After That Night: Until Dawn Fanfiction

Chapter Two

A Quick Note: A new chapter will happen once the POV changes except in some cases (for suspense). I will put when the POV changes. But that is why some chapters will be super short and others will be super long. This also means that you shouldn't be worried or anything if this fanfiction has so many chapters. It is largely due to how some of the chapters are really short.

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Chris 

I look around the table at everyone, my heart feeling heavy as I think about how much we've all changed, how much that terrible night affected us all. Some changes are good, or at the least helped us grow, but most of them were for ill. Ashley and I have grown more attached to each other and try never to leave each other's side, but Ashley has nightmares every night. She's more panicky. Jess is very jumpy, doesn't speak, and now tries never to get too close to a window or a door when she's in a building. Even now Jess is sitting straight up, her eyes darting back and forth as if making sure she's safe.

Emily doesn't trust others very easily and trusts even less than she used to. She's just as irritable and whiny as she's always been, but sometimes it's like she's hit with the realization of what happened and she will just start crying. She's also gotten much closer to Matt, which is good. She doesn't like to leave him. Ever. She's stopped being such high maintenance for him. 

Matt gets paranoid and jumpy whenever Emily isn't with him. He's so scared that something is going to happen to her or he'll accidentally leave her behind again. He doesn't like her to leave his sight. He worries about Emily a lot as well as Jess due to him having cared for her in the mines.

Mike feels really guilty and it shows. He feels guilty about considering shooting Emily in the safe room, he feels guilty for being the object of the prank on Hannah, he feels guilty about not being able to save Josh, and he feels guilty for not going down to see if Jess was actually dead. Mike is almost always looking at Jess or touching her, as if making sure that she stays with him. The two almost never split, just like me and Ash, or Matt and Emily. He's tried to fix things with Emily, but she's still bitter towards him. 

Sam is really depressed. At random moments, she'll just start crying or clutch her chest, like her heart hurts too much for her to bear. Sometimes she'll just stare off into the distance. A few times when she's done it, she's whispered, "Josh is gone."

And then there's me. I've gotten even more protective of Ashley and when she hurts, I hurt. Sometimes I just stare at myself in the mirror and see the reflection of the Stranger in my eyes, his head on the snowy ground. The shrieks of the Wendigos are still in my head randomly playing over and over at times. I pace a lot in the night after Ashley falls asleep, not being able to put my mind at rest. Memories of Josh flood my mind at random moments, reminding me that he's gone forever. I still have my humor, but I am unable to make as many jokes as I used to with the same gusto.

"Chris?" I hear Ashley say my name and I snap out of my thoughts.

I look at her. "Hmm?"

Her face is lined with concern as she asks, "Are you alright?"

I nod. "Yep. Just...thinking."

She nods back, concern still evident on her face. The waitress scurries over to serve us, greeting us with a "Hello!"

Jessica jumps, startled at the unexpected noise. Mike rubs her back comfortingly and she calms down. Matt, from the other side of her, gently pats her on the shoulder, not taking his other arm from around Emily.

The waitress continues to smile at us, something between pity and confusion in her eyes. We know that she's heard of us. Everyone has.

"Hello!" the waitress repeats. "Sorry to startle you guys. Are you all ready to order drinks?"

We all nod and the waitress pulls out a small notebook and a pen from her white apron pocket. "What'll it be?"

"Water sounds great," Matt tells her.

Everyone nods, agreeing. The waitress nods as well. "Alright. Waters for everyone. I'll have those to you in a jiff."

She scurries off, coming back with waters for all of us a few minutes later. Once the waters have been dispersed, we all order our food. With the orders taken, the waitress hurries off again.

"I'm going to use the restroom, Matt," Emily informs him as she slides out from her seat on the very end of her side of the booth.

Matt looks distressed. "Em... are you sure?"

"It's just the bathroom, Matt. I'll be fine." She kisses him on the forehead. "I promise."

He sighs, watching her go. I watch as Matt twiddles his thumbs nervously on the table. Later, we suddenly hear Emily calling, "Matt! Matt! Matt!"

Matt darts up from the table and his girlfriend comes running. He hugs her tightly and she cries into his chest. "Matt! Matt!" she repeats.

He rubs her back comfortingly. "Shh. Em, I'm here."

"There was-There was-" she tries to say in between sobs.

"What happened?" Matt asks.

The rest of us exchange a look of worry. All of us except Jessica, who is still looking around the room for danger.

Emily sniffs. "I went to wash my hands and then when I looked up into the mirror... I saw... I saw a Wendigo staring back at me. But then I turned around and it was gone."

She just starts sobbing again and Matt says, "Em, you're safe. You were just seeing things. It's all in your head."

"I know, but it's still scary."

It was in these kinds of moments that I grew scared too. Emily wasn't herself and while it had its upsides, it was still unusual. No one deserves to suffer, either. Even if she can be a major pain, Emily is still our friend. And we take care of each other and worry about each other.

Matt gets Emily to sit back down with him. She is still crying, her head face down on Matt's shoulder. I see tears well up in Matt's eyes, but he blinks them back. I can tell that he wants to be strong for Emily.

I look around and see that the few people that are in the diner are looking at us. I sigh and watch as they all slowly turn back around. 

Soon after, the waitress comes to our table carrying our food on a big tray. She gives it out and asks, "Anything else I can do for you guys?"

We all shake our heads and I reply, "No, thank you. We're fine for now."

She nods with a smile and scurries off to another table. We all eat in silence. I want to crack a joke, but I know it wouldn't be appreciated right now.