Memento Mori: Chris
Exactly one year passed since the twins vanished without a trace. It was one the news consistently, it was as if it wouldn't let us forget what happened. Even when the group tried to, it was fruitless.
The rest of them had graduated high school and began college during the year. Josh had already graduated while the rest of us were still in high school at the time of the twins disappearance. Sam and Lilly have become roommates since starting college.
Since they lived in the same dorm, Sam and Lilly had to ride a bus that'd take us up to the mountain. When we would make it, we'd have to take a cable car. Then, we'd have to hike up the rest of the way.
The outdoors showed nothing but mountains, and snow falling from the sky, which was a bright sunset.
Lilly wore a pink and blue flannal with a denim jacket, a red body warmer vest, a white and a grey scarf, blue jeans, black sorel joan of Arctic Boots with light brown fur on the top. She had a black beanie hanging over her head.
Sam was wearing a red sweater, with a red scarf wrapped around her neck, a black leather jacket, black tights with a red checkered flannal skirt, and black boots like Lilly. She has a russian/candian hat on her head.
Sam was sitting on Lilly's right side, who was looking out of the bus window. "Ready to see Josh again?" Sam asked, giving her friend a little nudge. Lilly started to blush at that. "You didn't think that I overheard the both of you staying up until four in the morning video chatting," Sam teased.
"It ain't like that, Sammy. I just wanted to help after what happened with the twins. I was just checking up on him," Lilly said, partly telling the truth.
"Oh, please, it's until four a.m.!" Sam exclaimed. Lilly rolled her eyes just her phone went off. Lilly pulled it out of her messenger bag and turned it on. It was a video message from Josh. "Let's see what he's got to say," Lilly said.
Lilly pulled out her headphones, hooked it to her phone, and gave one ear bud to Sam. The thumbnail showed Josh standing inside of the cabin.
Lilly held the phone to where both girls could see it. "Hello, friends and fans *Josh shakes his head* Alright, let's do that again," Josh said, walking up to the camera. He messes with it to make it more clearer.
He steps back, they could see him much more clearer this time. "Alright, friends and fans! It's beyond awesome to have you guys all back this year. First off, I gotta say, I'm super excited to welcome all my pals back to the annual Blackwood winter getaway! Yaaah!" he says, faking a cheer and chuckles, "So, um... let me just let you know, uh... let's take a second to address the elephant in the room for a second. I know you're all probably worried after what happened last year... but... I just want you to know umm... 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... I just want to spend some quality time with each and everyone of you and umm... just share some moments that we'll never forget,"Josh says, "...for the sake of my sisters, y'know?"
He paused and smiled in a goofy way. "So... let's party like we're fucking porn stars, okay?! And make this one a trip that we'll never forget, alright?! Yes!" he said, fistbumping the air with both arms.
The girls take out the ear buds and Lilly puts them back in her bag along with her phone.
"Like we're fucking pornstars..." Sam said, joking about the video. She noticed that Lilly's face was bright red. "You know it was for you," Sam said.
"N-No, it wasn't," Lilly said, trting to hide her face. "Hmm-mmm, you know I'm right about that," Sam said. The two teen girls laugh at their own expense.
(At Blackwood Pines)
Around 9 pm, it was completly dark by the time they got there. The snow had picked up a little bit, the wind blowing in their direction. The girls get off the bus, feeling the frigid wind hit their faces.
Lilly takes a picture of the sign to the lodge before following Sam, who walked under the archway and through a snow covered gate.
Since it was dark, they could barely see what was in front of them as they walked forward, their boots crunching in the snow.
They both reach at closed gate that had a note attached to it. It was from Chris, one of their friends. Lilly pulled it off with her thumb and her index finger.
Gate is busted. Climb over.
"Agh, what?" she groaned. "What?" Sam asked, looking over Lilly's shoulder. "Looks like we're climbing over," Lilly sighed, dropping the note.
Sam took ahold of the gate, shaking it a bit. It made a rattling sound, showing that it was true. "Yeah, guess so," Sam said with a nod.
Both girls climb the snowy stone wall on the right hand side of the gate. After getting over to the other side, they continuing down the snowy trail.
They walked for another 5 minutes before coming to another gate that was lit with small lanterns. As they get there, a lone squirrel scurry in front of them.
Sam knelt down and she called to it, "Aw, hey little fella," Lilly looked down at the squirrel with a grin, finding this adorable.
Sam stays still long enough for the squirrel to eat the food from her hand. The squirrel then hops away. "Cutie," Sam said, smiling at him.
They start walking away down the trail for another ten minutes. Lilly then spots something on a tree.
"Huh?" She said, getting a better look at it. It was a plaque with an Indian chief on it. "What is it?" Sam said, walking over to her.
Lilly bent over to read it, "The tribes who lived in these mountains believed butterflies carried dreams and prophecies. Black means death. Red means danger. Brown means loss. Yellow means guidance. And white means luck or good fortune,"
"Pretty cool," Sam said, nodding. "Very interesting," Lilly replied.
They walk away from the plaque and continue to the cable car lift.
(Cable Car Lift)
The two girls make it to their destination. Lilly walked over to a board that was covered in cryptic writing. THE PAST IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL'.
"Wow, creepy," Lilly said, seeing it was written in red paint. She turned around and followed Sam to the cable car station.
They saw a backpack sitting unattended on a bench. There were two benches that sat below a bright light.
There was a name tag stitched to the front of the backpack. It was Chris'.
"Chris? You here? Chris?" Lilly called, looking around the station. Sam looked the bag over as if to get a better look at it. "His bag is here," she said.
"Where the hell is he? If his bag is here, then he's here somewhere," Lilly sighed, coming back around the front of the cable car station.
Lilly saw that Sam was holding Chris' phone in her hands. "Sam, what're you doing?" She said. "Seeing if he's in the bag," Sam said.
"Still, don't snoop," Lilly retorted. Sam puts the phone back and zipped it up. "Yeah, you're right," she said, standing back up.
Chris the jumps out of nowhere, scaring them. "Sam! Lilly! You guys made it!" He said.
They turn around to face him. He was taller than both girls.
He wore a green sweater, denim blouse, white t-shirt, blue jacket with white fur on the hood., blue jeans, and brown boots.
"Oh, Chris. It's just you," Lilly said in relief, walking over to Chris and giving him a hug. Chris reciprocated the hug.
"Why wouldn't we be?" Sam said, getting a hug from the goofy and lovable guy.
He shrugs and picks his backpack up, slinging it over his shoulder. "Oh, so I found something kinda amazing," he smells them.
"What?" Sam said, chuckling. "I'm not gonna tell ya. You gotta see it for yourself," Chris tutted, starting to walk away.
Sam and Lilly look at each other, wondering what Chris had for them.
"What is it?" Sam asked. "Right around here, gonna blow your minds," he said, imitating an explosion.
"We'll believe it when we see it," Lilly said, rolling her eyes.
They walked around the station, seeing what Chris had for them.
They reach the back of station. Turns out Chris wanted to show them a shooting range that he had found. There was also was a loaded rifle sitting on it.
"Ta-dah! Pretty rad, huh?" Chris said, standing like he was presenting something. "Um... yeah. It doesn't look like it," Lilly sighed.
"C'mon, look at these beauties!" Chris whined. "Um, beauties isn't the word that comes to mind. Why is this even here?" Sam asked, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" He asked. "What the hell is a shooting range doing at the base of a ski lodge?" Sam asked, now confused.
"Have you ever met Josh's dad?" Chris asked. "Yeah?" Sam replied, looking between Lilly and Chris.
"Wasn't his dad like Grizzly Adams?" Lilly asked, looking at Chris. "Yeah. How about you give it a whirl? A little reward for your intelligence?" Chris said, offering her the gun.
"Let's see how you do first?" Lilly said, holding her hands up. "Okay, here goes," Chris said, holding the rifle up at the targets.
He shot them all perfectly, impressing the girls. "Wow, nice shootin', Tex," Sam complimented Chris in a playful Texan accent.
Chris starts to dance playfully. "Oh, yeah, I'm bad. I'm a badass," he chanted.
"Good shooter, bad dancer," Lilly laughed. "Wow, low blow, Lilly. Let's see if you can do any better," Chris said, now handing the gun over.
"Alright, Mr. Hotshot, you're on. Sam, put your money on this," Lilly said, reloading the gun. "You're on," Sam replied with a smile.
Lilly is an expert when it comes to guns. She had gone hunting when she was thirteen so she's pretty good.
She held up the gun and fired, shooting two bottles. "Well, anybody can shoot a bottle that big, that close," Sam said, putting both hands on the range table.
"You're right, it's easier to hit the side of a barn," Lilly replied, shooting another set of bottles. "Nice shot," Sam said.
"Your asses just saaaacked!" Chris laughed. Lilly and Sam groaned at his cheesy comment. "Let's go," Lilly said, setting the gun back down.
The girls started to walk forward. "W-Wait, I'm just getting started!" Chris whined.
"C'mon, Chris, the cable car!" Sam said, stepping away with Lilly. They walk back around to the front, looking back at Chris. He was following them.
"Man, it's weird coming back up here after a year," Chris muttered, a bit uneasy. Lilly looked back at Chris and started walking backwards.
"Yeah, fi remember it like it was yesterday," Lilly said, shivering. It wasn't because of the cold.
"I know the feeling, it's crazy," Sam agreed. As they walked to the front, Chris spots a wanted person's poster.
It read, Missing since March 16, 1998, Victor Milgrim.
"What is it?" Lilly asked, seeing the poster. "Nice, you guys think we'll get a visit from America's Most Wanted?" Chris asked curiously.
"Looks like it," Sam said. "This place has been abandoned for most of the year. Nobody comes up here," Chris said.
They continue forward to the front. "Must be hard for Josh..." Lilly said sadly.. Sam shook her head..
"How does he keep it together? You'd think he'd be a wreck," Sam asked.
"He's pulling through, somehow," Chris answered with a sigh.