Chapter Text
Sam had gone straight to another country with her mom the moment they were released. She ignored all messages to her and allowed her mind to wander. The blonde felt as though freedom had finally come to her, even if it was short lived. Nights were uneasy and sleep came so rarely, only to haunt her and leave her with a racing heart. She'd resorted to sleeping in her mother's arms, her warmth allowing Sam to get long hours of shut eye before the sun rose.
But as she had said earlier, it was all short lived. She couldn't rely on her poor mother to take care of her, and she had to return to university. As much as she hated the thought of being watched like animal while others whispered ignorantly of the events, she needed to learn for her future aspirations. Sam dreaded her first step towards her uni, the familiar building towering over her, more daunting than she had ever realised it to be.
She already hated the school. Not only did she have to deal with her feared rumours and whispers surrounding her like thick fog, but the canteen still didn't serve any vegan meals! Even after all her complaints voiced physically and through polite letters she spent time on, they had blatantly ignored her and now she was forced to make her poor mother work to make her lunch, because Sam was too tired to do anything at this point.
She didn't want to make her mum work, she knew she should be making her own lunches, but in her near unresponsive state after a particularly cruel nightmare, she could only rely on her mother. A familiar face plopped itself into her seat in front of her. Her short dark hair was smooth as usual, dark clothing matching it perfectly. Emily raised an eyebrow in response to her mildly shocked expression, "What? Is it that weird for me to sit with a friend?"
Sam shrugged, before going to eating her own food. A small silence formed between them, not too awkward but not exactly comforting. There was still tension, even if it wasn't directed at each other. "People are shit", Emily bluntly stated out of the blue. Though, it wasn't really out of the blue considering the words she'd been dealing with during the day. They were beginning to grate on her nerves more and more the longer she listened, even if she tried to drown them out. They were like little maggots that wormed their way into her ears and ate away at her remaining strength.
"They are..", she agreed, lacking in any form of strength to refute, hey wasn't much to argue with. People were shit. She was glad that a few of her friends were in the same uni, it gave her comfort that was much needed. Josh remained home while under the effects of the stronger and proper medicine. She made a mental note to visit him regularly, she was sure he'd be grateful. Aftercall, they'd done so many times when his two sisters disappeared (died and turned into a wendig-), and he'd always smiled the same lazy but genuine grin she knew him for.
Even if she hadn't realised how good of an actor he was, because he was faking it for her sake and she believed it.
Matt had joined Emily at some point, eating silently with them. There was still nothing to say. She noticed how little they ate of their large portions, and also noticed how'd she done the same. She didn't really have an appetite (She hadn't for a while, but who's to blame her?). Just when she'd opened her mouth to speak Mike appeared. With a venomous glare Emily abruptly stood up, slamming her hands on the table and purposely letting the cutlery clank before storming off. Matt sighed, shooting Sam and Mike an unsure glance.
"Em, please!", he chased after her, and the blonde didn't miss his sigh of relief at the lack of food eaten. He'd probably just throw it right back up, just like her and gang. The dark brunette let out a shaking breath, eyes glazed, "Can I sit here?", his tone was monotone; none of his usual playful tones and stature. She shrugged, andhe sat, taking it as a yes (she never said yes, but she never said no). Mike played around with the food a little, fork pushing the small bits before completely falling into it.
"Just not that hungry are we?"
He gave a humourless chuckle. They talked about school instead, and she allowed herself a sigh of relief at the revelation that the two shared a class. Even if it was their only one. Luckily for Sam, who had long reached the end of her patience, their next class was together, and the two immediately went for seats at the back, next to each other. The other's presence was like a soft blanket muffling the all round whispers. They were still buzzing like annoying little bees, but she was able to focus a little more on the teachers droning.
In the corner of her hazel eye, she made a mental note to give Mike her notes for the time being, seeing as the brunette had completely droned out and had taken to staring at his own left hand with a look that bordered anger and sadness (she could only assume that others asked him constantly, ignorant to their feelings of course). As the bell rung, she made a beeline with him to leave first, and failed to see a smaller blond walking dejectedly in front of her. The bumped into each other, "Sorry-", she started but smiled a little when she saw the the round and plump face of Jessica Riley.
They walked outside together, chatting casually, or as casually as they could - faces strained to keep a smile with low and weaker voices. Mike even attempted to flirt but dropped his smile immediately, complaining about how it hurt too much even more melodramatically than before (it reminded her a little of how Josh would act towards his sisters- she perished the thought faster than a bolt of lightning, keeping an oblivious smile on her face). They walked a few more paces ahead, the blocks of the street passing under them quickly, when bright flashlights flashed (might as well have blinded her if she hadn't been so quick to respond and cover her face.)
The streets were swarmed with a stampede of reporters who, with hungry grins and overjoyed eyes, questioned everything that all she wanted was to forget about.
"Was it true there was a monster on Mount Washington?"
"Did the son come out alive?"
"What was it like?"
They clouded and buzzed so loudly in her head she felt her hands clench into fists, and her next reaction happened before she could think. Everything went black and red.
A blackout was rare for Sam; she was rarely angry and even then her fury never quite reached a peak of pure rage. But the reporters had managed to level it up, Mike joked as he pulled the two girls away. Jess clung onto his arm, eyes glazed with a small shine of fear. He gently tightened his grip on her hand. Sam had apparently yelled atop of their disgustingly happy voices, yelled and yelled about what heartless monsters they were, and how their lust of news had sickened her more than the wendigos (all of things, but was it wrong? Hell no), and then proceeded to whirl on her feet so fast Mike thought she left burnt tracks of rubber on the grey stone.
They returned to their respective cars, and bid each other glum goodbyes before driving off. She reached her home and stopped the car abruptly, glaring at the wheel that her pale hands gripped and tighter and tighter until her knuckles turned white. She then proceeded to hit her head against it and scream. Screamed until her voice was hoarse, screamed until there was nothing left to scream in her throat.
She got out and apathetically fiddled with the keys, the tumblers finally clicking into the lock and allowing her to push the wooden door open. "Welcome home sweetie!", her mother's sugared tone called. She smiled a little, "Hi". It was when the blonde stepped out of her shoes and padded her way tot he mum on the carpet, she noticed a very, and she meant very familiar mop of black hair, "Josh?"
"Oh yes, you have a visitor darling."
"A bit late mother."
The woman chuckled. Josh turned to face her, his hands gently clutching onto the cup (her favourite mug- how dare he?) of steaming hot chocolate. "Hello Sammy", he said, dragging out every possible syllable of 'Sammy' as usual. It was ridiculous, just because she told him not to call her by her full name. "What a surprise, is what I'd like to say but I'm not surprised or amused". He raised an obnoxiously oblivious eyebrow, and maybe she would not be very excited to admit she wanted nothing more but to spill the hot chocolate down his shirt , if only for laughs. Hey, in her defence, he had it coming a little.
She sat next to him after taking the offered hot chocolate from her mother with a polite 'thank you' ("Isn't your mother so nice?" "Shut up"). Sam let a small silence form between them, patiently waiting for her mother to finish the dishes and migrate to the couch in favour of watching her favourite show - which in her opinion, was much more fun to criticise. "Oh y the way, I've decided you're joining us on our therapy sessions."
"And since when did I say yes?"
"Just now."
"That's not-", she sighed at Josh's widening grin, "
"Why did you do it?"
Josh stayed silent, taking small sips of the hot drink in his hands. Her own cup's heat sunk into her hands and bones, waring the frost the cold mountain had chilled. It was nice, so nice her hands melted, or felt like it.
"I didn't want to at first, I thought it was wrong and that I should deal with it like an adult, not get revenge. But then they started whispering, told me to do it. And after a while their voices were unbearable; they scratched at my ears like nails on a chalk board. I wanted to end it, but death just didn't want to me see my sisters". She winced, so he really had attempted, They told me to get revenge on everyone, I had everything planned but there was a part of me that was against it. I knew the last part of me was my moral conscious, but I couldn't listen, I couldn't hear it anymore. I couldn't hear anything, none of your comforting words that I wanted to hear. I couldn't feel Chris's warm touch. I felt so isolated... Even with everyone trying to help me."
She stayed silent, and he carried on, "Though funnily enough, I did want to scare Chris and Ashley into holding hands or whatever, thought it'd be a nice bonus. Annoyed me beyond no end when they kept avoiding their feelings. Besides, it was sooner or later that Chris would forget me for Ashley."
"I'm sure that's not true."
"I hope so too."
Another silence settled, thick and suffocating.
"Was it a lie? When you said I understood you?"
"Of course not, you really did. I didn't want to hurt you of all people, but I don't know what overcame my mind and cohered me into pranking you or Cochise. You had nothing to do with it, but I still got you trapped. I'm sorry, I know it won't do much but I'm sorry... I never wanted this, and I hate myself for it. I should've been the big bro you all relied on, and I couldn't even do that", the tears fell from his emerald eyes and trailed down his pale face. The small droplets left little we puddles on the carpet. Sam put her mug down on carpet and hugged him, "You're such an idiot. We don't have to rely on you, you needed to rely us if anything. Their deaths messed you up further, it wasn't your fault it happened."
Before she lay the blame on herself he cut in, "It the ones who did, not you, not Chris or me I know. But I was their brother, I should've been awake for them... It was my responsibility", he chocked out. His shoulders and hands shook, the cup slipping from his weak grip. The hot chocolate burned and stained the carpet, but she didn't mind.
"They're not real are they? They're not!", he voice shook. Was he hallucinating again? She rubbed soft circles om his back, running her hand through his dark hair, "They're not real. It's just us, you're okay."
She continued to whisper softly for every whimper he let out, shivers slowly dying out. He wrapped his own arms around her smaller frame, words muffled into her shoulder, "Thank you, Sammy, for always being there. I love you."
"I love you too."
Maybe they still had a chance...