Survivor ~ Until Dawn

Chapter 6. Destroyed

Days after Until Dawn: -337

Four weeks had gone by since the twins had disappeared. By the second week, the whole family had lost hope.

The group of friends hadn't been in touch with Josh. None knew what to say. Apart from Chris, who had been knocked out just as bad as his best friend.

Sure they had all contacted each other privately but the groupchat hadn't been used since the night they had disappeared.

Hannah's excited message that everyone was coming still lingered.

Josh had fallen off of his already unstable sobriety. Drinking seemed to be the only thing that helped.

The fourth week had ended and the family had began planning the twin's wake. There wouldn't be a funeral, there were no bodies to bury.

Mike had put on his best suit and tie. He wasn't sure what everyone else was wearing but with him and Emily on the fritz he didn't really have anyone to ask. Well, except maybe...

"Hey, Sam." He held his breath when the noise he could hear was the static background behind most calls.

He wondered if he had even dialed until he heard a sigh. One lone sigh. Like one of relief.

"Mike. Hey." She was short, but that was to be expected. He had been the one to cause their deaths after all. Going along with everything Emily said usually helped him with her, but everything around him usually collapsed. This, having the most severe consequences.

"I know today is hard. For you, Josh- for everyone. But I want you to know that I'm here for you."

Again silence infiltrated his ears and it was the only thing he could listen to besides the cars driving by his house. Even then, there were few.

He heard another sound from the other line. Just one breath. Like a shudder. He could tell she had been crying or at least starting to when she picked up the phone but, he had just started it all over again.

"Sam."

She hummed from the other line.

"It's okay, you know. You might think you have to pretend for them but you don't have to with me, Sam. It's a lot to take in. It's a lot for one person to handle. Don't do it alone."

The silence that had first been there when Sam picked up soon returned. Mike had his ears pressed hard against his phone.

His thinking was that the harder he pressed into the phone, the closer he'd be to her.

He heard her take a deep breath, shuddering. Like she was cold with pneumonia. Not that she could have pneumonia. They hadn't been on the mountain long enough for that...

"Mike."

Her voice broke him from his trance and he focused his attention on her. "Yeah."

"You didn't just call to help me. Did you need something?"

"Maybe I did. I'm a mind reader. I didn't tell you?"

Her laugh was like music to him. He hadn't heard it in so long. Not even when they were up there with the twins. She had been on him for pulling a prank. He should've listened.

"I just wanted to know what you were wearing for this thing. I didn't know who else I could ask."

He could hear her smile as she spoke. "What? No Emily? I thought she was the fashion queen."

Mike smiled too. "Yeah Em and I split."

"Oh..." She trailed off.

"Don't act surprised. It's about time, I know."