Salvation [Until Dawn]

❄️ Prologue ❄️

Gwendolyn Winchester glanced over to the direction of her friends Joshua Washington and Christopher Hartley – both of them passed out on the winter lodge's kitchen counter. She pursed her lips before walking out of the front door, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she looked up at the dark in silence, breathing in the cold wind deeply. Grey clouds were slowly invading the skies.

It was a 'Blackwood Winter Getaway' arranged by the Washington siblings – Joshua, Beth and Hannah – on their family-owned mountain. And each of them had invited their closest friends – Samantha Giddings, Jessica Riley, Emily Davis, Ashley Brown, Michael Monroe and Matthew Taylor.

And of course, Gwendolyn, who considered Beth as her closest friend, a best friend if you must. They had been in the same class in school, along with Beth's sister Hannah and her best friend Samantha.

It had been a very long day and Gwendolyn, being a quiet person, wanted some time on her own.

The darkness of the night couldn't fully hide the beauty of the Blackwood Mountain from Gwendolyn's gaze. It was located snuggly among the Canadian Rockies, and tastefully snowed.

From what she had heard and seen of this mountain, there was a wondrous waterfall that fell into a stream, and the forests were filled with a great variety of wildlife – both dangerous and docile. Gwendolyn was a fan of animals. She felt like she related a lot to the quiet deer that lurked beyond.

"There you are, Gwen,"

The door behind her creaked open and Beth's voice invaded the Gwendolyn looked over her shoulder with a smile as the brunette walked over and sat down next to her on the front steps.

"I thought you were still in the library," Beth said, chuckling without a reason as they sat shoulder-to-shoulder like kids. "But our good old Snowdrop is suddenly taken by the winter wonderland,"

"Don't tell me you're going to start calling me that, too, Beth," Gwendolyn said, shuddering from the cringe. "I've had my plate full with Joshua calling me that all the time,"

"I know he's my brother, but why don't you give him a chance?" Beth asked, peering at the pale blonde female. "I've never seen him so smitten with someone before. He's been talking about you nonstop, especially ever since I mentioned that you were definitely coming by on this getaway,"

Gwendolyn looked away with an awkward smile as she played uncertainly with her fingers.

"You should see him!" Beth said, pretending to be struck by tragedy as she placed her hand against her forehead, continuing dramatically, "Gwendolyn Winchester – the embodiment of snow, with her moonlight hair, her silvery eyes and glossy skin, with those sweet lips and dainty nose –"

"That's enough, Beth!" Gwendolyn interrupted, pressing a hand over Beth's mouth to silence her, immensely embarrassed as the brunette laughed, clapping her hands.

"Seriously, what do you think?" Beth asked. "He's so lovesick over you that I'm willing to bypass the rule set for not dating each other's relatives. But if you don't like it, I can ask him to back off,"

"Oh, no, it's nothing like that," Gwendolyn said quickly, her pale cheeks blossoming red. "It's not that I don't like him like that... to be honest with you, I don't think my father is very fond of him,"

"Why?" Beth asked before following Gwendolyn's gaze through the frosted window and at Joshua's passed out figure. "... yeah, he can be a bit crude with his behaviour, huh? Drinking, blacking out,"

"Remember my last sleepover at yours?" Gwendolyn said, turning to look at her. "He greeted my father drunk at ten in the morning when he came to pick me up... and ever since then, it's like this," But she smiled as she looked away at the falling snow. "However, I think I can be rebellious, too,"