Until First Light (Bellarke)

Chapter 1

Present Day

February 2nd, 2016.

Ten Hours Until First Light

Clarke

-

The bus lurched beneath Clarke as it cruised up the rocky mountain road. Being the only occupant, she sat peacefully in one of the middle rows with her head resting on the frosted glass window and the radio blasting through her ear buds.

"Today is the one year anniversary of the dreadful tragedy that took place on Mount Collins. Here is Sheriff Thelonious Jaha, who was in charge of the investigation."  Clarke scrunched her eyebrows at the sudden change in the news report.

"Thanks for having me."

"Listeners an update on Fox and Charlotte Collins, the twins who are still missing."

"One year ago tonight the Collins girls left the safety of their parents' lodge and headed out into a snowstorm. Unfortunately, they never returned." Clarke pressed her face further onto the cool glass, trying to soothe the subtle pounding in her head.

"Foul play?"

"Not officially, no. There is one individual we're considering as a person of interest but his whereabouts are currently unknown. He has an interesting history with the Collins family."

"What-"

"He had warned them against pursuing their construction project and claimed the land was sacred to his forefathers."

"You know, there still is the old Sanatorium on the mountain. Could he be hiding there?"

"My officers did search the grounds but the girls themselves couldn't have made it that far."

"Something about that mountain seems to breed tragic events."

"More than you know."

"Well thank you for joining us, Thelonious." Clarke took a shallow breath. "Now, here is their son Finn on this, the anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Charlotte and Fox Collins." She slowly lifted her head off of the glass and looked down at her phone.

"Well hello friends and fans!" Clarke pressed on the link provided, and Finn's smiling face filled her phone screen. "Alright, let's try that again." He approached the camera and zoomed in so only his head and shoulders could be seen. "Okay. Well hello friends and fans!" He declared with a smile. "It is beyond awesome to have you all back this year. First off, I am super excited to welcome all my pals back to the annual Blackwood winter getaway!" Finn fist-pumped the air and Clarke couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. "But, uh, lets take a moment to address the 'elephant in the room.'" The video crackled a bit as he averted his eyes to the floor. "I know you all are probably worried about me, and I know that it's going to be tough on all of us going back after what happened last year." Finn paused. "I just want you all to know that...it means so much to me that we're doing this. And," he took a short breath, "I know it would mean so much to Fox and Charlotte that we are all still here together and thinking of them." Clarke felt a weight settle in her chest as she watched Finn fidget on screen. "I just want to spend some quality time with each and every one of you and share some moments we'll never forget. For the sake of my sisters, you know?" A small smile slipped onto his face as he tried to lighten the mood. "So let's party until dawn and make this a trip we will never forget!"  With a smile, Finn reached for the camera and clicked it off. Clarke stared at the blank screen for a few moments before her focus returned to the passing scenery. She could already tell that this was going to be a long weekend.
-