🥩 𐙚 . ˙ 𖧧 ₊ ˚ 🦇
until dawn ❪ 2015 ❫ 𓂃 ⊹ 🪓 ·˚ ༘
𖥻 [ THE PINES ARE HUNGRY . . . ]
╱ ✷ ▬▬▬▬ ❛ ©RREILEEN 𝟤𝟢𝟤𝟦.
.𖥔 ݁ ˖╭ ┆𝓫utterfly 𝓮ffect ╰⊹ ࣪

      ﹒⌗﹒🪰﹒౨ৎ˚₊‧               𝓕𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐀𝐑, a sharp breath catching in her throat as the cold mountain air brushed against her skin. It seemed to sink right through her jacket, biting at her cheeks, as if the very earth itself was holding its breath in the chill. She wrapped her arms around herself, exhaling a cloud of mist that disappeared as quickly as it formed.

     The trees stood like sentinels around her, tall and dark, their snow-covered limbs heavy with the weight of winter's silence. The isolation of the mountain pressed against her, an eerie stillness settling over the landscape that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand at attention. It was too quiet—too much like a waiting trap. Fallon didn't like the feeling, especially not when she was alone.

     Her phone buzzed in her hand, its light casting a faint glow in the otherwise impenetrable darkness. She'd texted her brother, Chris, earlier, asking if he'd arrived yet. But no response. She frowned as she scrolled through their last conversation, trying not to let her imagination spiral into darker thoughts. He's probably just running late, she told herself, rubbing her arms as a chill crept down her spine.

     Grabbing her bag from the backseat, she slammed the car door shut and took one more sweeping glance around the area. The wind howled softly through the trees, and her unease deepened. Fallon quickened her pace, her breath visible in the air as she hurried up the snow-covered path toward the lodge.

     As the lodge came into view, its dimly glowing windows offered a sliver of comfort. But when she reached the front steps, her gloved hand wrapping around the door handle, she was met with resistance. The door wouldn't budge. She tried again, pulling harder, but it was frozen shut.

     "You've got to be kidding me," Fallon muttered, tugging at the door in frustration. The icy handle refused to move, the frost sealing it shut.

     Just as she was about to raise her fist to knock, two strong arms circled around her waist, and a voice, warm and familiar, whispered in her ear, "Boo!"

     Fallon shrieked, her heart leaping into her throat as she jumped in shock, nearly stumbling backward. She spun around, eyes wide, only to come face-to-face with Josh Washington, grinning like the cat that caught the canary.

     "Josh!" she exclaimed, pushing him away from her. "You scared the crap out of me!"

     Josh laughed, clearly pleased with himself. "Sorry, couldn't resist. Your face was priceless, though."

     Fallon glared at him, still trying to slow her racing pulse. "Real funny. Now can you help me with this door? It's iced shut."

     Josh wiped the smirk off his face long enough to inspect the door. "Ah, the classic frozen lodge door. Stand back, Fallon. I've got this."

    She crossed her arms, watching as Josh grabbed the handle and gave it a good pull. The door remained immovable. Fallon smirked, enjoying his struggle. "Professional, huh?" she teased.

     "Okay, so maybe it's a little stuck," Josh admitted, stepping back and rubbing his hands together. "We'll find another way in. It's not like this place is Fort Knox."

     Before they could come up with a plan, another familiar voice called from behind them. "What's the problem here?"

     Fallon turned to see her older brother, Chris, walking up the path, bundled in a thick coat, a flashlight in hand. He glanced between Fallon and Josh with raised eyebrows.

     "Door's frozen shut," Fallon replied, gesturing toward it with a nod.

     Chris sighed, shaking his head. "Figures. There's gotta be another way in. Maybe we can find a window to crawl through?"

     Josh grinned mischievously. "Are we breaking and entering now? I like it."

     Chris shot him a look but couldn't suppress a smile. "It's not breaking in if you own the place."

     Josh smirked, "Not if I don't report you." Josh turned to face Chris, holding an arm out. "Lead the way, Cochise!"

     Chris then turned around, going down the front steps with Josh and Fallon following steadily behind him until he stopped in front of Ashley sitting at the bottom of the stairs. "Hey, Ash!" Chris smiled.

     "Hi, Chris," she replied with a small wave.

     "You doin' alright?" Chris questioned as Josh and Fallon made their way off the stairs and back onto the crunchy snow.

     Ashley shrugged, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. "Yeah... aside from being kinda cold, and vaguely creeped out by this place."

     Fallon gave a sympathetic smile. "It's weird being back up here, isn't it?"

     "Yeah," Ashley nodded, her voice quiet.

     Josh nudged Fallon playfully, a smirk spreading across his face. "So, how's my girl doing?" he teased. "You holding up alright?"

     Fallon rolled her eyes but smiled at him. "I'm fine, Josh. Just freezing."

     Josh grinned and pulled her into a quick hug. Fallon stiffened for a moment but then relaxed into the embrace. There was something about Josh's unpredictability that always made her feel like she was part of the group, no matter what. He pulled away, glancing down at her with a grin. "It's good to see you again."

     "You too," she said softly, her smile faltering for just a second. Being back at the lodge brought back memories she wasn't quite ready to face.

     Before Josh could say anything more, the sound of boots crunching against the snow caught their attention. Turning their heads toward the winding path leading to the lodge just in time to see Justin and Vanessa making their way up it—Vanessa's hips swaying just the right way, her arms crossed over her fitted zip up.

     Dressed in a black jacket layered over a gray hoodie and dark jeans, Justin looked effortlessly cool, as always. His tousled hair framed his sharp features, and as he walked closer, the wind seemed to bend in his direction, carrying a sense of ease and confidence with him. He carried a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, with another in his opposite hand.

      Justin's sharp blue eyes scanned the place before landing on Josh with a smirk. "Hope nobody started the party without us."

     Josh clapped his hands together, stepping forward with his usual boundless energy. "Wouldn't dream of it. Let's make this weekend one to remember."

     Vanessa—standing in front of him—immediately commanded attention with her presence. Always effortlessly stylish, she was wrapped in a dark green wool coat with a faux-fur collar, paired with black leggings and sturdy ankle boots. Her dark hair was loosely braided, strands falling around her face as she tugged off her gloves. "God, it is freezing out there," she muttered, rubbing her hands together before blowing warm breath against her fingertips. "I wanna go home."

     "Oh, come on, Ness," Justin teased, bumping her shoulder with his own. "You've been talking about this trip all week."

     Vanessa rolled her eyes, though a small smile played at the corner of her lips. "Yeah, well, I wasn't factoring in how damn cold it would be."

     Justin smirked, adjusting the strap of his duffel bag. "You act like you've never been up here before."

     "Well, normally it isn't this cold," she shot back, huffing warm air into her hands. "Besides, I normally had about three layers of blankets wrapped around me the entire time."

     Justin chuckled, his breath misting in the cold. "That sounds about right. You always did prefer comfort over adventure."

     "Not true," Vanessa defended, narrowing her eyes at him. "I just like my extremities intact, thank you very much."

     "So, are we gonna stand out here freezing our asses off, or are we going inside?" Justin asked.

     As they started walking, Fallon felt a weight lift off her shoulders. The interactions with everyone so far had felt very natural and calm—even after not talking in ages. "Let's find a way inside before we all freeze to death," Chris suggested, snapping her out of the moment.

     As they made their way along the lodge, Fallon caught up to Chris, walking beside him, glancing at him with a teasing smile. "So... you still like Ashley?"

     Chris nearly tripped on the icy path, his face turning beet red. "What? I don't—I mean... I don't know what you're talking about," he stammered.

     Fallon chuckled. "Come on, Chris. It's obvious. You should just make a move."

     Before Chris could respond, Josh chimed in from behind them. "Listen dude. Look around you. Look at these beautiful mountains. Do you see any parents? I mean, can you imagine a more perfect, ripe scenario, just dripping with erotic possibilities?"

     Chris sighed as Josh continued. "You, and Ashley, together. You've laid all the groundwork... you've been a perfect gentleman. Now you come in for the kill!"

     Chris nodded, Josh taking a step forward to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder—Fallon watching.

     "You're a hunter, bro. No fear. No mercy. I mean she won't even know what hit her!" Josh exclaimed, making his way around Chris before continuing down the pathway with a laugh.

     Chris looked like he wanted to melt into the snow, but Fallon just shrugged and laughed. Josh's words, though ridiculous, had a point. With a resigned smile, Chris glanced at Fallon. "Maybe you're right."

     "I'm always right," Josh declared, laughing as he led the way toward a side window.