... just go home? I'm tired and I just don't need this right now. Please."

Silently, Linda turned away from Sam and put the car in gear, looking towards the rear as she started to back out of the parking space.

Chloe rubbed a sore spot on her neck as she looked down at the report, tapping her pen on the desk with a slight hum. She scanned over the details written into the file with precision and care before she closed the file with a soft flap of the pages, shifting in her seat with her eyes closed as she felt the restless energy stirring under her skin. She heard footstep's coming closer just before Dan spoke, her ex sitting down in the seat across from her "So, how's your report on what happened with Bree Garland?"

Chloe hummed "It's all pretty much the same as usual with the Lucifer antics, except I have to figure out how to do all of how the Lieutenant involved himself into it all. I'm still processing what happened with the car."

Dan grimaced with a nod "Yeah. Speaking of the Lieutenant, have you heard from him?"

Chloe shook her head "Not a word, but it probably wouldn't really be a leave of absence if he was calling in every few hours. He just needs a little time to process everything. I mean, she did die right in front of him. I can imagine that even someone like him would need to process all of that."

Dan nodded for a moment "Yeah, I bet. Not to mention that whole thing with the bomb."

Chloe stopped what she was doing for a moment, slowly lowering her pen to the desk before she looked over to him "Are we really going to have this talk here? Now? I was just-"

Before she could start, Dan interrupted "Wait, wait, no. That's... that's what I was gonna say, alright? I was trying to say that... I was worried. Really worried. That whole incident, I was scared that I was going to lose you, that Trixie was going to lose you. Even after it was over, my heart was pounding. I could... never really imagine what it was like for you."

Chloe could feel a tear brimming in her eye when she spoke again "I'm sorry. I... I was just trying to keep everyone safe. Alive."

Dan gently took her hand "I know. It's just that the job... sometimes I feel like we get pretty lucky with the cases. That whole situation, knowing that it could have gone so differently in the moment, it can be a little overwhelming when we remember how intense it can get with this job."

Chloe nodded once as a few officers walked past them both, papers rustling with the breeze from the A/C "Yeah, it can be."

Dan sighed as he moved back in his seat "Something like that, I just think that we need to be careful, but something tells me that it won't exactly be possible with a certain someone on the team."

Letting his hand go, Chloe admitted "Lucifer... saying that he's impulsive is a bit of an understatement, but he's a friend. It can be a little hard to see sometimes-"

Dan chuckled softly "Kind of hard to see anything beyond the irresponsible joker who probably should've contracted at least fifty STD's within the last few years. Besides, I already know what you're going to say when it comes to Lucifer. Look, I better go pick up Trixie from school. Call me if we get anything?"

Chloe smiled briefly as she watched him move to his desk, grabbing his jacket before he left, turning her eyes back down to the desk as her fingers drummed against the desk. Picking up the file and moving over to the evidence box, she pulled the lid off before she put the file in. Looking down at the collection of documents and pictures one last time, Chloe released a breath she didn't know she had been holding before she shut the box, pushing it off to the side.

Linda opened the door and moved inside the house with Sam right behind her, the younger blonde closing the door behind them before she walked down the stairs into the living room. Walking to the center of the room, Linda let out a single breath before she turned and began "Alright, these are the rules for while you're here. I know that I can't make you follow them. You're 20 years old and you can do what you want, but... L.A. isn't exactly the best place for anyone so just try to follow them to spare me from heart attacks in the future. Please?"

Sam looked into her aunt's eyes for a moment before she nodded, listening as the rules started "So the first is that I would like you to be home by 10 pm if you can. If you're not, just at least send me a text to let me know that you're alright, okay? The second... we will be doing what your parents sent you here to do. We will be having regular sessions every week and that is not up for discussion. The third rule is that I will be expecting you to pull your own weight when we're doing the sessions. If you do that, you can spend your time however you wish otherwise. That's honestly all that you have to keep in mind, okay? It's all I'm asking of you for while you're here.

Sam simply nodded along before she ran a hand through her hair and asked "Do you think I could just head to my room? It's all just- I just need to rest for a bit."

Sam made her way into the guest room and closed the door behind her, guiding the suitcase over to the side of the bed before she fell onto the mattress, bouncing slightly as she stared up at the ceiling with her hazel eyes. Her fingers drummed against her stomach as she quietly thought, everything just so silent as she closed her eyes, her muscles relaxing against the mattress. The sunlight coming through the blinds on the window fell onto her body, a little warmer than what the blonde was used to along this time of year.

She didn't know how long she was lying there, but she was starting to drift off to sleep when she felt it. The cold going along her spine as she laid there before it spread along to her shoulders and arms, as if claws made of ice were being traced along her skin. Her breathing quickening, Sam pulled herself up from the bed and walked out of the room to the bathroom, switching on the light to look in the mirror. Sam had kept her hair up in the same style ever since the last time she had gone to Blackwood Mountain and she could see the same tired look in her own eyes that she had seen in the hospital. With a small sigh, the blonde reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, switching it on before she entered an old text chain with the video popping up a moment later. Closing her eyes, Sam opened them before she pressed the play button, Josh appearing on the screen. A smile on his face, he spread his arms theatrically "Well hello, friends and fans!... alright, let's do that again."

She let a small smile cross her face as he moved closer to the camera, adjusting it for a few seconds before he stepped back, the girl setting the phone down near the sink as she turned it on while he spoke "Alright. Hello, friends and fans! It's beyond awesome to have you guys all back this year. First off, I gotta say I am super excited to welcome all my pals back to the annual Blackwood Winter Getaway!"

He did a small football-crowd cheer in excitement, throwing his hands up for a moment before letting them fall to his sides to continue "So, um... Let me just let, you know, let's take a moment to address the elephant in the room for a second. I know you're all probably worried about me... and I know it's gonna be tough on all of us going back after what happened last year... but- I just want you all to know- it means... it means so much to me that we're doing this. And I... I know it would mean so much to Hannah and Beth that we're all still here together, thinking of them."

Sam ran her hands under the water, her mind working through the old words and wondering why she hadn't seen what he had been planning. Maybe she had thought that he was dealing with it in his own way, that he didn't want to be like the others. Maybe it just didn't occur to her that he would do something like that to her, to Chris. To any of them, if she was being honest. On the screen, Josh kept talking with his smile sobering a little "I really want to spend some quality time with each and every one of you and um... just share some moments that we'll never forget... for the sake of my sisters, you know? Okay... so! Let's party like we're fucking porn stars, okay, and make this one a trip we will never forget, alright? Yes!"

The video ended with the phone's screen going black and Josh disappearing with it, Sam taking another breath before she looked up to her reflection again, turning her head to look at the small scar on her right cheek. When she had saved Mike from Bates, one of the Wendigo's claws had managed to catch the flesh there, the burning corpse falling back without it's head just before the spirit flew past them into the caves. It hadn't gone deep at the time, but blood dripped from the cut and it had kept bleeding until she had managed to clean it after they had been rescued. She had expected it to fade as it healed, but it seemed intent to stay, to make her remember what had happened. She was shaken out of it as her skin flushed, a sudden warmth blossoming under her skin that caught her off guard. It slowly grew more intense as she backed away from the sink, the blonde's hand going up to her head as an ache settled at the base of her skull. Sam quickly moved to the kitchen and grabbed a glass, pushing the lever on the fridge while holding the glass under it, cubes of ice falling into it until it was filled to the brim. She pulled the glass away and held it to her head, the cold chasing away the heat there and bringing a feeling of relief, the girl slowly lowering her hand into the glass to take a cube from the cup before slowly rubbing it along her skin.

Sam felt the hairs along her body stand up just before she saw a shadow blur across the living room window, the blonde dropping the ice cube to the floor as she backed away in horror, feeling the some of the chunks hitting her skin as the cube shattered. Her breaths quick, Sam had backed herself into a corner of the kitchen with her hand gripping the counter tight, her eyes darting around for a moment for any sign of what had made the shadow. Just as her heart started to calm for a moment, she heard a very familiar synthesized voice that made her blood run cold, echoing in the very same way it had done when she first heard it "Hello Samantha."

Breath trembling and eyes darting around the room, Sam whispered to herself "It's not real. It's not real. He's not here."

The voice spoke again, coming from all around her "Saaam. Why are you hiding?"

Sam took a breath and whispered to herself "You're just a hallucination. You're not there. It's just PTSD, Sam, completely normal. You're lucky that's all you got."

Her eyes rose from the floor slowly, but widened when she caught a glance of the hallway. Standing there was the same large frame of the Psycho, the messed up mask being the only thing standing out in the dark. His breathing echoed out from behind the mask, the glass black eyes looking into hers as the figure stepped into the light. It was all as she remembered; the "rotten" teeth displayed beneath the breathing hole, the black overalls covering most of his physique along with his dark grey shirt. He walked closer, shaking his head with a syringe in hand as the voice asked "Oh, Sam. Oh, Sam, Sam, Sam."

She quickly turned her head away, closing her eyes with her teeth gritted as she growled out "No. No, you are not real. You. Are. Not. Real."

"Sam. Samantha."

For a moment, all was quiet until Sam heard quiet footsteps clicking against the tile, distinct from the heavy thuds that the Psycho's boots had made. Slowly opening her eyes, Sam let out a breath of relief when she saw her aunt standing there, concern etched into the woman's features as she asked "Sam, are you okay?"

The blonde merely nodded, running a hand through her air with a chill going up her spine, her aunt speaking again "I heard what you were saying before I came in. Who were you talking to?"

Sam shook her head with a grimace while rubbing a sore spot on her neck "It's nothing. I'm fine, really."

Linda stepped a little closer, reaching up and gently rubbing Samantha's shoulder "You can talk to me, Sam. I can help. Just... I'm here for you, okay?"

Sam nodded in acknowledgement while she stepped back, grabbing a paper towel and wiping away the slight sheen of sweat that had formed along her forehead. As she did, Linda continued "Listen, I have a few appointments I need to get to. Help yourself to any ingredients you can find for dinner and I should be home by 7, okay?"

Sam didn't reply, merely returning to the guest room and closing the door behind her, turning to the bed where her bag lay. Pulling one of the pockets open, Sam reached in and rummaged through it for a few moments before she felt the slim object brush against her hand. Grasping it tightly, Sam pulled it out and looked down at the leather journal in her hand, but she didn't open it. Instead, she laid it down onto the bed and started sorting through her clothes, folding them into orderly piles one by one. That is until she felt thick fabric brushing against her palm, her breath freezing as if her lungs had turned to rock if only for an instant, but she pulled it out anyways. It was just an ordinary grey jacket, no logos or pictures printed on the fabric. It had been a long time since she had lost worn it, the two years that had passed almost feeling like a lifetime.

Sam pulled the jacket on as the chorus of popping continued before she crossed her arms, waiting for the the ring of the microwave to go off in a few moments, Matt standing by the table while he poured one of the other bags of popcorn into the bowls they had pulled out. Hannah was on the opposite side as she spread the requested toppings along the different bowls, her eyes glancing to the living room every once in a while. In the other room, the blonde could hear Josh and Chris having a light argument over the movies just before Emily called out "Pick already, lovebirds! I'm gonna die of old age at this point."

Mike came in from behind, lightly rubbing her shoulders before kissing her cheek "Wouldn't be that bad, babe. You'd look amazing at any age."

Emily scoffed but returned the gesture, pulling away for a moment with a smirk "I don't mind the flattering, but don't go thinking it's gonna lead you anywhere special."

Mike shot back pretty quickly "Nah, I'll rely on my natural charm for that kind of action. Besides, I'm sure the guys are gonna come to an agreement any minute now, right guys?"

The last part had nearly turned into a yell that made the two movie geeks chuckle nervously before they turned back to one another, a silent agreement in their eyes as they set their choices down on the table. They held their hands up, turning one into a fist and laying it down on their palms before starting their game of "Rock, Paper, Scissors", Josh cheering as his scissors beat Chris's paper, the latter cursing as he grabbed his movie. Jessica laughed "What are you two, children?"

Both of them turned to her and shouted "Yes!"

Sam simply shook her head at them all while Beth started taking the bowls into the living room, Josh putting the movie in just as the last popcorn bag stopped popping. Pulling it out of the microwave, Sam handed over the bag to Matt before she walked over to Hannah, a pleasant smile on her face as she asked "Do you need some help with all of this, Han?"

Hannah thought for a moment before she decided "Sure, that would be great, Sam."

Sam started working through the toppings, her eyes glancing at the list as the previews started in the movie room while she asked "So, what do you think your brother has picked out for us to watch tonight?"

Hannah gave a light laugh "Knowing Josh, it will probably be something that will make us laugh, shout, and cry. He's just that kind of guy, you know?"

Sam's smile grew for a moment "Yeah, I suppose. It's hard to believe if I'm being honest."

Stopping for a moment, Hannah turned to her for a moment "What do you mean?"

Sam glanced towards her "It's just... I've gotten used to the whole thing. And... it's all going to be over by the time that we come back for another winter retreat. I mean, me and some of the others are graduating this semester and that all just hits me sometimes."

Hannah's eyes flitted nervously before she asked "Well, we'll still be here for one another, right? It's not like we're all just gonna split up forever."

Sam shook her head rapidly "No, no, of course not. I just... the adjustment is going to be a little harsh in this world, but yeah. We'll be there for one another. I promise."

Hannah nodded as she wiped down her hands with a wipe as the last bowl was finished "Thanks, Sam. You know I could never thank Josh enough for introducing Beth and I to you all. I just... I know I can count on you and I hope you know... I hope you know that I would anything for you, Sam."

Instead of speaking, Sam slowly pulled Hannah into an embrace, a calm feeling washing over her as she felt Hannah's arms wrap around her hesitantly. They only broke up when Matt spoke up "Um, are we going to take this to the others or should I leave you two alone and tell the others that we'll need to turn up the volume?"

Sam flipped him off as the two girls broke apart with Hannah, only making him laugh harder as he grabbed a few of the bowls while the girls glared at him, Hannah turning away from the jock as he left with a blush still present on her face as she spoke "We should get going. The previews are only gonna last so long and we all know how pushy Emily can get."

Sam merely nodded and watched the girl walk out with a couple of the bowls, cursing herself while gripping the counter. Taking a breath, she grabbed the last bowls and followed the two down the stairs into the projector room, the previews starting to wrap up just as she walked in. Everyone had already taken their seats, Chris and Ashley sitting next to one another with Josh laying on his stomach a few feet away. Beth sitting behind her younger sister in one of the chairs, waving over to Sam when she saw the blonde walk in. In the other chairs, Emily was sitting in Mike's lap with a shared bowl of popcorn between them while Jessica and Matt settled in beside them. Sam let out a breath when she caught Hannah sending a longing glance to Mike as he laughed with Emily, only for the girl to swivel her head away when Emily caught sight of her gaze. The blonde walked in and handed Beth her bowl before she walked over to Hannah "You mind if I watch with you, Han?"

Hannah looked up, a confused expression on her face "You don't want the chair? I thought-"

Sam smiled "Let them have the chair. Emily's going to dismount and complain about it sooner or later."

Emily looked up at both of them with barely contained anger, but it quickly died down as she scoffed at them before turning her eyes to the movie screen. Sam sat down next to Hannah and grabbed a few pieces of popcorn, popping one into her mouth with a smile that the other girl returned. Josh turned over from his stomach to look at everyone else "Everybody ready?"

Beth threw a piece of popcorn at him, the movie buff catching it in his mouth as if they practiced it everyday, his sister teasing "Just start the movie already, nerd!"

Laughing slightly, Chris spoke up "The disrespect around here is real, man."

Josh shot a smile to him "You're telling me. I have to live with her, y'know."

But with that done, he pressed the play and they all waited for the movie to start, familiar music playing through the speakers as the credits rolled onto the screen.

Hey, hey, hey, hey! Ohhhh...

Won't you come see about me?

I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby

Tell me your troubles and doubts

Giving me everything inside and out

The song continued on as the names of cast were displayed on the screen, Sam almost laughing at the choice as the sound of glass shattering played out on the screen. The room quieted as they watched the characters appear one by one on the screen, all of the drama of their own lives fading away out of focus as The Breakfast Club played on the screen.

Sam sobbed as the memory faded away into the back of her head, holding the jacket as tight as she could to her body as she sat down on the bed, only stopping for a moment to whisper to herself "Always."

I truly hope that you all enjoyed this chapter. I worked especially hard for it, writing and deleting a half dozen different sections with the story in mind, and this is what I came up with. I know that most of you are probably disappointed with the lack of a lot of Lucifer moments, but I do promise that he will be coming in the next few chapters, I just want it all to progress a bit more naturally. Any and all feedback is welcome. Again, I hope that all of you enjoyed this chapter and I hope to publish another soon.