time, time, time, see what's become of me

while I looked around for possibilities

and the sky is a hazy shade of winter

HAZY SHADE OF WINTER

(a 'Until Dawn' fic)

weaving time in a tapestry...

*

Jordan Rutcher was on track for an amazing life.

Straight A's, a dedication to a goal of getting into medical school and becoming a doctor—sexist ideas of women only being nurses and men only being doctors be damned—and a great social circle of friends, including her best friend since childhood, Emily Davis. The two girls were polar opposites—Jordan was calm, sensible and caring, while Emily was harsh, caustic and vicious. Jordan wanted to be a doctor; Emily wanted to pursue the cutthroat field that was the fashion magazine industry They were like fire and water, and yet their opposites didn't divide the girls but made them closer; Jordan was the one who got to see the vulnerable parts of Emily and Emily encouraged Jordan to be more confident and help her through the anxiety and panic attacks she developed when she was thirteen after the fatal car crash that killed her mom. And damn the person who picked on Jordan Rutcher or didn't give her space or room to breathe during a panic attack or god forbid you made fun of her attacks or claimed she was faking it, not if you didn't want Emily to claw you apart in defence of her best friend or scream at you to get the nurse, or break your nose if you were a dick about her anxiety and her attacks They were each other's closest friends, were almost sisters rather than friends, high school bringing them closer together rather than tearing them apart as through Emily, Jordan was introduced to people like Sam Giddings, Chris Hartley, Jess Riley, Matt Taylor, Ashley Brown, Mike Munroe and the Washington siblings Beth, Hannah and Josh.

And Mateo Delgado.

Just like Emily and Jordan, she and Mateo seemed to be opposites—Mateo was not only a jock but a social butterfly with many friend groups and a strong sense of justice, always calling out injustice whenever he saw it and critically debating issues affecting his community and others in one breath before sharing a joke with his friends in the other. Jordan, however, was a wallflower, sociable but comfortable with her circle and on staying on the sidelines, preferring books rather than sports, and holding a sense of justice but not so loud like Mateo was. It didn't help that Mateo didn't care about schoolwork yet got perfect scores while Jordan worked and studied hard to keep that grade point average so she could get into a good medical school, that it seemed like he could just get away with sleeping in class and still get perfect scores while Jordan was terrified if she missed one day of study her grades would drop, causing friction between the two as Mateo saw her as an overachiever while she saw him as a slacker. It seemed like the two may never connect and be more than rivals, putting on pretence of friendship around their mutual friends.

Though, their status changed trajectory when, in junior year, when they were part of a group project and found they made a really good team. Despite his slacker attitude that Jordan perceived he had, Mateo was studious and confided in her he wanted to go into college and pursue a degree in forensic science and achieve justice for those burned by the justice system, something that struck in Jordan as she confessed her dream in medicine was affected not only because it was something she wanted, but so that maybe she could make sure she could save lives like the way the doctor saved hers after the crash, to make her mother proud, that the reason she tries so hard is so that she can make it and save lives, destroying Mateo's view of Jordan being an overachiever and instead view as selfless, compassionate and kind. They became closer, became friends instead of rivals, and throughout the rest of junior year and the start of senior they changed each other for the better; Mateo helped Jordan loosen up and consider one moment of fun wouldn't doom her future, to be more confident in herself and helped her through her attacks and made sure he had granola bars for Jordan when she forgot to eat due to study or give her a chain-link necklace to hold her rings due to her paranoia of losing her rings, while Jordan brought out a calmer, more humble version of Mateo he didn't even know he had, and comforted him when his dad got sick from cancer and passed away. It shocked their friends, but not as much as them as, before Jordan and Mateo realised it, platonic had slipped into romantic so subtly they didn't even know it had, until they did and both didn't want to say anything—to ruin the friendship they had built up.

Until, in senior year, Mateo asked Jordan to go to the prom and she said yes. They went, and after seeing Jess and Matt be crowned Prom Queen and King, they slipped away where Mateo and Jordan confessed their feelings at the same time, before kissing. It was awkward but sweet and felt so good, so right. Like they were meant to be together.

After that, they were together. Sure, they had their ups and downs, but Jordan and Mateo were dedicated to each other; they loved each other, even if they were just as a mess saying those words like they were when they first told each other how they felt. During Jordan's valedictorian speech, Mateo had charged up the steps and swept her up into a passionate kiss, and when Mateo got accepted into a scholarship for the Ontario Tech University, Jordan was thrilled and supported him, just like he supported her when she got into the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, promising each other that no matter how draining med school or college got, they'd be there for each other, that they would get through it and make time whenever they could. That they could get through this together and take on the future after.

It seemed like their whole future seemed set in stone.

Until February 2nd 2014 where, on the annual winter trip to the Washington Lodge on Blackwood Mountain courtesy of Beth, Hannah and Josh and their wealthy horror movie producer family, a cruel prank is played out on Hannah in regards to her crush on Mike. Jordan knew and heavily argued against it when Emily told her, but Mateo didn't know despite Mike being his best friend. And they weren't there for it, at first being in the library before heading into their room for a private moment together.

And that after the prank is committed, it goes horribly wrong when Hannah runs away into the night and the whited out depths of a horrific snowstorm, Beth following behind her to find and bring her sister back. Jordan wanted to go after them but Mateo stopped her, advised her against it; the twins had grown up on this mountain, and they could find their way back.

Except they didn't. They never returned, having vanished into thin air. That, even a year later, they were never found and presumed dead.

Jordan felt intense guilt over never following them out, as did Mateo; they, along with Josh, Chris and Sam and the rest of their group, lead countless search parties with the police only to turn up empty. It worsened Jordan's anxiety and panic attacks, had caused Mike and Emily to break up, the dissolvement of Emily's and Jess's friendship into a rivalry, and a frisson between Jordan and Emily that culminated into a screaming match at Jordan's place while Mateo was away before Emily collapsed into sobs and guilt, her mask cracking around Jordan like it always did, saying she just wanted to teach Hannah a lesson about going after a taken man, she hadn't meant for what happened to happen, and if she'd listened to Jordan, then maybe Beth and Hannah would still be here. Jordan had held her best friend and after a long, lengthy talk and countless apologises, the frisson was repaired and Jordan and Emily were close again. But, with therapy and an amazing boyfriend and friends in Emily and Sam and Chris and Matt, Jordan's guilt lessened and while the attacks didn't go away, they became less, and she knew she was healing Mateo like he was for her, that they were each other's rock.

But while she and Mateo were healing, while their friends were healing, Jordan had a sneaking suspicion that Josh was just drowning himself in guilt and regret, that she'd always called or texted him to check up on how he was doing or, if she could, try and visit him and just check, to see if it was worsening his mental health—that, out of all their friends, she understood what it was like when your own mind turned against you. But he always assured he was fine, that he was doing just fine, though Jordan had a feeling he wasn't. Not entirely.

Although, aside from that, things seemed to be going okay.

But a year later, on the anniversary of Beth and Hannah's disappearance, Jordan and Mateo receive an invite from Josh to come back to the Washington Lodge and stay there while also remembering Beth and Hannah. Jordan was hesitant, but Mateo encouraged her to go, that it could be healing for them and all of them—healing for Josh. So, Jordan agreed and she and Mateo planned to go, with Mateo planning an extra special surprise for the love of his life.

However, that night would be far from healing, for any of them.

Because, just a few hours after arriving and Mike and Jess going to the guest cabin after she and Emily had a verbal brawl, and Jordan left for some fresh air and Mateo followed to keep her company and show his surprise to her, they both hear a noise and see something in the woods before they run back to the lodge—and encounter Emily and Matt and Ashley and Chris, the latter pair covered in blood and screaming about a maniac in the woods that killed Josh. That might be coming for all of them now.

It's clear to Jordan—they need to get help, something Emily agreed with. So she, Emily and Matt left to get help while Mateo left to find Mike and Jess and bring them back to the cabin and Chris and Ashley went to find and warm Sam in the lodge. While splitting up was never a good idea, especially in horror movies, it seemed the best option.

And how much of a horror movie it would become, for both Jordan and Mateo, as they encounter the true, terrifying force hunting them down in different aspects—Jordan in the mines with Emily, Mateo in the abandoned sanitarium with Mike and only learning about it much, much later. A force that may not be killed and is birthed in the most horrific, most desperate of circumstances that cannot be stopped, cannot be killed—not permanently, anyway. 

A force that will determine if they can make it back to each other—much less if they can all make it off the mountain alive.

Or die in the snow and cold blackness of winter.

*

... won't you stop and remember me

CAST

Kaya Scodelario as Jordan Rutcher

Mateo's girlfriend

Kind, sensible, caring

David Castañeda as Mateo Delgado

Jordan's boyfriend

Jokester, passionate, loving

the until dawn cast as their respective characters

Mixtape

i. Hazy Shade Of Winter — Hidden Citizens, JAXSON GAMBLE ii. O Death — Jason Graves, Amy Van Roekel iii. Jump Then Fall — Taylor Swift iv. All Of Me — John Legend v. Monsters — Tommee Profitt, XEAH vi. No Return - Extended Version — Craig Wedren, Anna Waronker vii. Game Of Survival — Ruellle viii. Madness — Ruelle ix. Eat Your Young — Hozier x. Run Boy Run — Woodkid xi. Me and the Devil — Soap&Skin xii. Silhouettes — Of Monsters And Men xiii. Way Down We Go — KALEO xiv. Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) — Kate Bush xv. The Chain — Fleetwood Mac xvi. Where Is My Mind? — The Pixies xvii. Psycho Killer — Talking Heads xviii. Unwanted Animal — The Amazing Devil xix. Eres Tú — Carla Morrison xx. Style — Taylor Swift xxi. You Are In Love — Taylor Swift xxii. This Love — Taylor Swift xxiv. Starlight — Taylor Swift xxv. Ours — Taylor Swift xxv. Cariño — The Marias xxvi. I Get To Love You — Ruelle xxvii. Point Of No Return — UNSECRET, Sam Tinnesz xxviii. Smoke And Mirrors — Imagine Dragons xxix. Somebody's Watching Me — Hidden Citizens xxx. Take Me To Church — Hozier xxxi. Who's At The Door — Hidden Citizens, Sam Tinnesz xxxii. Paranoia — Neoni xxxiii. Every Breath You Take — Chase Holfelder xxxiv. Survivor — 2WEI, Edda Hayes xxxv. Climbing Up The Walls — Radiohead xxxvi. Blood // Water — grandson xxxvii. Dynasty — MIIA xxxviii. Safe & Sound — Taylor Swift, The Civil Wars xxxix. Everybody Wants To Rule The World — Lorde xl. Sound Of Silence — Disturbed xli. Zombie — Damned Anthem xlii. Will I Make It Out Alive — Tommee Profitt, Jessie Early xliii. I'm Not Afraid — Tommee Profitt, Wondra xliv. Hunger — Of Monsters And Men xlv. Little Talks — Of Monsters And Men xlvi. No Escape — Sam Tinnesz xlvii. When The Truth Hunts You Down — Sam Tinnesz xlviii. Watch Your Back — Sam Tinnesz xlix. Danger Danger — Club Danger l. Blood Upon The Snow — Hozier li. HORROR MOVIES — Neoni lii. Paint It, Black — Ciara liii. In The Woods Somewhere — Hozier liv. Mountains — Message To Bears lv. In The End — Tommee Profitt, Fleurie, Jung Youth lvi. Little Dark Age — MGMT lvii. Devil's Backbone — The Civil Wars lviii. The Disappearance Of The Girl — Phildel lix. Funeral Bell — Phildel lxx. Ain't No Grave — Hidden Citizens, Adam Christopher lxxi. I Ran (So Far Away) — Hidden Citizens lxxii. Nothing Is As It Seems — Hidden Citizens, Ruelle lxxiii. Stabbing In The Dark — Ice Nine Kills lxxiv. A Grave Mistake — Ice Nine Kills lxxv. DARKSIDE — Neoni lxxvi. Murder Song (5, 4, 3, 2, 1) — AURORA lxxvii. Dear God — Lawless lxxviii. Dusk Till Dawn — ZAYN lxxix. Take On The World —You Me At Six lxxx. Beautiful Crime — Tamer lxxxi. Running Up That Hill — Placebo lxxxii. No Return  - Extended Version — Alanis Morissette lxxxiii. Scary Monsters (And Super Creeps) — David Bowie lxxxiv. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) — Florence + The Machine lxxxv. Silent Running — Hidden Citizens lxxxvi. Beware of Darkness — Hidden Citizens, Rånya  lxxxvii. Nowhere To Run — Hidden Citizens, Keeley Bumford lxxxviii. Breathe — Fleurie lxxxix. Ready Or Not — Mischa Chillak, Esthero xc. Never Want — Fleurie xci. Enchanted — Taylor Swift xcii. Sparks Fly — Taylor Swift  xciii. Fearless — Taylor Swift xciv. Something Wicked — Hidden Citizens, FJØRA xcv. Knocking On Heaven's Door — RAIGN xcvi. Don't Let Me Go — RAIGN xcvii. Twisted — MISSIO xcviii. Panic Room — Au/Ra xcix. The Horror And The Wild — The Amazing Devil c. When It's All Over — RAIGN

Warnings

This fic contains depictions or mentions of: Horror themes, blood and gore, violence, death, mental illness, panic attacks, implied sexual scenes/references, implied cannibalism and mentions of the Wendigo. This fic is rated Mature

Dedications

To my number one, harringtonssss, and to skainatbilda, starryeyedturtle, stilestastic, tommysmiller, filmsbykelso, and TR4SHPANDA and to anyone else who loves Until Dawn <3333

Author's Note

Hello, hello and welcome to my Until Dawn fic!!

I am so excited to be writing this, as I had so many ideas after watching an Until Dawn walkthrough, especially since I had such a blast with my The Quarry fic!! Especially since there'll be a movie adaption coming out of Until Dawn, so I'm even more excited to write this and delve into Jordan and Mateo's story And speaking of the movie... while Hazy Shade Of Winter is the fic's title, I REALLY hope they'll use it as a trailer song (especially the Hidden Citizens cover) since it fits Until Dawn SO WELL—although, when the movie comes out, maybe I might make an Until Dawn fic that's based around the movie?? 👀

(and speaking of the movie—while the Stranger will be white here like he was in the game, I am hoping they cast an Indigenous man to play him in the movie, as that would make so much more sense than him still being white)

Also, I love Emily and while I can understand while people might not like her, I think she's badass and such a final girl, especially in the mines, and would appreciate if she's not constantly slandered in the comments (the only reason I agree with is her treatment of Matt, which he did not deserve). She's also gonna be Jordan's best friend here, as Mike will be Mateo's best friend here

Side-note: You don't have to read my The Quarry fic to read this, and can read it right after this if you wish. However, if you HAVE read it before this... then you're gonna be in for a treat >:)

Overall, I hope you all enjoy!!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!

Disclaimer

I do not own Until Dawn, all rights belong to its creators. I only own my original characters and their storylines