Chapter 1: Isolation
21:04
Emma scrolled absentmindedly through her phone as the bus neared Blackwood Pines. Service suddenly disappeared miles ago, but she needed to distract herself. She didn't exactly know why she was going to the mountain. Donovan, who was the most popular guy from her high school, had some crazy idea for a reunion and invited almost everyone he knew, even though he left high school two years ago. She guessed she was the only one who accepted the offer. All expenses paid, after all.
The bus rolled to a stop, and she exited. Only one in the bus, huh? She shivered as she looked around. Nothing but snowy forest for miles. In front of her was an old wooden gate with a sign that said "Blackwood Pines". She turned her phone flashlight on and started walking along a path leading further into the trees. As she strode along the path, she paused for a moment, seeing a squirrel, nibbling on something.
"Aww, hey, little guy." She smiled and crouched down. The squirrel stopped eating to look at her. "Sorry I don't have anything for you right now." The squirrel scurried away. Emma stood up and kept walking, the small smile still on her face. For some reason, that squirrel was oddly reassuring. A few seconds later, Emma approached a wall, the gate closed. She tugged on it a few times, and it didn't seem to budge. In the process, she noticed a scrap of police tape and stared at it for a couple of seconds. Nah, probably nothing. She willed herself to look away and back at the wall. She'd probably have to climb that. Assessing her choices, she decided to go for fast over safe. Jumping up to grab a handhold, she nearly slipped as she climbed over the wall and jumped down on the other side.
21:10
Blair sat at the cable car station, waiting to see who else would come. So far, there were three people: Donovan, the organizer, his always-there girlfriend, Alyssa, and Don's old friend, Chase. Donovan mentioned that there would be six people in total; Blair wanted to see who else would come. He looked towards the path, bored out of his mind. He noticed somebody coming to the station at a brisk pace, their arms over their chest, as if they were cold. When the person approached, Blair realized it was Emma. He stood up, and Emma stopped by the small wooden gate.
"You came too?" Emma said, surprised. "You were never one for the outdoors."
"And you were never one for parties," Blair retaliated.
"Is this really a party, though? I thought it'd be more of a… well… a reunion."
"Reunions are just parties under a different name."
"Whatever." Emma tried to change the subject. "Why are you still here? Is the cable car broken or something?"
"No, it's fine. You can go ahead. I just wanna wait and see who else comes."
"How do you know when people will stop coming?"
"Don told me only five people RSVPd. And you're the second-to-last to arrive, so I think I won't have to wait for too long."
"Okay then. But, do you know how the whole cable car thing works?"
"Oh, I can show you." Blair got up from the bench and went through the door into the station. Emma followed him inside, leaving her bag on the bench, next to Blair's. When he was inside, Blair stopped to look at a map of Blackwood Mountain, showing the essential spots. The fire tower, the lodge, the-
"Come on, I'm cold!" Blair pulled away from the map and redirected his attention towards Emma. "I'm working on it."
"No, you're not. You're staring at a map."
"Maps are important! I have to know where to go! And stuff."
"Sure."
Blair sighed and went over to the control panel. Don left the cable car keys in the slot so anyone could get up the mountain. Blair gave them a turn and pressed the button, activating the cable car. "Get in fast, it leaves automatically."
"Oh, right. Thanks, Blair." Emma rushed into the cable car and closed the door behind her. She waved as she departed from the station. Blair went back outside, only now noticing the bag on the bench.
"Emma left her bag." Blair contemplated snooping through it for a moment, but then decided against it. I've got better to do.
21:17
"Hey guys, wait up!"
Don and Alyssa turned around and let Chase catch up to them. When he did, he let his bag slide off his shoulder and leaned forward, gasping. "Hey… Don… And Alyssa."
"Hey dude, you alright?" Don gave Chase a hearty pat on the back and grinned.
"Yeah, just need to… Catch my breath."
"Oh My God, Don, can we just keep walking? I'm cold." Alyssa humphed and crossed her arms.
"Come on, we can wait for Chase for a couple of seconds, right? And you can have my jacket if you want it," Don said considerately.
"Fine." Alyssa pulled on Don's jacket and started going through the small suitcase she brought.
"How have you been, Chase?"
"Not that good, actually. College's a bitch."
"Well, I'm glad to see you're surviving so far."
"Yeah, but I'm not sure if that'll last."
"Come on, you were the valedictorian. You couldn't have gotten much worse." Don replied, optimistic.
Chase raised his eyebrows, and Don laughed.
"Well, here's the break you must have wanted for so long."
"This better be worth the hype, Don." Chase sighed. "It really has been hard, you know."
Don reached over to hug Chase and Chase kept standing there, not doing anything. Don let go and said, "You'll be fine, Chase. Trust me, I would never let anything happen to you."
"Can I speak yet? Or are you two too deep into your bromance?"
"Sorry, Alyssa. Let's get to the lodge."
Chase looked back and turned to Donovan apologetically. "Sorry, but I gotta check something out at the cable cars."
"Sure, go ahead. We'll be at the lodge."
21:34
Sophie left the cable car with Blair just as Chase approached the cable car station from outside. She tried to open the door outside, but it wouldn't budge. She braced herself and threw her shoulder against the door, opening it with a bang and falling onto the ground. Chase rushed to her and helped her off the ground. "Owww," Sophie gasped as she got up and adjusted her blue hair.
"Don said the cable car door gets stuck sometimes. You shouldn't hit it that hard next time. Are you okay?" Chase gave Sophie a hug, but saw Blair's raised eyebrows and backed away, awkward. "It's… uh…"
"So, you two are together now? I would have never guessed."
"We… It's complicated." Sophie answered dismissively. "Come on."
"Hey, Chase." Blair gave Chase a wicked grin. "Race you to the lodge!" And he ran off, with Chase soon following after him.
"God," Sophie sighed. She would have joined them, but her shoulder still hurt, and the freezing cold was really making her grumpy. She suddenly remembered the cable car keys in her hand. Blair told her to take them, since they were Don's only copy and they would need them to get off the mountain. After looking at them for a couple of seconds, she shrugged and reached into the station to put them on the counter. Sophie started to walk along the path towards the lodge, but paused when she noticed something in the snow: a totem. She picked it up, trying to remember what the sign she saw earlier said. Something about Native American prophecies, and… butterflies? She turned the totem and saw a butterfly on the back. It was colored-
Two girls, twins, hugged each other in the middle of the forest. One of the girls helped the other up, but they suddenly turned to something in the trees. They both ran away, as fast as they could. They finally reached a cliff, and backed away from whatever was chasing them. One slipped off the edge, pulling them both down, but the other girl managed to grab onto a root. A man reached for them, his hand the only way for them to survive. At the very last moment, one girl dropped the other and reached for the man's hand, but the root ripped and she fell, and fell, and fell. Until there was nowhere left to fall.
Sophie started to walk along the path towards the lodge, but paused when she noticed something in the snow. She reached towards it, but then realized there was nothing there. Sophie wrote it off to a trick of the light and kept walking. Something screeched, and Sophie shuddered, but kept walking. Suddenly, the screech was much closer, and Sophie jumped and started running. She barely jumped over a log that was blocking the path, but didn't notice a low branch and her head smacked into it, causing her to fall down. She pulled herself up from the slippery ground and kept running. She managed not to trip on a small wooden staircase and stopped to turn around. There was nothing there, at least now. She turned towards the lodge and saw Chase directly in front of her. She nearly punched him, but realized it was him and stopped.
"You alright?"
"Yeah, just… Thought I heard something," Sophie replied. "Let's keep going."
And they walked.