Chapter 1:A Long Night

The bus comes to a stop, my heart pounding as I mumble a quiet thank you before getting off. The snow crunches beneath my feet, a shiver running down my spine as I try to warm my hands up. The pathway leading to the cable car is dimly lit, Blackwood Mountain towering menacingly in the distance, snow falling lightly around me.

"Come on Ella, you can do this." I whisper to myself, brushing a stray strand of my auburn hair behind my ear. As soon as I step onto the path, I feel a pair of eyes, staring at me with an almost..burning hatred. I quickly whip my head around, looking around to see who's there, but to my slight horror..it's just me.

I clench my fists, my teeth chattering a little as I take a deep breath before heading down the pathway, trying to ignore the fear creeping up my spine. My heart starts racing as I get closer to the cable car station, the memories of last year start flooding my mind as the sound of Hannah and Beth's screams echo in my head.

My nails start digging into the palm of my hands hard, the pain snapping me from my thoughts as I reach the station. "Hello?" I call out, my voice wobbling a little as I hope someone answers. A silence lingers in the air as I walk towards a nearby bench, a large blue backpack is leaning against it.

"Ella, you made it!" A friendly voice calls out behind me, startling me a little. I turn around and my worries quickly fade as my close friends Sam and Chris come jogging towards me. Sam gently squeezes my shoulder, smiling softly at me. "It's good to see you guys." I greet with a nervous grin.

Chris then pulls me into a tight hug before lifting me off the ground. The soft and familiar scent of pine brings me comfort despite the fact Chris is crushing me. "C-can't breath.." I wheeze and he quickly puts me down, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry Ella. I've just missed you is all." Chris apologises with a nervous chuckle, his voice trailing off a little as a small blush appears across his cheeks. "I've missed you too big guy." I chuckle, playfully nudging him with my arm. Sam smirks a little at me, and I roll my eyes as Chris grabs his backpack.

Suddenly, his eyes light up, a mischevious grin on his face. "Oh, so I found something, kinda amazing." Chris says excitedly. "What is it?" I ask, tilting my head a little. "I'm not gonna ruin the surprise, you have to see it for yourself. C'mon I'll show you." Chris smirks as he gently grabs my hand.

My cheeks turn red as he starts to guide me round the side of the station, Sam stifling a chuckle as she follows close behind. As we walk towards the back of the station, I notice a wanted poster stuck to the wall. The picture has been torn off, leaving just a brief description written below.

My stomach churns at the thought of a criminal lurking in the area, but I quickly brush it off. Chris comes to a stop by a small makeshift shooting range. "Ta-dah! Pretty rad, right?" Chris asks, letting go of my hand as Sam and I glance at each other.

"Uh..yeah.." Sam says, her voice laced with sarcasm. Chris looks a little disappointed by her reaction. "Aw, come on. Look at these beauties." Chris exclaims as he grabs one of the rifles. Sam takes a slight step back. "Uh, 'Beauties' is not the word that comes to mind. Why is this even here?" Sam asks with a slightly disgusted look in her eyes.

"Josh's dad thinks he's like, Grizzly Adams or something." I chime in, remember the summers I spent with the Washington family and how Mr Washington would go on and on about his latest hunting trips. Chris offers me the rifle. "Do you want a go, Ella?" He asks but I politely decline.

"No thanks. But you go ahead, Grizzly." I tease. Chris aims the rifle down the shooting range, taking a deep breath. "Alright, here goes nothing." He mumbles to himself before pulling the trigger. He shatters a beer bottle. I watch as he smiles to himself before he shoots another three bottles, shattering them instantly.

Sam claps her hands together, a playful smirk on her face. "Wow, nice shootin' Tex." She teases. Chris smirks at us. "Alright, I'm bad. I'm a badass!" Chris jokes as he does a silly little dance. I couldn't help but giggle at him. "I'm gonna go ahead and guess it was a wild case of beginner's luck." I tease, poking my tongue out at him.

"I don't think so, girl." Chris says with a smug confidence as he playfully winks at me before turning his attention back to the shooting range. He shoots at a few more bottles before shooting a small sandbag hanging from a tree at the back of the range.

"Nice shot." I praise, as Sam rolls her eyes, smirking a little. "Your ass just got sacked!" Chris jeers playfully at the sandbag. Sam and I groan in unison at his pun. Chris goes to aim down the range again, but Sam nudges him. "Hey, sharp-shooter, our ride is coming." Sam says, motioning towards the cable car that has just pulled into the station.

"Aw man, I was just getting the hang of things." Chris pouts as he puts the rifle back. I grab his hand, smiling at him. "C'mon, the sooner we get to the lodge, the sooner we can be out of the cold." I suggest, and his eyes light up a little. "Alright alright, let's go." Chris agrees as the snow starts to fall a little heavy around us.

We quickly head towards the cable car and Chris closes the door behind us. He sits beside me, and Sam sits opposite me. The cable car groans and creaks a little before it starts to slow ride to the top of the mountain. My fears start to creep up on my again as I clench my fists. Chris notices my discomfort and he drapes his arm around my shoulder.

"You know how Josh and I met?" He asks softly, trying to take my mind off of things. "No..?" I ask, my voice trailing off a little. "Okay, third grade. Josh sat in the back of the room, I sat in the front, we didn't even know eachother existed." Chris began and I rest my head on his shoulder, my stomach fluttering with nerves.

"But, the kid sitting next to Josh started strap snapping the training bra on the girl in front of him, so the teacher made him move to the front, where I was sitting." Chris continues, and Sam looks a little puzzled. "So..?" She asks and Chris sighs a little. "So I got moved to the back!" Chris says and Sam shrugs her shoulder.

"And?" Sam asks again and Chris groans quietly. "And next to Josh! That's how we met! And became friends to this day." Chris states excitedly. "A match made in heaven." I chime in quietly, a small smile tugging at my lips. Chris gently squeezes my shoulder.

"If it weren't for the fact that Jeanie Simmonds hit puberty like, three years early and on that day decided to wear a low-cut shirt that showed off her training bra. I mean who knows? You two could be riding in this cable car alone. Right now, or talking to some other person entirely. Boom, Butterfly Effect." Chris says, his voice trailing off as I stare out of window, watching as we get closer to the top of the mountain.

This is going to be a long night..

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