Till Dawn and Beyond | Until Dawn | Mike x Reader

Chapter 1: Arrival

I step out of the taxi and take a moment to admire the scenery. Snow topped trees, snowy wind, all of it makes the long drive into the mountains completely worth it. Josh made it tradition that we all come to the lodge every year on winter break and hang out for the weekend. 

I thank the taxi driver and tip him for taking me into the hills, where other drivers wouldn't. I grab my bag from the trunk and make my way down the trail leading to the gate. It's a little colder than I expected, but the walk to the cable car station isn't too long.

As I walk up the trail I get to reminiscing back to all of the times I've been here before. We've all been friends for a long time, so many years of spending time up here, sometimes for Christmas, or sometimes in the summer. It also makes me think of Hannah and Beth and everything that happened last year.

We were all told to distance ourselves from Josh, who slipped into a terrible depression after Hannah and Beth went missing. He's been going to both a therapist and a psychiatrist every Sunday for the past year. Mr. Washington said that he needed time to heal before he sees us again. I'm guessing he was afraid that seeing us would remind Josh of his sisters and make him more depressed. Josh was still able to contact us via text and call, so none of the relationships he has with us would fade. I'm really excited to see him again after five months. Mr. Washington giving the okay to come back to the lodge felt so relieving.

I also haven't seen some of my friends in a while. This last week or two of school has been all about finals and exams, so we haven't had much time to hang out. I see Matt and Ashley most, them being my best friends and all, but I haven't seen Sam, Chris, or Jess in a while. I also can't wait to see Mike. Mike has been my guy best friend since the fifth grade. Well, next to Matt, of course, who I've known since the second grade. But the thing is, I've had a crush on Mike since the eighth grade. He's that guy in school that all the girls swoon over, so I feel like my chances are little to none. I think being as close to him as I am makes having feelings for him worse. Mike has always been there for me. They all have.

I arrive at the closed gate to find a note taped on it.

"What now?" I mumble.

I grab the note and read it.

'Gates busted, climb over. - Chris.'

I haven't gone rock climbing with Sam in a few months, and am probably a bit rusty, so I decide to wait for the next person to come. I pull my phone out of my coat pocket and decide to text Sam herself.

"Hey, are you here yet?"

I get a text back almost immediately.

"Yeah, actually my bus just got here. What's up?"

"I just got here a few minutes ago, and the gate's broken. We'll have to climb over. I really don't like walking around alone, as you know, so I'm gonna wait by the gate for you."

Sam doesn't respond for a minute.

"Cool, I just got off, so I'll be there in a few."

I get comfort in knowing that I won't be walking to the cable car station alone. I've struggled with anxiety and panic attacks ever since I was 13. I'm not exactly sure why, but its always been something that's stuck around with me. My friends have always been a comfort for me. Like a second family. Sometimes like my first.

I hear the sound of footsteps crunching the snow and see Sam walk up the trail.

"Hey, Sam!" I say.

"Hey, Y/n!" Sam says.

I give her a quick hug.

"How've you been?" I ask.

"Good, good." She says with a sincere smile.