Until morning comes

[14]

Familiarity over took Ashlie as she stepped on to the all too familiar path, leading to an all too familiar home. Ashlie smiles at the childhood memory, she knew she was dreaming For her mind could never forget the horrors she and the group went through, and she believed they'd never get out.

She turned her attention ahead, to where her home proudly stood. She envied the confidence that radiated from the memory, she wanted it back so . . . So badly.

The mood drastically changed, the air turned stiff and cold and before Ashlie knew it she was standing in a sea of body's, her friends body's to be exact. Six figures stood out in the distance, staring at her.

Ash filled the air, a suffocating amount and everything has a reddish tinge to it.

Ashlies face filled with terror at the sight, this can't be happening.

"Y-you . . . Failed" a hand wrapped around Ashlie's ankle, Ashlie frozen in fear to even look down, but somehow she mustered the strength.

She wish she hadn't.

Dawns face was looking up at her, his face and hair covered in dried blood. A truly terrifying sight to behold.

Ashlie held back a frightful shriek as she looked at her dead love. This can't be happening.

"D-dawn," Ashlie's hushed voice whispered, she couldn't take her eyes off him. She hadn't even noticed the six figures come towards her.

Dawns mouth twitched into a wide grin, his grip on Ashlie's leg tightened. "Y-you didn't save me, y-you promised we'd get out." Dawns voice gradually became but a mere mutter, as his eyes shut slightly.

"And now you're going to pay for it." The six figures were now standing in front of Ashlie. Ashlie recognized them from the moment she looked up.

The killers that were keeping them there.

She recognized all, but one.

The wraith,
The trapper,
The hillbillie,
The hag,
The nurse,
And the last one, which she couldn't see through the dense fog.

Ashlie didn't even notice dawns body disappear before her, her attention was fully focused on the people who have been slowly killing them off. She was mad beyond belief. Yet deep down inside she was scared, she didn't want to die. She wanted to live on, for dawn, for Cory, for Tommy, for Uni, for nick, and for herself.

As narcissistic as it sounded she wanted to live, she didn't want to die and leave the world, not until she's ready. There's still so much she wanted to do.

She wanted to see her dad again, she wanted to sit down at the table with nick and her father and be a happy family again. Did nick also want that? What had happened to their dad? Nick didn't speak much of him since he arrived. And it all pained Ashlie. So many questions yet no answers to a single one.

The one she asked herself the most was 'why us,' what had happened to cause them to appear in this never ending nightmare, perhaps nick knows. But Ashlie wasn't sure if she was ready for the truth.

Then everything turned black, and Ashlie knew she was waking up.

But was she ready to face the world she dreaded so much once again. Perhaps she wished she did die so long ago, It'd be better then this. Though she knew she couldn't give up, she had a brother to take care of and a group of friends who are looking up to her.

She couldn't give up now.

_______

When Ashlie's eyes slowly opened, she was meant with a dark blue sky, a bright moon and the cracklings of fire beside her.

Did they make it out?

Her eyes darted around the scenery before she decided to sit up, her back muscles and joints strained as she did so.

Grunting, she looked around to see her group sitting by the fire, nick being the first to notice her movement.

"Ashlie! You're ok!" He shouted as he engulfed his sister in a giant bear hug.

"Hey nick," she coughs as she hugs him back. The rest of the group eventually join the hug.

"I'm so glad your ok!" Ashlie couldn't help but tighten her grip on nicks shirt, remembering her dream.

"Ash?" The group let her go, but nicks hands remained on her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" His voice filled with concern and worry. He has every right to be worried though. Ashlies sudden quietness scared the group, she wasn't the type to stop talking, she was the type to always get her point across; not bottle things up. So you can see why this was worrisome.

Something inside Ashlie's was dieing, yet she didn't have time to mourn it. Because out here it was either survive or be face to face with a demon from hell, it was fix the generators or die trying.

The realization hit her hard.

She wanted to cry, wanted to scream, yet she couldn't. She knew there was no point anymore, they were all going to die in the end, just like her dream had represented.

They would all just die.

She broke yet another promise, and gave up.