𝐏 𝐑 𝐎 𝐋 𝐎 𝐆 𝐔 𝐄
ʟᴏɴᴇ sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴏʀ

     SHILOH MUNROE found herself on one of the many couches of the Washington Lodge, a glass of whiskey held tightly in her hand and slowly warming in temperature.

     She watched from the corner as her friends mingled together, laughing more the higher their intoxication grew.

     Shiloh found herself glaring at her brother, Mike, from across the room. Their argument was still fresh on her mind, the open wound pulsating more with every smile he'd perform.

     She didn't hate that her brother was having fun, not at all. She hated that her brother could laugh so easily with the black haired girl on his arm, as if he hadn't shown interest in sleeping with the blonde across from them.

     Emily Davis wasn't Shiloh's favorite person, she was actually far from it, but no one deserved a slur of reassuring lies pouring from unfaithful lips.

     Her stare of despise was cut short, the blinding flash of a camera causing her to jump in her spot on the couch. With small white dots blurring her vision, she shot a glare toward the camera holder—one of her best friends, Beth.

     "Don't look at me like that," the ravenette chuckled, lowering the camera in front of her. "You've been glaring at Mike for, like, twenty minutes."

     Shiloh sighed, leaning back comfortably into the black leather couch. She stared toward the ceiling, disregarding her friend as she took a seat beside her; the wind outside was beginning to pick up its pace, howling louder the more the sun went down.

     She'd made the realization that the group had started drinking quite early, the vivid memory of Josh Washington shouting "It's five o'clock somewhere!" echoing through her skull.

     In reality, it was three in the afternoon when they'd started.

     With a deep breath, Shiloh placed her half-empty glass onto the coaster beside her before turning to face her beanie-clad best friend. "Hey, wanna go to the ski lifts? Get away from the future alcoholics over there?"

     Beth chuckled, "I think Josh is well beyond the future alcoholic title." With a nod, she stood to her feet, "Let me tell Hannah and Sam that we're heading out. Meet you out front?"

      "Yeah, sounds good." She smiled, standing to her feet as well. The two girls went their separate ways, both leaving to grab their heavier jackets before going outside.

On her journey to her room, she passed by a large window by the stairs; a silhouetted blur caught her attention from her peripherals, and she found herself freezing in place.

Shiloh turned to fully face the window, narrowing her eyes in hopes her obsidian gaze will find whatever it was that she'd just seen.

     The world beyond the glass was peaceful, the wind slowing its pace every so often and allowing the view before her to resemble a painting. Thick blankets of snow covered the flora around them, twinkling subtly in the light of the setting sun; she wanted to enjoy this trip, she truly did, but being stuck with some members of the group downstairs had proven that to be more irksome than she'd anticipated.

     She was so enamored in the view, she'd failed to hear the footsteps that echoed up the stairs. They'd blurred with the intoxicated laughter of her friends, creating a distant hum in the back of her mind.

     Hands had found their way to her sides, poking her ribs as the person behind her yelled. "Rah!"

     Shiloh had spun around so fast, she had barely given herself time to analyze who had just startled her before punching them in the chest.

     Josh Washington stood before her, laughing hysterically at the expression her face held.

     She glared at him, unable to fight the smirk that crawled upon her lips. "You're a dickhead."

     "You—You should've seen your face," he chuckled, his laughter slowly dying down as he stood upright. "Nice right hook, though."

     "You're so lucky I didn't go for the face," she smiled, gently shoving his shoulder as the blur she'd seen moments before quickly vanished from her thoughts.

The eldest Washington child smiled at the shorter girl, looking through the window behind her. "What were you looking at?"

"I was just thinking," she shrugged, briefly looking over her shoulder before turning back to face him. "Guess I zoned out."

The nineteen year old nodded, throwing his arm over her shoulder and leading them to the railing that overlooked the lobby below. "So, whatcha doin' up here?"

Shiloh sighed, "I was gonna get my jacket, Beth and I agreed to head to the ski lift to watch the sunset."

"Awe, and I didn't get an invite?" He questioned, jutting his bottom lip out as he falsely pouted. "I see where your loyalties lie, Shy."

"You were busy drinking with Chris," she shrugged, simply. "Plus, I haven't had girl time in a little while. Been too busy babysitting your ass." She joked, nudging his shoulder with a smile.

He mocked offense at that, placing a hand on his heart. "You wound me."

"You handed me the knife."

"You two wanna stop flirting?" Beth called from below, a knowing smile on her lips as she watched her friend and brother's faces blush a deep pink. "We have a sunset to watch, Shy!"

"Let me get my jacket," the brunette called back. She turned to Josh with an awkward smile, "See you when we get back?"

"I'd be offended otherwise."

❆

"Y'know," Beth started, her legs dangling beside Shiloh's from the edge of the platform, "the two of you give me a headache."

"The hell are you talking about?" The shorter girl laughed, sending the beanie-clad girl a confused smile.

The Washington girl sent her a knowing look, "You and Josh. You've been crushing on each other since, like, seventh grade."

"Bullshit," Shiloh chuckled. "We're just friends, B."

"Yeah, cause friends are totally each others prom dates." The girl scoffed, "The only person you're fooling is yourself, Shy."

The obsidian eyed teen pulled her lips into a tight line, her gaze locked onto the mountains before them. "Neither one of us had anyone to go with."

Beth rolled her eyes at that, allowing the lie to hang in the air around them. Everyone knew that wasn't true—both, Shiloh and Josh, had been asked by numerous people before agreeing to go together.

But, the group knew fair and well that both parties would admit their feelings for one another on their own terms.

The girls sat together for a few more moments, content in the silence surrounding them as the world slowly prepared itself for the treacherous temperature of the night.

"Thank you for coming," Beth smiled, shattering the silence as she looked to her childhood friend. "Seriously, I think I would've killed someone by now if it wasn't for you."

"Don't mention it, B." Shiloh chuckled, "A trip with my best friends? I would've agreed no matter where we went."

An idea had dawned upon the Washington girl, pulling her sisters camera from her bag and standing to her feet.

Shiloh looked at her, confused, as she backed up a few feet and crouched. "The hell are you doing?"

"Just shut up and look at the mountains." Beth chuckled, watching patiently as her friend obeyed. She held the camera up, angling it the best she could, before snapping a picture and moving back to her spot. "There, now get one of me."

The brunette rolled her eyes, a smile on her lips as she copied her friend's previous actions.

"There, happy now?"

"Not yet," Beth chuckled, smiling triumphantly as she wrapped an arm around Shiloh's shoulders. She pulled her in to a side hug, before turning the camera around and snapping a picture of the two of them. "There, now I'm happy."

The brunette laughed from beside her, watching as her friend placed Hannah's camera into her bag. "We should probably head back, make sure they didn't burn the lodge down."

"You're right."

❆

She stood in the lobby, furious as she watched the group of friends run into the room. Hannah had just bolted from the lodge, not even stopping to grab a jacket in her distress.

"The fuck just happened?" Shiloh demanded, looking directly at her brother. She knew that he had to have had a hand whatever just happened, he always did.

The entire group had been fully aware of Hannah Washington's unwavering crush on Mike Munroe—but as they'd explained their pathetic prank, she felt herself growing more and more disgusted with the people before her.

She never imagined that they'd take it this far.

Shiloh hurried to the bar, where Beth had been looking out the window with a confused stare. Josh and Chris were both passed out on the couches; some pictures from their trip were displayed on a nearby laptop, the device surrounded by empty beer bottles and forgotten pizza boxes.

"Shy, what the hell was that?"

"Grab your coat," the shorter girl instructed. "It was Hannah, I'll explain on the way."

Beth did as told, her sense of urgency growing rapidly at the sound of her twin sister's name.

The duo rushed from the lodge, Shiloh calling her brother a vulgar name from over her shoulder. He'd objected to her leaving alongside the beanie-clad girl, but she couldn't have cared less after what he'd done to their innocent friend.

The girls sprinted through the snowy trees, the only light guiding them being the rays from the winter moon overhead.

"Hannah?!" Shiloh yelled, "Hannah, please!"

"Hannah!" Beth shouted alongside her, looking to her friend for answers as they ran. "What the hell happened, Shy?"

The brunette sighed, "Our so-called friends thought it'd be absolutely hilarious to prank her... Left a note telling her to meet Mike in his room, and when she got there and started taking off her shirt, everyone popped out with cameras. Sam was in the bath, though."

Beth scoffed at the information, infuriated that their "friends" would take her sisters innocent crush to such extremedies.

The wind howled through the trees, its icy fingers clawing at Shiloh's cheeks as she trudged through the snow. Her phone flashlight flickered, casting brief patches of light on the darkness that surrounded her. A couple yards ahead, she could hear Beth's voice, urgent and worried. "Hannah! Where are you?"

Shiloh quickened her pace, her boots sinking into the deep snow. The beam of her flashlight caught movement, and then she saw them—Beth kneeling beside Hannah, who was huddled in the snow, shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Hannah?" Shiloh called, her breath visible in the cold air as she jogged closer. "Hannah!"

Hannah's face was streaked with tears, her eyes red and puffy. She was shivering violently, her jacket missing. The long haired girl sniffled, wiping at her face with trembling hands. "I'm just—so stupid."

Beth wrapped her arms around her twin, pulling her close. "You're not stupid. They're just dickheads."

Shiloh's chest tightened as she knelt down beside them, feeling the cold seep through her jeans. "Hey, we'll get back to the lodge, okay? Warm you up while Beth and I kick their asses." She forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood, but it felt weak.

Beth shrugged off her own jacket, draping it over Hannah's shoulders. "See? It's gonna be okay. We'll be back before you know it." She rubbed her sister's arms, trying to warm her up. "I've got you."

Hannah sniffled, leaning into her sister. "I just—how could I fall for that? I thought they were my friends."

Shiloh felt a pang of guilt. It was a stupid prank, one that went too far. She knew she'd get close to killing Mike and Emily when they returned to the lodge, and was well aware that Beth would be right by her side. "I'm gonna fucking kill them," she murmured. "They're idiots, okay? That is not on you."

The three of them huddled together for a moment, the silence of the forest pressing in around them. Then, a rustle in the trees made the shorter girl freeze. She glanced up, shining her flashlight into the darkness. The beam swept over the branches, catching nothing but the falling snow.

"Did you hear that?" Beth whispered, her voice barely audible.

Shiloh nodded, her grip tightening on the phone. "Yeah."

Hannah's breath hitched, and she clung to her sister. "What was it?"

Another noise—a snap of a twig, closer this time. The brunette's heart pounded as she scanned the woods, searching for any sign of movement. "We should go," she said, her voice low. "Now."

Beth and Hannah scrambled to their feet, and the three of them moved quickly, their breaths coming in short, visible bursts. The forest felt endless, shadows twisting and stretching as the flashlight's beam wavered in Shiloh's unsteady grip. Something was out there, moving between the trees. She could feel it.

A low growl echoed through the night, sending a chill down her spine. She glanced back, but the darkness concealed whatever was following them. "Run!" She shouted, grabbing Hannah's hand and pulling her forward.

The girls sprinted, the snow crunching beneath their boots as they fled deeper into the forest. Shiloh's heart pounded in her chest, her lungs burning from the cold air. She could still hear the growls, getting closer, louder. They didn't dare look back.

Up ahead, a ledge loomed, its edge disappearing into the blackness below. Shiloh skidded to a stop, the other two stumbling beside her.

They were trapped.

Beth spun around, her face pale. "Stay back!" She screamed into the darkness, her voice echoing off the trees.

Shiloh's hands shook as she gripped Hannah's arm, trying to keep her steady. "What do you want?" She shouted, eyes scanning for any sign of the figure approaching.

The growls grew louder, and then, through the haze of snow, she saw it—a shadow moving between the trees, its form impossible to make out. It was just beyond the reach of her flashlight, but the way it moved, the guttural sounds it made—it wasn't human.

"Stay away!" Shiloh yelled, her voice cracking.

Hannah's foot slipped on the icy ground, and she screamed, losing her balance. Her hand shot out, grabbing onto Beth's arm, and in a heartbeat, both of them went over the edge.

"Beth! Hannah!" Shiloh lunged, her hand grasping Beth's wrist just in time. She felt her own feet slide, her weight pulling her forward. She dug her heels into the snow, gripping Beth with all her strength as Hannah dangled below, clutching onto her sister's arm.

"I've got you!" Shiloh cried, her fingers straining. "Don't let go!"

Beth's face was twisted in fear and determination as she tried to pull herself and Hannah up. "Shy, don't let go!"

The growl came again, louder, and Shiloh's head snapped up. The shadow was closer now, its eyes glinting through the darkness. Her heart raced, and panic surged through her.

"Shiloh!" Beth shouted, snapping her out of it.

She tightened her grip, pulling with everything she had. "I'm not letting go!" But the fear was there, clawing at her mind. The figure was too close.

It lunged.

A scream ripped from Shiloh's throat, and her hand slipped. She lost her balance, tumbling over the edge as Beth's grip faltered. The glint of something silver caught her eye as the world spun around her, and she felt herself hit something hard—a rock, maybe—pain exploding through her side before everything went black.

❆

The next day, none of the three had reappeared at the lodge. Josh Washington, despite his hangover, was the first out the door to search for them; he was seething at the events that had taken place the previous night.

He didn't give himself any time to self-blame, focused solely on finding them—all of them.

Sam, Chris, and even Mike had offered to join him, but he'd refused to wait. He couldn't risk another second of wasted time, not when the three most important people to him were out, alone, in the frigid forest surrounding them.

Josh had come across a ledge, mortified to look below; he didn't want to assume the worst, the fall from the ledge guaranteeing a lethal outcome, but he knew he had to look.

From the edge of the icy drop off, he almost screamed at the sight. Below him, surrounded by crimson stained snow, was an all-too familiar figure.

Throwing caution to the wind, he rapidly climbed down the dangerous terrain in hopes that his eyes were simply deceiving him.

When his boots crunched against the ground, he rushed to the figure. A blood-stained rock had appeared in his peripherals, but he was solely focused on her in that moment.

"Shy," he called, crouching beside the bloodied girl. "Shy, wake up." His tone was desperate, fearful at what he'd found.

He felt her neck for a pulse, nearly crying in relief when he'd found it. Josh lifted the girl from the snow, aware of a trail nearby that would lead them right back to the lodge.

Her oak hair was matted with blood, the snow that had gathered on her eyelids mirroring her pale appearance. Blood was still leaking from the wounds on her head and torso, but he could tell that the bleeding was nowhere near as rapid as it had been when she'd first fallen.

Josh had taken notice of the drag marks in the snow, leading away from the bloodied rock to his right. He shuddered at the thought of what could have happened to his sisters, his nausea putting itself on pause as he focused on taking the Munroe girl back to safety.

     When he'd returned with her in his arms, everyone went into panic at the sight. Mike was the first to rush toward him, concern for his sister growing with each step. "Holy fuck. Shy."

     Josh, already infuriated at the group, glared at the class president. Even though he was Shiloh's brother, the Washington boy felt as if Mike had no right to show concern for her. "Get me a first aid kit. There's one in the bathroom."

     At the look in his eyes, Mike simply nodded. He rushed off, leaving everyone else to watch as their friend laid her onto one of the couches by the fireplace. Josh looked to Chris, "Get a fire going."

❆

     Shiloh woke up fearful, terrified by the blurred memories that stained her mind. Despite her pain, she shot up from the couch, frantically looking around her—like she was still running with the twins.

     Josh jumped at the sudden movement, dark circles hanging from his eyes like a spider from its web. It'd been hours, and he'd just gotten back from searching for his sisters with Chris and Sam.

     "Shiloh..." His voice broke as it drifted, standing to his feet from the armchair.

     Shiloh Munroe looked at him with wide eyes, her throat running dry at the realization that she'd woken up in the lodge without any sign of Hannah and Beth. She didn't want to ask, but she knew she had to. "Where are they?"

     Her voice was hoarse, polluted with the pain her body felt yet strengthened by the determination to make sure they were okay—doing her best to ignore the denial and guilt that seeped through her skin, chilling her bones more cruelly than any blizzard could.

     By the look that had conquered her friend's face, she knew that the previous nights events were far from a memory. She released a sob, swiftly closing the space between herself and the boy, before wrapping him in a weak hug.

     Josh stayed silent, allowing the tears to fall freely as he returned the embrace—remaining cautious of her injuries.

     "I tried—"

     "Don't, Shy." He whispered into her hair, laying his head on top of hers. "This isn't your fault."

     The truth loomed over them like a shadow, and the frozen world outside couldn't overpower the pain that would surely haunt them for years to come.

❆

     Months had passed since that disastrous February night. The snow had begun to melt, the fauna had begun to flaunt their offspring, and the flora had begun to pierce through the gray tint that winter had cursed upon the world.

     But Shiloh Munroe found no comfort in the season change—no solace in the beautifully saturated petals that now blessed Blackwood Mountain.

     She had returned to the mountain weekly for months, searching for even a shred of the Washington twins. Even when Josh couldn't join her, even when the Washington family had clearly let any hope of finding Hannah and Beth slip through their pristinely manicured fingers.

     Shiloh was there, and she was relentless.

     "Hey." She whispered, approaching the eldest Washington sibling with a comforting smile. "Any luck?"

     Josh sighed, shaking his head as a disappointed frown overtook his lips. "Shy, are you sure—"

     "Yes."

     They were currently standing on the very ledge the girl had plummeted from months before, the very ledge that seemingly took Hannah and Beth but spared her—like some sick joke.

     She'd recognize that decrepit railing anywhere, it haunted her dreams most nights.

     Josh sighed, nodding. "Okay..."

     "Let's go down." She suggested, a small sigh leaving her lips, "See if we can find anything."

     The boy hesitated, unsure of trekking down to where he'd lost his sisters—where he'd almost lost her. His eyes followed her small frame, shoulders deflating as he'd realized that she was going to descend whether he accompanied her or not. "Wait up!"

     Shiloh wanted to crack a dark joke, wanted to say 'It's okay! I've made this trip before!' but she knew it was far from the right time. They were both still grieving, both still clinging on as the hope within them slowly diminished.

     When Josh finished his descent and stopped next to her, both of their eyes moved to the rock. It was pointed, but not sharp, and definitely large enough to do some damage.

     The blood from that night had yet to fade, leaving a nasty brown stain on the, otherwise gray, surface. Shiloh couldn't tell whose blood it was—hers, Beth's, or Hannah's.

     Everything happened so quickly, and things remained blurred even now, two months later.

     She cleared her throat harshly, tearing her eyes from the stain. Josh mirrored her actions, the memory of him finding her flickering with every blink.

     "So. You talk to Mike yet?"

     Shiloh rolled her eyes as if it were the stupidest question imaginable. "No."

     The boy sighed as they began walking down one of the trails, "You can't ignore him forever, Shy."

     "I can sure as hell try." She muttered. Her relationship with her brother had only soured further after that night, her anger transitioning from his unfaithful behavior to his direct involvement in what lead to the incident in the first place. "Once again, I had to try and clean up a mess he made. Only this time, it almost cost me my life."

     Josh nodded, staying silent as they journeyed further down the trail.

     Even though Shiloh was persistent about her lapse in memory, he couldn't stop himself from wondering if she was lying. He didn't believe she would, he knew her better than that, but that small little voice in the darkest depths of his heart doubted what he knew.

     She remembered bits and pieces, and had shared those pieces with him—and the police—but sometimes it had seemed as if she were leaving something out. Something either too traumatizing, or too cruel to breathe into reality.

     Unfortunately, he'd seen the video of their pathetic 'prank.' He knew that she wasn't involved, that she didn't know, but was fearful that her loyalties lied with someone who was involved. Whether that be her brother, or someone else, he was unsure.

     Josh had come up with a plan, one he'd been scheming for weeks. He could most definitely pull it off alone, but asking for Shiloh's help could tell him whether she was hiding something or not.

     "Hey, Shy..." He drifted, steely blue eyes locked onto the trail before them. "I have a question."

     The younger Munroe twin nodded, humming to signal him to continue.

     "I've been thinking, and... I have an idea." He sighed, glancing over to study her expression. "Was wondering if you'd wanna help me?"

     "Depends. What's the idea?"