𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ~ 𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐃𝐚𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 ~ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐞

She was pulled out of her memories and fantasies, she stared at him as he announced his plans, he had decided to return back to the sanatorium for some unknown, probably morbid, reason. She squinted and blinked more than once, her vision was somewhat hazy, she was becoming increasingly tired, she just wanted to curl up in the comfy king-sized bed and drift off to sleep, she didn't even need a bed at this point, the couch would do. But apparently, their situation was grave, a rumored creature was lurking around outside in the frozen mountains, just waiting for them to make a wrong move. Then again, she didn't believe Emily's rants, the girl must've had some sort of psychotic break after seeing the head of her former friend in some mining cave. It was sad, yes, Beth was truly dead and she deserved a proper burial but she could not bring herself to speak, she was just so tired and drained out, she just wanted all of this to be over, she did not want to fight anymore.

"Are you okay?"

He startled her when he touched her shoulder gently to get her attention, her first response was to inch further away, she absolutely hated it when people touched her. She glanced back and saw him, Michael. A confused look appeared on his face, as if questioning why she had literally given him the cold shoulder.

"I'm fine", she quickly responded. "Just wiped out from all the drama and excitement".

Josh continued to mutter incoherently from the seat next to her, she had previously ignored him but it was steadily getting worse. She and Michael both looked at him now, he was rocking back and forth on the couch, muttering some nonsense about his sisters and how he had failed them.

"Josh", Michael called. "Josh", he tried again. "Josh!"

"Leave him alone", she said in annoyance. "Go away", she waved him off. "I'll talk to him", she clarified. "You have no tact whatsoever".

"Oh", he seemed taken aback. "I have no tact? I'm the king of tact", he gestured at himself grandiosely.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that", she waved him off once more. He rolled his eyes and retreated back to the corner where Sam and Chris stood. "King of tact, my ass", she muttered under her breath.

She sighed and took her coat off, she was left with nothing but a thin black top, it was freezing but she had grown tired and irritated by the extra layers.

"Josh", she began but he paid her no mind as he continued to mutter to himself, lost in his own world, imprisoned by his own nightmares. She rolled her eyes and smacked him aggressively, her handprint would certainly leave a mark, she wasn't one to pull any punches.

"WHAT!" He shrieked, momentarily pulled out of the nightmare realm.

"Welcome back, stranger", she smirked.

He touched his face and his arms as if he could not believe that he was still alive, still kicking it. "What happened?" He asked in a daze.

"You kind of lost it", she explained. "Went full on straitjacket", she grimaced.

"I.....". A most confused look appeared on his face, he froze for a minute, trying to register what had happened. She could clearly see that he was unwell, he was starting to lose his grip on reality, he needed help, post haste.

"You got any pills?" She asked.

"I.....?" He gave her another more confused look.

"Josh", she said calmly. "Do you have any prescribed medication?"

"Uhm... yes... yes", he finally managed to say.

"Good, where?"

"..." He tried so hard to think, to banish the blur. "My bedroom, upstairs. But I... think I threw them away", he rubbed his eyes vehemently.