Until Dawn: A New Path
Chapter 2 of my Until Dawn story, enjoy.
Reviews
Marina Ka-Fai: Thanks, not really familiar with it beyond what you've told me, hence why I didn't really say anything :(
Boris Yeltsin: Thanks and yes indeed :)
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Now onto the story.
Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn or its characters.
Chapter 2
Meanwhile, waiting by the upper cable car station, watching the snow that billowed through the night, was Jessica Riley. She now wore her hair in two dutch braids fastened with indigo hair-ties and was clad in a stone blue casual parka jacket, wearing under it a purple top over a plain ivory-white undershirt and also wore plain denim jeans. She also had dark pink nail polish and wore a simple band on her finger.
She was sitting, simply passing time on her phone when she heard the cable car arriving and stood up, smiling as she muttered to herself, "Ah, excellent. More people. Time to play meet and greet."
She began walking towards the doors when suddenly, she heard a loud thump from them, making her gasp and leap back. It was then that she saw Chris and Sam, leaning against the glass.
"Hey, Jess."
She raised an eyebrow at their antics. "Um, are you guys having a really weird stroke or something?"
Sam was the one who replied. "We're stuck in the here, the door won't open. Can you help us? Pretty please?"
Jess smiled softly and reached out to press the button on the door controls, opening the door and allowing them both to stumble out.
"You guys..." she muttered.
Chris shook his head and began remarking playfully, "Oh thank God, any longer in there I was afraid I was gonna have to chew my own leg off."
Sam rolled her eyes. "Gross, Chris."
He just laughed, as did Jess.
There was a brief pause. During which, Chris noticed Jess holding a letter of sorts. His curiosity got the better of him and with a playful sound effect, he swiped the letter from her hand.
"Hey, Chris!" she cried out.
He just grinned as he read the note, stepping back out of her reach. "Well, what have we here?"
Sam shook her head. "Chris, come on."
"It seems our dear Miss Jess has some major feelings for our dear class Prez, Mike." Chris remarked. "And what kind of sizzling erotica could Jess be dreaming up, I wonder?"
Jess crossed her arms and shook her head before replying, "Actually, Mike and I are together now. So there."
Chris and Sam shared a look at that.
"Wow, drama..." Chris remarked.
Jess shook her head, clearly having heard things like that so many times. "No, it's pretty clear cut, actually. Emily's out, I'm in. That's all. Now...my letter."
Chris shrugged casually and handed it back before turning to Sam, who had moved over to the railing by the cliff edge, smiling widely.
"Wow, have you seen this view? I mean, we've been here several times but..." She trailed off and laughed. "When have we ever stopped to really take it all in?"
Chris nodded in agreement. Finally, he turned to the girls. "We should really get going before we freeze out here."
Jess shook her head, however. "You guys go on ahead, I'm gonna wait here for a while, see if I catch any of the others."
"Waiting for Mike?" Chris teased good-naturedly.
"What?" Jess gasped, before recovering and shaking her head. "Oh, you know, whoever."
Chris laughed and together, he and Sam continued onwards.
Walking up the path that would lead them up to the lodge, having passed the main gate, were two figures, a male and a female. The male was carrying a lot of bags while the female walked by his side, shaking her head.
"Honestly, they couldn't have built the lodge right where the ski lift ends?" she said.
Matt rolled his eyes as he turned to his girlfriend Emily. "Don't think it would have been as romantic."
Stifling a laugh at his quip, she gestured around. "And where's the bellboy when you need one?"
Matt laughed a little at this and they continued to walk, heading towards a covered wooden bridge that would take them across to the next part of the path.
Emily sighed and shook her head. "I'm getting chills..."
Matt raised an eyebrow at that. They had both dressed up reasonably well for the weather. He was in gray track pants and a light cobalt-blue Letterman jacket over a light jean jacket, and a gray turtleneck. Emily was wearing a white blouse underneath a ribbed dark gray turtleneck and a black leather jacket with fur trim. She also wore black jeans and snow boots with fur trim. She had black nail polish, along with a few rings adorning her fingers.
"We're nearly there." he said, trying to sound reassuring.
Emily looked at him strangely before her eyes widened and she shook her head. "Ah, no, I mean...it's been so long since we were last here and after what happened last time…"
Matt also realized now what she meant and nodded. "Ah, yeah, I see. Well, hopefully we'll find some closure this time around."
Emily smiled lightly, hoping he was right.
They had just reached the end of the bridge when suddenly, a figure leapt out and yelled at them. Matt nearly dropped the bags, half-crouching defensively. Emily leapt back, screaming. The figure began to laugh and they finally saw who it was. It was a familiar young man clad in a flannel jacket underneath a dark blue padded vest, a white tank top undershirt, and a pair of jeans.
"You guys..." he said, still laughing. "You should see your faces."
Emily was not impressed. "Michael!"
Shaking his head, Matt groaned. "Dude, I almost clocked you."
"C'mon guys, lighten up. We're in a spooky mountain forest, middle of the night, snow everywhere." Mike explained. "I'm just trying to get into the spirit of things."
Emily let out an exasperated sigh. "Spirit of things, really?"
Mike groaned. "Oh come on, Em, don't be like this."
"Like what?" she queried, eyes narrowing dangerously.
"Like that. Right now." Mike replied. "The way you're always being."
Emily looked affronted by this statement. Matt bit his lip, pondering.
Finally, he spoke up. "Look, Mike, I'm just gonna lay it out, otherwise this whole weekend's gonna suck ass for everyone. Um, this is super awkward and we all know it. Let's just, uh, acknowledge it now and move on. Okay? "
Emily shook her head. "Matt-"
"I hear you, man." Mike replied calmly. "I get it. I don't wanna make this weird."
Matt nodded, relaxing. "Cool. So we're good?"
"All good."
There was a brief pause after this, as they took a moment to relax.
Emily couldn't resist and jokingly queried, "You guys gonna make out now?"
Laughing, Mike responded in a mocking effeminate voice, "Oh my God, totally! We're SO gonna make out!"
Laughing a bit more, he cleared his throat.
"Uh...no." he replied in his normal voice. "Seriously, I'm gonna go check on the cable car back down the trail."
So, after saying farewell to them, Mike walked back down the trail. Matt was preparing to continue up the trail to the lodge. Emily glanced back for a moment and bit her lip.
"Oh crap." she muttered, sounding annoyed.
"What's wrong?"
She turned to Matt. "Um, could you...take these up to the lodge for me?"
"What, the bags?" he replied, a little surprised.
She nodded. "Yeah, I...kinda need to go and talk to Sam. I was supposed to speak to her before we got up to the lodge."
Matt was a little confused. "It really can't wait? We're almost there."
"I know, just, Matt, please…?" she practically pleaded.
Sighing, Matt smiled. "Alright, no trouble. I'll pack-horse these the rest of the way up. But you owe me one."
"Excuse me?" Emily challenged with an amused tone in her voice.
Matt shrugged. "Or we could say we're even."
Laughing lightly and beginning to make her way back, Emily replied, "I'll think about it."
With that, she headed back down the path while Matt continued onwards, carrying the bags.
The small wooden platform jutting out from the trail that formed the observation deck was occupied by just one person. That figure was dressed warmly in a striped reddish-pink beanie, a light bluish gray hoodie worn over a long-sleeved red shirt, and blue jean shorts and dark leggings finished the outfit. Additionally, she wore a pair of red-striped fingerless gloves, a green rectangular ring on her right middle finger, and a silver locket.
"Whoa..." the girl, who was, in fact, Ashley, whispered to herself as she straightened up a little.
Ashley was busy checking out the scenery through the tourist binoculars set up on the deck. Usually, people had to pay to use things like this, but this one was free. She resumed her observations through the binoculars when she spotted something.
"Hello..." she muttered. "Someone is getting friendly and not in the friend-zone kinda way."
She was surprised as she had just spotted Mike and Emily, apparently flirting with each other, they were certainly close. Too close for a relationship that had ended in a break-up.
Seeing this, Ashley shook her head. "Maybe they need to check the expiration date on their big break-up."
She was actually surprised, given how public and 'over the top' said break up had been, that there was even a chance for lingering feelings to 'complicate' matters.
She bit her lip and began to zoom out with the binoculars when Matt leapt up, practically in front of her, causing her to see his face, magnified. She screamed and leapt back as he laughed.
"Whoa..."
She shook her head. "God! Oh my God, Matt."
He shook his head, approaching as she put a hand to her chest, trying to calm her thumping heart.
"Oh, jeez. I'm sorry, Ashley." he said. "I didn't mean to scare you. Well, not 'scare you' scare, just, give you a little jump."
She lightly hit his chest as she spoke through gritted teeth. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh..."
As she began calming down, however, what Matt said next panicked her again.
"So what are you looking at? Can I see?" he asked, gesturing to the binoculars.
Ashley froze, a sudden debate springing in her mind. A clash between being honest and truthful, or deceiving Matt, if only to spare his feelings. If he saw Mike and Emily... She shuddered at the thought.
In the end, she made up her mind. "Um, it's busted, actually. You can't...really see anything."
Matt quirked an eyebrow at that. "For real? C'mon, I bet I could find, like, a cool bear chowing down on a fox or something."
Ashley persisted, worried about there being a possible fight if Matt saw what she had seen.
"No, seriously, Matt. Don't strain your eyes." she said quickly. "I'm getting a headache just trying to see through it there."
Matt seemed perplexed by this, but then shrugged and accepted it before returning to pick up the bags and resuming his journey up the trail, inviting Ashley to join him. While his back was turned, Ashley sneaked a glance through the binoculars, confirming that Mike and Emily were indeed no longer near each other, before following Matt up to the lodge.
Jess sighed as she continued to wait by the upper cable car station. After absently sitting, twiddling her thumbs for a moment, she decided to pass the time by picking up her book. She picked it up and began to read. She hadn't read more than half a page when suddenly, a snowball impacted on the wall next to her. She let out a startled yelp.
"You did not just do that." she remarked.
Mike laughed and put on a mock southern accent. "Surrender and come out with your hands where we can see them. We got you surrounded."
He bent down to form a snowball and Jess, thinking quickly, grabbed an already prepared snowball from the nearby railing. She made her way towards the steps leading down to the small clearing.
"Oh, but what am I, a supple young rebel girl to do...other than surrender to the strapping military commander come to take me into custody?" she replied in a similar accent.
Mike smirked and stepped forwards. She took her chance to throw the snowball, hitting him and making him yell out, startled.
"Gotcha!" she cried, darting for cover at a nearby picnic bench and table.
Mike shook his head, throwing the snowball he held. "Nice try!"
"Oh snap."
Jess ducked just in time to dodge it. They both took cover, grabbing fresh snowballs.
Mike laughed and called out teasingly, "Where are you, kitty?"
Jess grinned. "You're mine, Mike!"
She leapt out and threw her snowball, striking Mike again. Laughing, she moved, dodging again and getting another snowball. She peeked out. Mike was hiding behind a tree. Nearby was a bird. She paused for a moment. She knew that if she threw a snowball at the bird, it would startle Mike out of his hiding place.
'But then I won't have a snowball to use on him. Plus, poor bird, it doesn't deserve that.' she reflected.
So she abstained, allowing the bird to fly away, and when Mike leapt out, she dodged the snowball he threw and threw hers, striking him again.
"I'm gonna get you!"
Jess shook her head, trying to form another snowball, but then she was tackled and lay on her back with Mike kneeling above her, grinning.
"You're done!" he called out with a laugh. "Done city!"
Laughing in response, Jess replied, "Wow. So, did I go down?"
Mike raised an eyebrow. "I think you did well enough, Miss Jessica the snowball queen."
"Okay, that sounds vaguely dirty." she commented.
They both laughed and then, after a slightly longer pause, they kissed deeply. They parted at last and Jess gasped.
"Whoa, save some for later, buddy."
Mike just grinned. "Endless reserves."
She nodded before replying, "We should probably get going. The others are waiting... Or we could just stay out here."
"I would gladly stay out here, provided I was making out with you the whole time." Mike said calmly as he helped her up.
"Just making out?" Jess queried.
Mike shrugged and replied jokingly, "Quote, unquote."
Rolling her eyes, Jess added, "We'd probably die somewhere between those quotes."
Together, they proceeded onwards, finally heading up to the lodge to join the others.
End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.