Until Dawn: Reclaiming Life

Chapter 2 of my Until Dawn story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks and yeah :(
Marnia Ka-Fai: Indeed :(
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)
Guest: No, I clearly specified she looks like Jess does after the Wendigo mauls her.

Now onto the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Until Dawn or its characters.

Chapter 2

Her period of convalescence, lying in her hospital bed was a grim time for Ashley. Her mind remained locked in a state of abject horror.

'I can't...this is too much; they, why would...' Her mind continually raced, never finishing thoughts before jumping to the next one.

She was still horrified by what she had seen in the mirror; more measures had to be taken; for she now couldn't bring herself to look in any mirror; too sickened by the sight of her ravaged face.

She bowed her head, sniffling slightly. 'I can't believe this happened, those...those monsters, what they did to me. I suppose, I'm lucky I survived, although disfigured.'

After all; she had made it, so had Chris and Mike and Sam. The others hadn't been so lucky; their bodies had finally been retrieved, along with the body of someone who turned out to be the Flame-thrower Guy. Ashley had only seen the bodies once, when she went with the others to identify them.

She shuddered at the memory. 'It was horrible; to see them...what was, done to them...Em, they...they only found half of her...'

She fought back a wave of revulsion at the memory. That; the sight of Josh's head crushed and the fact that Matt and Jess seemed to have been decapitated post-mortem. The way the bodies were found, almost as if the Wendigo was 'collecting' them.

For Ashley; the part that truly got to her however, was when Sam and Mike had revealed just who the Wendigo chasing them had been.

'All this time, this whole time...It was Hannah!?' She shook her head. 'How could; for her to...Oh God.'

She broke down again; not only was she trying to process all this; the self-loathing she felt; partly due to her mauled appearance and partly due to knowing she was, at least partially, responsible for what happened to Hannah. She had taken part in the prank after all, even if just an observer and it had been that prank which turned Hannah into that monster.

'Everything's all messed up...is this; is this...karma.' She found herself thinking. 'Hannah still somehow remembered liking Mike so he wasn't touched, Sam and Chris didn't have anything to do with it, they weren't touched. She maybe felt Josh failed her and the others, the role they played in the prank...I just watched so, so I...Oh God and, Chris, what's he…?'

The greatest part of her self-loathing came from her one simple belief; although careful not to show it, she was certain Chris was disgusted by her now. Whatever small chance they had of being able to finally accept their feelings for each other and get together, gone.

Chris unfortunately chose that moment to arrive.

"Ash, are you..."

She immediately turned away, not letting him see her face. "Chris, no please, I..."

He froze and then sighed; this had sadly become a regular occurrence. "Ashley, please...I just want to talk."

But she didn't respond, apart from quietly saying. "You don't have to; put yourself through this."

Biting his lip, Chris sank into the seat next to the bed. He truly had no idea what to do; Ashley was becoming more and more withdrawn. The only signs of emotions he was able to see these days was her randomly bursting into tears, or freaking out whenever she saw her face in a reflective surface.

'She's almost ready to be discharged from the hospital too; but what if...What's going to happen to her.' He wondered worriedly. 'Dammit, we; we simply out and said it at the lodge but; but this...Ashley, why have you; please, don't shut yourself off...I want to help you.'

But once again; his words stuck in his throat and he couldn't say what he desperately wanted to say.

End of chapter, Ashley is sinking deeper sadly, next up, we will finally see Sam and Mike, and things will move forward with Ashley being released from hospital, but what awaits; only time will tell. Read and review please.