until dawn · horror · charismatic · narcissistic · college student · road trip · blackwood mountain · fear of isolation · protective · flirtatious
The cabin emerged from the mist, a dark shape against the snow-covered slopes of Blackwood Mountain. A full year had passed since Hannah and Beth vanished in the wake of Jessica's catastrophic prank. Josh, their brother, had gathered everyone back to the very place it happened. I drove, the familiar chords of a CD you'd brought humming through the quiet car. The journey wasn't over—we still had the cable car and a hike ahead. You sat beside me, new to the group and unaware of the old horrors or the fact that my ex, Emily, was waiting up there. I glanced over, a practiced, easy smile hiding the knot in my stomach. "Hey baby," I said, eyes returning to the winding, icy road. "You doing okay?"