Salvation [Until Dawn]

❄️ Chapter 4 ❄️

Gwendolyn found the guest room that Joshua had directed her to and put her stuff away, taking off her gloves and stuffing them away into her jacket pockets for later. She was sure that she didn't need them inside the house. It was still quite early for bed. And because she didn't want to linger alone by herself, she decided that she could go join Joshua, Christopher and Ashley downstairs.

Although she passed right by Beth's bedroom, Gwendolyn didn't bother to look at it – there was no way she would be able to handle that. All those good times that she had spent with her best friend – they were all sitting in there, waiting for her, and she was sure that she wasn't ready for them at all.

"Alright, peanut gallery, you know what?" Joshua was saying to Christopher and Ashley as Gwendolyn made her way back down the staircase to the Great Room. "I got an idea for you two,"

"What?" Ashley asked as she and Christopher turned to look at Joshua.

"Okay, well, I am pretty sure that somewhere in this crazy place we used to have..." Joshua replied dramatically. "... a spirit board,"

"A what?" Ashley asked, puzzled.

"Wow you have a 'spirit board'?" Christopher asked.

"Wait, are you saying..." Ashley said, trailing as she realised what was going on. "We should have a séance?" Gwendolyn shook her head at her friends' strange beliefs.

"Those things are a joke, man," Christopher responded. "They don't do shit,"

"No way, bro," Joshua said. "We used to do it all the time. Me and... well..." He noticed Gwendolyn walking over to them. "Oh, snowdrop, I thought you were turning in?" He swiped at her nose.

"It's a bit too early for me to turn in, Joshua," Gwendolyn replied, amused as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It about eleven? I'm not a baby up past her curfew,"

There was a smirk forming on Joshua's lips and Gwendolyn knew he was going to tease her when –

"Hey Josh," Samantha called out as she came down the staircase to join the four of them as well. "No hot water's kinda major oversight, doncha think...?"

"Yeah, yeah, just gotta fire up the boiler," Joshua replied, looking a bit annoyed that he had been interrupted. "It's in the basement," He looked at Christopher and Ashley. "You guys see if you can find the spirit board,"

"Chris, let's go find it!" Ashley said, who just wanted to go and spend some time with Christopher, it was clear. "It'll be like a scavenger hunt!"

"Ummm... okay... guess so," Christopher agreed, looking a bit flustered but following Ashley off from there, glancing back at Gwendolyn and Joshua for a second or two.

"Rad," Joshua replied. "You're not gonna regret it," He turned to the two girls left with him. "Sam, can you check the water in the kitchen?"

"Sure," Samantha said and after sending a peculiar look at Gwendolyn, walked off to the kitchen.

"Wennie, you wanna come along?" Joshua asked the pale-blonde, who nodded and the two of them set off to the basement. "Hey. You notice how I gave Chris and Ash a mission together? Yeah... I was thinking they could use some 'alone time',"

"You brought me along for the same, didn't you?" Gwendolyn asked lightly as Joshua armed himself with a flashlight. He stopped and glanced at her over his shoulder.

For a moment, they were silent, and then Gwendolyn changed the subject.

"As for Chris, I wish he would just go ahead and ask Ash out," Gwendolyn said and Joshua turned to face her. "It's obvious that he's scared that she's just going to shoot him down,"