Stick To It

Precursors

"Mr. Pollock." A firm feminine voice interrupts my space out. "Y-yes?" I answer, looking back up at her, rather than the hardwood desk that had caught my lackluster attention. It's Dr. Malagrene, she's my new therapist. "Look, Trenton, I know it must hit hard, but you won't be doing anyone any favors if you try to avoid the past." I bite my lip a little. She's right and I know it, but it... hurts. It hurts so much, the truth that is. The truth that says how I let everyone down. I take a deep breath. "I see you took my advice on breathing. That's good." It was good advice, it's like an anchor. It lets me know that I'm here and not anywhere else. I hear a voice echo in the back of my mind. Tell her what happened. Must be my responsible side talking. I gulp down the cup of water on my side of her desk to wet my throat. I'm not thirsty, my throat just feels dry. And I can tell it's going to be dry for this entire conversation.

I look at her desk and see my patient file out on display. I don't like seeing it. It makes me feel like an object to fix rather than a person. The doctors had recommended medicines to help cope with the loss. The only one I accepted was sleeping pills. "I've been told you've only been taking sleeping pills. Can you tell me why?" I dig my nails into the palms of my hands subconsciously. Calm down Trenton, she only wants to understand and help. "I-i just, I don't like the idea of tricking myself into thinking everything is okay with a pill that's name I can't even pronounce." She grabs her clipboard and writes something. I continue. "It's just, I don't like it. I can understand why people use it, but it-it's just not for me." She clicks her pen when she's done writing. "Do you feel responsible for what happened that day?" I like my chapped lips. And fidget around. "K-kind of yeah." She raises an eyebrow. "Kind of?" I quickly stammered out, "Kind of a lot, actually."

"I know you gave the police a statement, but I would really like to hear your side of the story, Trenton. What happened? How did you feel? Act? Witness?" I cough a little bit my throat feeling scratchier than before. "W-well, um, I-i guess it all started the second I touched a bottle of beer."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1 month ago, Blackwood Mountain.

A clink of glass is heard from the wooden counters of the Washington estate. I was sitting on a barstool, hanging out with my two greatest friends Joshua and Chris. They were bringing out the alcohol. "Hey, Trenton! You ready to get absolutely wasted?" Josh says with a grin. "Oh come on Josh, you know I don't like that stuff." I could smell the alcohol on Josh's breath. "How much have you been drinking?" He gives me a pat on the back. "Since you haven't had some, not enough." He gives me a pat on the back as he places the alcohol on the counter. "Trenton. Come on! Have a sip! We're throwing a party out here and you're acting like the designated driver!" Josh places a beer bottle right in front of me. Before proceeding to smash a bottle of whiskey. "That's good stuff." I look around the see if there is any way out of this situation.

I see Chris on the couch, most likely passed out. And everyone else is... well, I don't know. In their rooms? I hear the door open as Beth walks in. "Josh! Ugh, looks like my brother has outdone us all, yet again." Beth says, disappointed with her brother's hammered state. "Trenton. Don't tell me you're going to partake too?" She looks at me a bit disappointed. "N-no, I wasn't planning on it. Josh just placed it in front of me. It's not even open." She investigates the bottle and sure enough, it's unopened. "Well, at least I know there's someone I can trust out of you three." She gives me a smile, before noticing a note on the counter and picking it up.

She looks a little worried when she reads it. "What has my sister gotten herself into now?" She says as she hurries upstairs before Hannah comes rushing out of the lodge. "Hannah!" She quickly storms upstairs and I hear some yelling before Beth comes back down, she tries to shake Josh awake but he won't budge. "What's going on?" "Those guys played a prank on Hannah and are acting like she's overreacting, that's what!" I get up off my stool. "You want some help?" "Yes, actually. Can you help me get Hannah?" I dust myself off and zip up my coat, "Of course." Beth and I dash out of the lodge after Hannah. I notice just how bad it is outside. "Oh, shhh-sugar snapped peas. It's way too dark out here." Beth keeps running though, "You coming?" I quickly snap out of it.

"Yeah, yeah. Of course!"

 I grab my phone out of my pocket and turn on its flashlight. It's not much but it helps at least. We follow Hannah's footsteps in the blizzard, them getting fainter every passing second. And then we come across a fork in the path, one with strange noises and the other one with footprints. "Trenton, can you go investigate the other path please?" She points at the one where the noises are coming from. "I guess." Truthfully, I didn't want to, but I'm not in a position to refuse. I walk along the path hearing these strange... screams. They don't sound like any animal call I've heard of. My anxiety grows the more I hear them. I quicken my pace as the wind feels like a knife in my throat. I've always disliked the cold because of this.

I eventually reconvene with footprints. 2 pairs, looks like Beth got ahead of me. Rushing out I think I can make out 2 figures near the cliff-side. They're looking in my direction in fear. Do they think I'm a monster or something? I quickly rush over to check them out, I don't think they see me at all. Wait! They're backing up still! I quickly scramble over. "There's no ground behind you!" I yell out as loud as I can as I sprint closer. They don't hear me in time as I see them fall backward off the cliff-side.

"Beth! Hannah!" I reach the ledge moments later and look down. Beth had managed to catch a tree root. Thank god. "Okay, okay. I'll get you up just hold on!" I get low on the ground as I feel the coldness of the snow starts invading my jacket. "I can't get any lower. Grab my hand!" I see Beth have an expression of fear. "Beth! Grab my hand!" I see Beth struggling. "I-i can't! Hannah's too heavy!" "Hannah! Try to climb Beth!" Hannah looks at me as if she'd found a saving grace, but she can't muster enough strength to pull herself up.

I get down on the ground completely, my stomach to my snow. Beth's arm is just out of reach. "It's too far! I can't get you without you meeting me some of the way!" I can see Beth's struggling face as she has to come to a decision. But nature comes to a decision for her the root getting snapped under the constant pull of their combined weight. I quickly dash down, my center of mass dangerously close to being off of the cliff and I manage to catch Beth's hand. "I've got you. I've got you, I swear."

I utter those words of comfort as we both see Hannah get swallowed by darkness. But I come to an impasse. I can't get any leverage from my position, and I'm slowly slipping. "Beth. Is there anything you can use for leverage? Anything?" She looks around. "No." The tone was a little strange to hear though. It wasn't panicky or anything. It was strangely calm. "Trenton." I look into her eyes, an odd determination in them. I feel a little bit sick at the realization. "No! I'll, I'll get you up-" "Trenton!" She looks deep into my eyes, her own reflects my unaccepting expression. "Trenton, you have to let go." "B-beth, I can get you out of this just let me-" "Trenton." The bad feeling in my stomach worsens. I can feel it churning. "Sorry." She shoves her hand out of my grasp and I can only watch as she goes gently, into that good night.