Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The first time you live through the night on Blackwood Mountain, you’re overwhelmed. Your entire world has been flipped on its axis, as your friends become enemies and your enemies become friends. Josh’s betrayal is difficult to swallow, but his death hits you even harder. Everyone else manages to survive. Everyone else can walk away from the night bruised and bleeding, but still very much alive. Josh, on the other hand… You can’t finish that thought. Right now, above all, you need rest. Once the helicopter arrives and you’re safely strapped in, you feel your eyelids slipping shut of their own accord.

You wake up to find yourself standing on the snowy path leading up to Josh’s lodge. You blink a few times and stare at it in confusion. What’s happening here? Are you lucid dreaming? Surely, that’s the only logical explanation. You walk up the steps and knock on the door. It swings open within a few moments and Josh welcomes you in. You step in warily, only to find that everyone else has already arrived. Dread coiling in your chest, you keep quiet and listen to their conversations. None of this seems right. You subtly pinch at your arm—hard enough for it to be rather painful—but nothing happens. 

It looks like you’re living through the night all over again. You push away your growing anxiety and try to pretend that everything’s fine. Hell, you’re getting a second chance at things—you should be grateful. This time, you proceed with a little more caution. You make sure to keep a closer eye on Josh and, sure enough, the betrayal feels rather obvious once you’re expecting it. Still, you’re unable to get to Josh and interfere with his plans. At the end of the night, you’re alive. Matt, Emily, Chris, Ashley, Josh, and Jessica are all dead. Mike and you are the only survivors. It’s apparent that the two of you don’t know what to do with yourselves once the sun rises. When you’re taken away by helicopter once more, you’re willingly closing your eyes and hoping you get another chance.

Against all odds, you get another chance… and another… and another. Your third and fourth attempts are better, but you’re still unable to entirely prevent death. The fifth attempt is horrible—you’re the only one who survives. The survivor’s guilt stays with you, especially when you consider the fact that you had lived the night multiple times before. You should’ve been able to prevent those deaths. During that helicopter ride, you stare out the window in complete silence. It takes you a long time to find rest. 

By the sixth attempt, you’re exhausted. You’ve lived the same horrible night over and over again. You’ve outran Wendigos and narrowly avoided death countless times. Somehow, the exertion is taking a toll on your stamina. You feel slightly slower, clumsier. You don’t respond as fast as you did before, and when a Wendigo throws itself at you, you’re thrown to the ground. The creature’s jaw nearly unhinges as it lurches toward you with sharpened teeth and a drooling maw. You try your best to push it off, but your efforts are to no avail. The Wendigo leans down and snaps your head right off. For a moment, there is intense pain. As soon as it comes, shadows overtake your vision and you’re swallowed by darkness.

The next time you open your eyes, you’re startled. You thought that sixth attempt would be your last—what with you dying and all. A traitorous part of you doesn’t even want to continue. You’ve tried countless times already—will anything really change? Is this night just destined to bring death and destruction? 

A bird chirps loudly, breaking you out of your thought process. The brisk mountain air hits your skin and you shake your head, resolutely walking forward and towards the cabin looming in the distance. You have to do this again. You have to save your friends. 

When you’re finally on the doorstep of the lodge, you realize you’re one of the first to arrive; thankfully, the rest of your friends arrive in due time. Once all of you are gathered in the common area, you realize that you may have been focusing on the wrong things in your past attempts. You lock eyes with Josh and come to a realization. He is the only person who had the same fate, regardless of your six different attempts. No matter what you did, Josh perished at the hands of a Wendigo. Something about that makes you pause. Maybe if you tried to stop Josh from all of the cruel tricks he planned… Maybe, just maybe… You take a deep breath.

“Josh, I need something from the basement,” you announce, deciding to bite the bullet, “Can you come with me?” You need to talk to him—the sooner, the better. The group seems a little surprised by your request, which only serves to confuse you. You’re closer to Josh than you are to the rest of them. Did they expect you to go with someone else? You don’t get to pursue that thought process too far, as Josh answers.

“Sure,” Josh grins, smirking at you. You refuse to find that attractive. “Eager to go into the basement with me?” His tone is suggestive and you roll your eyes. He wishes, you think to yourself. You decide to remain silent and watch as the rest of the group pairs off. Unsurprisingly, Emily and Matt go together. Chris goes with Ashley and Mike sticks with Jessica. You’re left standing in the foyer with Josh. 

“Let’s go,” you suggest, shoving your hands in your pockets and walking towards the basement. You’re so lost in your thoughts that you don’t notice Josh’s suspicious gaze tearing holes into your back. You bound down the basement stairs and take a few turns, making sure that you’re out of earshot from the others. Josh follows you and comes to a stop next to you, clearly a bit confused about your sudden unfounded confidence. You don’t bother to explore the halls, since you remember everything from your past attempts. You’re about to turn the corner when there’s a hand on your shoulder. 

“Did you see that?” Josh asks frantically. Your first instinct is to respond, and you quite nearly turn around to look at where your friend is pointing. Just before you can do so, you realize that the fear in his voice is manufactured. You remember the elaborate tricks he set up. His lighthearted pranks ended up being far more than pranks, though. Josh’s fake death—or, well, Ashley’s real one—was traumatizing for everyone involved. Anger boils in your chest and you grab him by the collar to shove him against the wall. 

“Don’t even start with me,” you hiss, entirely unwilling to entertain Josh’s revenge plot. The fact that Josh can stand here and joke about everything… knowing damn well that he would inflict so much pain on his friends… Safe to say, you’re not happy about this situation. There’s a strange expression on Josh’s face, and it almost looks as if he wants to dissect you before his eyes. You take a deep breath. “Now, you’re going to shut the fuck up and let me speak.”

“Ooh, feisty,” Josh grins, looking entirely amused and interested with this turn of events. You tighten your grip on his shirt, both to get him to stop and to reassure yourself that everything around you is real. This isn’t a dream. You’re living through this hellish night once more. And, this time, you’re not going to die. None of your friends are going to die—you’ll make sure of it. You take a moment to close your eyes and regain your composure.

“I’m serious, Josh,” you sigh, hoping that your tone will convey your sincerity. Josh seems to believe you, as his eyes widen minutely and he falls silent. “I’ve done this before. Your little game? It never ends well.” Josh’s eyes go comically wide at that.

“How—?” he chokes out. You silence Josh with a look. 

“It never works out for you,” you continue. “You masterminded all this for revenge, right? You want us to feel the pain, the humiliation that your sisters did? Well, your game isn’t just a game—it has real consequences, Josh.” For the first time, there’s genuine emotion on Josh’s face. There isn’t a fake smile or a flat line. Just as you begin to hope that he’ll believe you, however, Josh continues to speak. 

“You wouldn’t understand,” Josh says. You know that he’s in a bad place, that he has struggled with mental illness since long before his sisters died. Even so, that remark is unacceptable. You can’t dismiss the sudden wave of frustration and rage you feel. 

“I wouldn’t understand?” You look at him in disbelief. There’s nothing but sincerity written on his face and it makes your stomach turn. “I lost two good friends that day, Josh.”

“Good friends?” Josh remarks sardonically. “Don’t make me fucking laugh. If you were such good friends with Hannah, then why didn’t you stop that prank?” You freeze. The hollow feeling you’ve grown to associate with grief is returning, and your chest burns. You clench your fists at your sides. 

“Josh, I think about that night constantly, and I know you do the same,” you sigh, swallowing past the lump in your throat. You’ve spent the past year regretting every single decision that led to that night, to Hannah and Beth’s disappearances. You’re not going to let Josh guilt you for it, not when you’ve been living with regret and remorse every damn day since then. “Don’t put this all on me; each and every one of us is responsible—including you.”

“I know,” Josh whispers, so quietly that you have to strain to hear it. He seems to finally have given up on arguing, so you let your hand fall from his collar. Josh massages his neck and you pretend not to notice. Instead, you take a deep breath and contemplate what to do next. Josh still looks confused, so you decide to explain what you can to him. You describe how you’ve lived this night over and over, how you’ve seen everyone—including yourself—die in increasingly gruesome ways. “Wow,” Josh remarks, once you’re done telling him everything. You feel inclined to agree with the sentiment. 

“If everyone is going to survive, then we’re going to need to work together,” you say, “Are you with me or not?” You extend a hand to him and for a long moment, there is nothing but silence. The lights flicker in the dimly lit hallway and the expression on Josh’s face is far too complicated for you to pin down. It is rather hard to believe—that you’re stuck in some fucked up time loop. Just as you’re about to rescind your offer of cooperation, Josh reaches out and clasps your hand. 

“Let’s do this, then,” he agrees. You spontaneously decide to squeeze his hand in a reassuring gesture, before letting your hand fall back to your side. Josh’s eyebrows furrow and he pushes himself off the wall, coming to stand next to you. “So… what now?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to convince you…” you trail off, your confidence from before slowly dissipating. Josh shakes his head in disbelief and you’re quick to defend yourself. “What? I have a plan, sort of. I just… made it under the guise that I’d be alone.” You hadn’t tried to work with someone in your prior attempts. That may have been the problem, though. 

“Well, you’re not alone,” Josh reminds you without hesitation. His confidence is reassuring—it pushes your nerves aside. Sure, there’s a million different ways this night could go wrong. Maybe this time, though, you’ll do it right. 

“I know,” you eventually sigh. You pinch the bridge of your nose and try to maintain your composure; the night is far from over. “Hm. Okay, well. Emily and Matt should be on their way back. Mike and Jessica are heading to the guest cabin— Oh shit. Oh shit!”

“What?” Josh asks, evidently startled by the sudden exclamation. 

“We need to get to Mike and Jessica right now,” you answer, remembering that Mike and Jessica will encounter a Wendigo if they make it to the guest cabin. You don’t have the time to explain that to Josh. Hell, they could be in danger already. “Fuck,” you mutter under your breath, spinning around and racing back to the stairs. Josh pauses for a moment before running to catch up to you. You sprint through the house and down the path outside. 

Thankfully, Mike and Jessica didn’t get far; in fact, it looks as if they’re having a snowball fight just off of the path. “Hey, guys. You should come back. We…” You’re suddenly struggling to come up with an excuse. The pair is staring at you with thinly-concealed suspicion and, for some reason, you’re blanking. You ran all the way out here with the fear that they would be in danger. They’re not, but now you need an excuse for them to avoid the guest cabin. 

“We’re going to use a spirit board,” Josh interjects, before you can awkwardly stammer through an unconvincing explanation. You send him a grateful glance. Mike and Jessica both squint at you, as if they know something you don’t. “You guys in? It’s pretty cold out here; probably not the best idea to go to the guest cabin.” You’re momentarily amazed by how calm Josh sounds. You then remember that his calm demeanor was the reason you were so blindsided by his betrayal in the first place. You have to make a conscious effort to forget that realization. 

“Sure, why the hell not?” Mike shrugs, looking to Jessica for confirmation. She shrugs and, with Josh’s guidance, the two of them walk back to the lodge. You let out a breath of relief once they’re out of earshot. 

“I can buy you time,” Josh whispers, despite the fact that Mike and Jessica are now too far away to hear. You turn to him and raise your eyebrows. He looks thoroughly convinced. “I’ll fake the spirit board again,” he explains. How is he going to do that, exactly? Josh must sense your thoughts—sometimes, you swear he can read your mind—and he rolls his eyes. “Relax, I’ll just make it look like a ghost or something.”

“Okay, sounds good,” you nod, already planning out what to do with the time he’s buying for you. The two of you stare at each other in silence. Apparently, the conversation is over. You take a step forward, fully intent on walking towards the cabin, when Josh’s hand falls on your shoulder. You glance at him, only to find a conflicted expression on his face. 

“Hey.” You blink at him in confusion, thrown off by the sudden remark. You look at him expectantly. Josh takes a deep breath and looks at you with a rather intense gaze. “How many times have I died?" Your heart stalls in your chest, and you’re completely unable to hide an instinctual wince. You really hoped he would overlook that part. Josh senses that you’re evading the question and he sighs. “I think I deserve to know.” 

You swallow hard. He does deserve to know. You inhale shakily. “Six,” you whisper, averting your eyes. You don’t want to remind him that you’ve lived this same night only… six times. Unfortunately, Josh seems to come to that conclusion on his own.

“My death is unavoidable,” Josh realizes aloud. There aren’t any words that can describe the tortured expression on his face—it’s a horrid mix of fear and resignation. Your eyes are burning and you wipe at them quickly, hoping he doesn’t notice. Josh’s own eyes look glassy in the pale moonlight and your chest tightens. You can’t even imagine how he must feel. You feel the overwhelming need to reach out to him, but you’re not sure if that will help. Instead, you swallow your nerves and muster as much confidence as you can.

“When I said we’re saving everyone, I meant everyone,” you remark. Josh looks at you in confusion. “That means you, too," you clarify, crossing your arms over your chest. He stares at you more. 

“Why are you giving me a second chance?” Josh asks, turning his back to look up at the stars. You can’t see the expression on his face, but the tension strung in his shoulders gives you a hint of what he’s feeling. “After everything I’ve done. Or, I guess, everything I… did.”

“Because I know you,” you respond, once the words start to feel heavy on your tongue. You have to avert your eyes as you say it, for fear of letting Josh see the emotion in your expression. “I know you and… you understand better than anyone.” You understand the grief better than anyone, goes unsaid. At that, Josh turns around to meet your eyes. There’s a complex expression on his face—something between disbelief and hope. The sight hurts to look at. He’s staring at you as if you’re some sort of hero. You choke on a wry laugh and put a hand on your face. If only he knew of the things you’ve done these past six nights... 

The snow crunches underfoot as Josh turns around to head to the cabin. You hesitate and eventually settle for following behind him, making sure to keep your distance. He seems to be rather rattled by what you told him—an understandable sentiment. You’ll give him some space. Once the two of you are safe within the walls of the cabin, you manage to gather everyone in the foyer. 

The next few hours pass surprisingly fast. Josh and you manage to engineer ways to keep the group busy, mostly with silly games like Truth or Dare and Hide and Seek. They’re childish, sure, but they distract the group quite well. Hide and Seek gives you enough time to confront The Stranger and receive some flares to fend off the Wendigos. 

Unfortunately, your luck soon runs out. The Wendigos had been lurking outside, but they’re starting to approach the cabin. You can catch glimpses of their shadows in your peripheral vision, and you don’t realize just how close they are until you spot one lurking on the doorstep. Its claws scratch against the door mockingly. Your heart races in your chest and you turn to the group. 

“Everyone, go to the basement,” you order, knowing you don’t have the time to explain everything. The Wendigos are far too close now. Your friends all stare at you in confusion and you feel yourself snap. “Go!” The group breaks free of their stupor and races down to the basement, which is more secure than the other levels of the cabin. “Josh, you too.” To your surprise, Josh doesn’t argue. Instead, he gives you a knowing look before turning the corner and heading for the stairs. You try to push aside your betrayal at that—you thought you’d be met with a little more resistance than that. The Wendigo lets out a strange noise and breaks through the window, effectively breaking you from your thought process. You pull one of the flares out of your pocket and freeze in place. Despite your refusal to move, you think you can feel your hands shaking out of fear. 

The Wendigo must notice the slight movement, and it lunges at you so fast that you don’t get the time to react. You’re roughly slammed down to the ground, hard enough to turn your vision grainy. The flare falls from your grip and clatters along the floor. The Wendigo leans closer, excreting drool from its gaping maw. It leans down further and you’re forced to grab at its jaw and push it away. Unsurprisingly, the creature is much stronger than you and its teeth rip into your hand. You bring a knee up and try to throw it off of you, but it doesn’t budge. You come to one earth-shattering conclusion: you’re going to die. You feel as if you’re watching in slow-motion, as the Wendigo lets out a loud screech and brings its hand back for another blow. You close your eyes and push at it desperately. Memories begin to flash before your eyes and it’s as if time freezes. You wait for unfathomable pain and infinite darkness. 

Just as its teeth graze your skin, the Wendigo screeches in pain and moves back. You take the afforded opportunity to scramble towards the flare and throw it at the Wendigo, which immediately scampers backwards at the threat of flame. There’s the loud sound of a shotgun discharging and you turn to the side, only to find Josh with a shotgun in hand. The combination of the flare and the shotgun seems to keep the Wendigo at bay for now.  You know that you don’t have much time, though. You grab Josh’s arm and he seems to get the idea; the two of you sprint down to the basement and race through the winding halls, before finding an isolated corner and remaining still. You’re both breathing hard and trying to remain quiet at the same time. It takes several moments for you to catch your breath. 

“Did you really think I’d leave you?” Josh asks breathlessly, still panting from the exertion. You can’t find anything to say. The ensuing silence must speak volumes, because Josh shakes his head at you disbelievingly.  “You alright?” He then levels you with a worried gaze that shouldn’t affect you as much as it does. The thought of being on the receiving end of that concern is enough to send your heart racing out of your chest once more. 

“Yes, thanks to you,” you eventually murmur. Josh sends you another heated look and you avert your eyes, instead deigning to walk back through the halls. Josh seems to know where he’s going, so you follow him. Sure enough, before long, the two of you manage to regroup with everyone else in the basement. Your friends seem to be debating what to do for the rest of the night. Josh asserts that you all should stay in the basement. Mike brings up one core fault to that plan—namely, what you’re supposed to do if you need to sleep. Josh motions for you all to follow after him. You’re the first one to do so and, eventually, your friends get over their hesitation and follow you. 

Josh leads you to a nondescript looking cabinet and opens it up. Before you can ask what he’s doing, he’s pushing the back of the cabinet back to reveal another room. You raise your eyebrows in surprise. This is a new twist; you hadn’t seen this in any of your prior attempts to live through this night. The others don’t seem to know about this secret space either, as they all have different surprised expressions on their faces. Once everyone is standing in the hidden room, Josh pushes the back of the cabinet into place and turns to look at the group.

“We should be safe here,” he maintains, his gaze wandering across the group before settling on you of all people. He looks over you thoroughly and you feel your skin prickling. You’re not quite sure what he’s looking for, and you don’t have the time to figure it out. “There are four bedrooms down here.”

“That’s convenient,” Matt remarks casually. Emily raises an eyebrow at him and they seem to have a telepathic conversation amongst themselves. Matt then turns his attention back to the rest of you. “Em and I can share a room. Then, Mike and Jessica… Chris and Ashley… That leaves one room, with—”

“You two,” Emily interrupts, pointing at Josh and you. Josh’s eyes widen and he sends you a strange glance. He almost looks nervous, and you’re not quite sure why. There’s a devious smirk on Emily’s face and you can sense that same mischief in your other friends’ eyes. Just what are they planning? You don’t get the chance to find out, as the group splits up and moves to their respective rooms. Josh exhales slowly, before leading you to the bedroom you’re supposed to share.

Your mind is reeling, even as Josh closes the door to the bedroom and takes a seat on the bed. You had no idea that these rooms existed before. Would you have even found them without Josh’s help? You were adamant on living through this night alone—just how much did that hinder you? Were you really just too prideful to reach out for help before? You’re certainly relieved that you all seem to be safe [for now], but… this all feels like a slap in the face. You feel ashamed, humiliated, remorseful. The guilt is eating you alive. 

Trying to remain calm, you kneel down to sit on the floor. Your head falls back against the wall. It’s far from comfortable, but you’re far too exhausted to care. Within the few seconds that your eyes are closed, you’re about ready to fall asleep. At least, until Josh interjects. 

“What the fuck?” your friend asks. You open your eyes and look at Josh, only to find him staring at you with a scrutinizing gaze. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Oh, I just assumed—” you break off, not quite sure how to explain your thought process. In all honesty, you assumed that Josh would be the one to take the bed. That thought must be ludicrous, because he looks at you like you’re absolutely crazy. 

“Get up here,” Josh says, moving over to leave you ample room on the bed. You push yourself up from the floor and sit down next to him. Silence stretches across the space and it’s both uncomfortable yet welcome. You rub a hand over your face, unable to calm your racing heart. 

You’ve never made it this far before, and you can’t rid yourself of the fear that everything will reset again. You’ve already lived this night six times. Each time, you thought your actions would be final. Each time, you woke up to find yourself walking along the snowy path towards Josh’s lodge. This time, you think that you’ve done it right. No one died, and you want things to stay that way. 

“I really don’t want things to reset again,” you murmur, unable to hide your fear any longer. You don’t realize that you’re trembling until Josh is reaching out and clasping your hands. There’s a strangely concerned expression on his face.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he reassures you. His gaze burns into the side of your face, but you can’t find the courage to meet his eyes. Josh’s thumb skims over your knuckles and a shiver rolls down your spine. “I won’t let that happen.” 

You desperately want to believe him, but every time you close your eyes, you see your friends’ corpses. Each time you blink, you see Josh’s crushed skull; Jessica’s unhinged jaw; Mike’s smashed face; Emily’s broken body; Chris’s twisted neck; Matt’s corpse left to rot at the bottom of the cliff; Ashley’s gouged out eyes. You feel as if the breath is being robbed from your chest. You’ve seen so many horrible things over the course of this night, and none of it really settled in until now. You were forced to watch as each of your friends died—over and over and over again. Hell, you even died once yourself. The realization comes crashing down on you all at once and you find yourself gasping for air. 

“Whoa,” Josh remarks. His voice sounds garbled and warped, as if he’s underwater. You watch with blurred vision as he squeezes your hands and stares at you, willing you to meet his eyes.  “Hey, breathe with me. In, out. In, out. Come on.” You take a ragged breath in at his command, and exhale in unison with him. It takes several minutes, but you eventually manage to regain your composure. You’re holding Josh’s hands in a death grip, but he doesn’t show any sign of pain.

“Sorry,” you say moments later, releasing his hands.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Josh shakes his head. There’s worry written all over his face, and it hurts when you recognize that you’re the reason for it. You adjust your posture a bit and lean back against the numerous pillows behind you. Your body is incredibly fatigued but your mind refuses to slow down. You don’t want to let your guard down. “Hey, why don’t you rest? You look like you could use it, no offense.”

You don’t even have the energy to respond with a witty comment. “Honestly, I don’t think I can.” You stare at the ceiling, pretending not to remember that there are vicious Wendigos still roaming around. The effort is rather difficult. Your eyelids are stinging and burning with the lack of sleep, but you don’t want to rest. You can’t rest—not until this night is over. 

“You can go to sleep,” Josh eventually says. He then pauses for a moment, contemplating his next words. “I’ll be right here, keeping watch.” That’s a generous offer. You tell him as much and he chuckles. However, you know he needs sleep too. You remind him of that fact but he shakes his head. “You need rest more than I do. I’ll be fine.”

You bite your lip and look at him, trying to find a trace of dishonesty in his expression. There’s nothing to be found. You eventually give in, pulling the covers back and burrowing under them. Josh moves to turn some of the lights off and before long, you can feel your drowsiness catching up to you. You’re definitely nervous at the thought of sharing a bed with Josh, but your fatigue and exhaustion outweigh any potential embarrassment. Just before you succumb to slumber, you feel a feather-light touch on your cheek and you sink into the darkness. 

You’re not sure how long you’re asleep, because at one point, you’re roused awake by an arm around your waist. You open your eyes, only to find that you’re practically trapped in Josh’s hold. He’s clearly sleeping and you don’t want to wake him… However, even your slight movement is enough to jostle him awake. 

“What’s wrong?” Josh asks. Despite the fact that he’s awake, he makes no move to stop holding you. He squints at you sleepily and you feel a fond smile growing on your face. 

“Nothing,” you say with a shake your head, leaning back into his chest and closing your eyes once more.

Chapter Text

The first time you live through the night on Blackwood Mountain, you’re overwhelmed. Your entire world has been flipped on its axis, as your friends become enemies and your enemies become friends. Josh’s betrayal is difficult to swallow, but his death hits you even harder. Everyone else manages to survive. Everyone else can walk away from the night bruised and bleeding, but still very much alive. Josh, on the other hand… You can’t finish that thought. Right now, above all, you need rest. Once the helicopter arrives and you’re safely strapped in, you feel your eyelids slipping shut of their own accord.

You wake up to find yourself standing on the snowy path leading up to Josh’s lodge. You blink a few times and stare at it in confusion. What’s happening here? Are you lucid dreaming? Surely, that’s the only logical explanation. You walk up the steps and knock on the door. It swings open within a few moments and Josh welcomes you in. You step in warily, only to find that everyone else has already arrived. Dread coiling in your chest, you keep quiet and listen to their conversations. None of this seems right. You subtly pinch at your arm—hard enough for it to be rather painful—but nothing happens. 

It looks like you’re living through the night all over again. You push away your growing anxiety and try to pretend that everything’s fine. Hell, you’re getting a second chance at things—you should be grateful. This time, you proceed with a little more caution. You make sure to keep a closer eye on Josh and, sure enough, the betrayal feels rather obvious once you’re expecting it. Still, you’re unable to get to Josh and interfere with his plans. At the end of the night, you’re alive. Matt, Emily, Chris, Ashley, Josh, and Jessica are all dead. Mike and you are the only survivors. It’s apparent that the two of you don’t know what to do with yourselves once the sun rises. When you’re taken away by helicopter once more, you’re willingly closing your eyes and hoping you get another chance.

Against all odds, you get another chance… and another… and another. Your third and fourth attempts are better, but you’re still unable to entirely prevent death. The fifth attempt is horrible—you’re the only one who survives. The survivor’s guilt stays with you, especially when you consider the fact that you had lived the night multiple times before. You should’ve been able to prevent those deaths. During that helicopter ride, you stare out the window in complete silence. It takes you a long time to find rest. 

By the sixth attempt, you’re exhausted. You’ve lived the same horrible night over and over again. You’ve outran Wendigos and narrowly avoided death countless times. Somehow, the exertion is taking a toll on your stamina. You feel slightly slower, clumsier. You don’t respond as fast as you did before, and when a Wendigo throws itself at you, you’re thrown to the ground. The creature’s jaw nearly unhinges as it lurches toward you with sharpened teeth and a drooling maw. You try your best to push it off, but your efforts are to no avail. The Wendigo leans down and snaps your head right off. For a moment, there is intense pain. As soon as it comes, shadows overtake your vision and you’re swallowed by darkness.

The next time you open your eyes, you’re startled. You thought that sixth attempt would be your last—what with you dying and all. A traitorous part of you doesn’t even want to continue. You’ve tried countless times already—will anything really change? Is this night just destined to bring death and destruction? 

A bird chirps loudly, breaking you out of your thought process. The brisk mountain air hits your skin and you shake your head, resolutely walking forward and towards the cabin looming in the distance. You have to do this again. You have to save your friends. 

When you’re finally on the doorstep of the lodge, you realize you’re one of the first to arrive; thankfully, the rest of your friends arrive in due time. Once all of you are gathered in the common area, you realize that you may have been focusing on the wrong things in your past attempts. You lock eyes with Josh and come to a realization. He is the only person who had the same fate, regardless of your six different attempts. No matter what you did, Josh perished at the hands of a Wendigo. Something about that makes you pause. Maybe if you tried to stop Josh from all of the cruel tricks he planned… Maybe, just maybe… You take a deep breath.

“Josh, I need something from the basement,” you announce, deciding to bite the bullet, “Can you come with me?” You need to talk to him—the sooner, the better. The group seems a little surprised by your request, which only serves to confuse you. You’re closer to Josh than you are to the rest of them. Did they expect you to go with someone else? You don’t get to pursue that thought process too far, as Josh answers.

“Sure,” Josh grins, smirking at you. You refuse to find that attractive. “Eager to go into the basement with me?” His tone is suggestive and you roll your eyes. He wishes, you think to yourself. You decide to remain silent and watch as the rest of the group pairs off. Unsurprisingly, Emily and Matt go together. Chris goes with Ashley and Mike sticks with Jessica. You’re left standing in the foyer with Josh. 

“Let’s go,” you suggest, shoving your hands in your pockets and walking towards the basement. You’re so lost in your thoughts that you don’t notice Josh’s suspicious gaze tearing holes into your back. You bound down the basement stairs and take a few turns, making sure that you’re out of earshot from the others. Josh follows you and comes to a stop next to you, clearly a bit confused about your sudden unfounded confidence. You don’t bother to explore the halls, since you remember everything from your past attempts. You’re about to turn the corner when there’s a hand on your shoulder. 

“Did you see that?” Josh asks frantically. Your first instinct is to respond, and you quite nearly turn around to look at where your friend is pointing. Just before you can do so, you realize that the fear in his voice is manufactured. You remember the elaborate tricks he set up. His lighthearted pranks ended up being far more than pranks, though. Josh’s fake death—or, well, Ashley’s real one—was traumatizing for everyone involved. Anger boils in your chest and you grab him by the collar to shove him against the wall. 

“Don’t even start with me,” you hiss, entirely unwilling to entertain Josh’s revenge plot. The fact that Josh can stand here and joke about everything… knowing damn well that he would inflict so much pain on his friends… Safe to say, you’re not happy about this situation. There’s a strange expression on Josh’s face, and it almost looks as if he wants to dissect you before his eyes. You take a deep breath. “Now, you’re going to shut the fuck up and let me speak.”

“Ooh, feisty,” Josh grins, looking entirely amused and interested with this turn of events. You tighten your grip on his shirt, both to get him to stop and to reassure yourself that everything around you is real. This isn’t a dream. You’re living through this hellish night once more. And, this time, you’re not going to die. None of your friends are going to die—you’ll make sure of it. You take a moment to close your eyes and regain your composure.

“I’m serious, Josh,” you sigh, hoping that your tone will convey your sincerity. Josh seems to believe you, as his eyes widen minutely and he falls silent. “I’ve done this before. Your little game? It never ends well.” Josh’s eyes go comically wide at that.

“How—?” he chokes out. You silence Josh with a look. 

“It never works out for you,” you continue. “You masterminded all this for revenge, right? You want us to feel the pain, the humiliation that your sisters did? Well, your game isn’t just a game—it has real consequences, Josh.” For the first time, there’s genuine emotion on Josh’s face. There isn’t a fake smile or a flat line. Just as you begin to hope that he’ll believe you, however, Josh continues to speak. 

“You wouldn’t understand,” Josh says. You know that he’s in a bad place, that he has struggled with mental illness since long before his sisters died. Even so, that remark is unacceptable. You can’t dismiss the sudden wave of frustration and rage you feel. 

“I wouldn’t understand?” You look at him in disbelief. There’s nothing but sincerity written on his face and it makes your stomach turn. “I lost two good friends that day, Josh.”

“Good friends?” Josh remarks sardonically. “Don’t make me fucking laugh. If you were such good friends with Hannah, then why didn’t you stop that prank?” You freeze. The hollow feeling you’ve grown to associate with grief is returning, and your chest burns. You clench your fists at your sides. 

“Josh, I think about that night constantly, and I know you do the same,” you sigh, swallowing past the lump in your throat. You’ve spent the past year regretting every single decision that led to that night, to Hannah and Beth’s disappearances. You’re not going to let Josh guilt you for it, not when you’ve been living with regret and remorse every damn day since then. “Don’t put this all on me; each and every one of us is responsible—including you.”

“I know,” Josh whispers, so quietly that you have to strain to hear it. He seems to finally have given up on arguing, so you let your hand fall from his collar. Josh massages his neck and you pretend not to notice. Instead, you take a deep breath and contemplate what to do next. Josh still looks confused, so you decide to explain what you can to him. You describe how you’ve lived this night over and over, how you’ve seen everyone—including yourself—die in increasingly gruesome ways. “Wow,” Josh remarks, once you’re done telling him everything. You feel inclined to agree with the sentiment. 

“If everyone is going to survive, then we’re going to need to work together,” you say, “Are you with me or not?” You extend a hand to him and for a long moment, there is nothing but silence. The lights flicker in the dimly lit hallway and the expression on Josh’s face is far too complicated for you to pin down. It is rather hard to believe—that you’re stuck in some fucked up time loop. Just as you’re about to rescind your offer of cooperation, Josh reaches out and clasps your hand. 

“Let’s do this, then,” he agrees. You spontaneously decide to squeeze his hand in a reassuring gesture, before letting your hand fall back to your side. Josh’s eyebrows furrow and he pushes himself off the wall, coming to stand next to you. “So… what now?”

“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d be able to convince you…” you trail off, your confidence from before slowly dissipating. Josh shakes his head in disbelief and you’re quick to defend yourself. “What? I have a plan, sort of. I just… made it under the guise that I’d be alone.” You hadn’t tried to work with someone in your prior attempts. That may have been the problem, though. 

“Well, you’re not alone,” Josh reminds you without hesitation. His confidence is reassuring—it pushes your nerves aside. Sure, there’s a million different ways this night could go wrong. Maybe this time, though, you’ll do it right. 

“I know,” you eventually sigh. You pinch the bridge of your nose and try to maintain your composure; the night is far from over. “Hm. Okay, well. Emily and Matt should be on their way back. Mike and Jessica are heading to the guest cabin— Oh shit. Oh shit!”

“What?” Josh asks, evidently startled by the sudden exclamation. 

“We need to get to Mike and Jessica right now,” you answer, remembering that Mike and Jessica will encounter a Wendigo if they make it to the guest cabin. You don’t have the time to explain that to Josh. Hell, they could be in danger already. “Fuck,” you mutter under your breath, spinning around and racing back to the stairs. Josh pauses for a moment before running to catch up to you. You sprint through the house and down the path outside. 

Thankfully, Mike and Jessica didn’t get far; in fact, it looks as if they’re having a snowball fight just off of the path. “Hey, guys. You should come back. We…” You’re suddenly struggling to come up with an excuse. The pair is staring at you with thinly-concealed suspicion and, for some reason, you’re blanking. You ran all the way out here with the fear that they would be in danger. They’re not, but now you need an excuse for them to avoid the guest cabin. 

“We’re going to use a spirit board,” Josh interjects, before you can awkwardly stammer through an unconvincing explanation. You send him a grateful glance. Mike and Jessica both squint at you, as if they know something you don’t. “You guys in? It’s pretty cold out here; probably not the best idea to go to the guest cabin.” You’re momentarily amazed by how calm Josh sounds. You then remember that his calm demeanor was the reason you were so blindsided by his betrayal in the first place. You have to make a conscious effort to forget that realization. 

“Sure, why the hell not?” Mike shrugs, looking to Jessica for confirmation. She shrugs and, with Josh’s guidance, the two of them walk back to the lodge. You let out a breath of relief once they’re out of earshot. 

“I can buy you time,” Josh whispers, despite the fact that Mike and Jessica are now too far away to hear. You turn to him and raise your eyebrows. He looks thoroughly convinced. “I’ll fake the spirit board again,” he explains. How is he going to do that, exactly? Josh must sense your thoughts—sometimes, you swear he can read your mind—and he rolls his eyes. “Relax, I’ll just make it look like a ghost or something.”

“Okay, sounds good,” you nod, already planning out what to do with the time he’s buying for you. The two of you stare at each other in silence. Apparently, the conversation is over. You take a step forward, fully intent on walking towards the cabin, when Josh’s hand falls on your shoulder. You glance at him, only to find a conflicted expression on his face. 

“Hey.” You blink at him in confusion, thrown off by the sudden remark. You look at him expectantly. Josh takes a deep breath and looks at you with a rather intense gaze. “How many times have I died?" Your heart stalls in your chest, and you’re completely unable to hide an instinctual wince. You really hoped he would overlook that part. Josh senses that you’re evading the question and he sighs. “I think I deserve to know.” 

You swallow hard. He does deserve to know. You inhale shakily. “Six,” you whisper, averting your eyes. You don’t want to remind him that you’ve lived this same night only… six times. Unfortunately, Josh seems to come to that conclusion on his own.

“My death is unavoidable,” Josh realizes aloud. There aren’t any words that can describe the tortured expression on his face—it’s a horrid mix of fear and resignation. Your eyes are burning and you wipe at them quickly, hoping he doesn’t notice. Josh’s own eyes look glassy in the pale moonlight and your chest tightens. You can’t even imagine how he must feel. You feel the overwhelming need to reach out to him, but you’re not sure if that will help. Instead, you swallow your nerves and muster as much confidence as you can.

“When I said we’re saving everyone, I meant everyone,” you remark. Josh looks at you in confusion. “That means you, too," you clarify, crossing your arms over your chest. He stares at you more. 

“Why are you giving me a second chance?” Josh asks, turning his back to look up at the stars. You can’t see the expression on his face, but the tension strung in his shoulders gives you a hint of what he’s feeling. “After everything I’ve done. Or, I guess, everything I… did.”

“Because I know you,” you respond, once the words start to feel heavy on your tongue. You have to avert your eyes as you say it, for fear of letting Josh see the emotion in your expression. “I know you and… you understand better than anyone.” You understand the grief better than anyone, goes unsaid. At that, Josh turns around to meet your eyes. There’s a complex expression on his face—something between disbelief and hope. The sight hurts to look at. He’s staring at you as if you’re some sort of hero. You choke on a wry laugh and put a hand on your face. If only he knew of the things you’ve done these past six nights... 

The snow crunches underfoot as Josh turns around to head to the cabin. You hesitate and eventually settle for following behind him, making sure to keep your distance. He seems to be rather rattled by what you told him—an understandable sentiment. You’ll give him some space. Once the two of you are safe within the walls of the cabin, you manage to gather everyone in the foyer. 

The next few hours pass surprisingly fast. Josh and you manage to engineer ways to keep the group busy, mostly with silly games like Truth or Dare and Hide and Seek. They’re childish, sure, but they distract the group quite well. Hide and Seek gives you enough time to confront The Stranger and receive some flares to fend off the Wendigos. 

Unfortunately, your luck soon runs out. The Wendigos had been lurking outside, but they’re starting to approach the cabin. You can catch glimpses of their shadows in your peripheral vision, and you don’t realize just how close they are until you spot one lurking on the doorstep. Its claws scratch against the door mockingly. Your heart races in your chest and you turn to the group. 

“Everyone, go to the basement,” you order, knowing you don’t have the time to explain everything. The Wendigos are far too close now. Your friends all stare at you in confusion and you feel yourself snap. “Go!” The group breaks free of their stupor and races down to the basement, which is more secure than the other levels of the cabin. “Josh, you too.” To your surprise, Josh doesn’t argue. Instead, he gives you a knowing look before turning the corner and heading for the stairs. You try to push aside your betrayal at that—you thought you’d be met with a little more resistance than that. The Wendigo lets out a strange noise and breaks through the window, effectively breaking you from your thought process. You pull one of the flares out of your pocket and freeze in place. Despite your refusal to move, you think you can feel your hands shaking out of fear. 

The Wendigo must notice the slight movement, and it lunges at you so fast that you don’t get the time to react. You’re roughly slammed down to the ground, hard enough to turn your vision grainy. The flare falls from your grip and clatters along the floor. The Wendigo leans closer, excreting drool from its gaping maw. It leans down further and you’re forced to grab at its jaw and push it away. Unsurprisingly, the creature is much stronger than you and its teeth rip into your hand. You bring a knee up and try to throw it off of you, but it doesn’t budge. You come to one earth-shattering conclusion: you’re going to die. You feel as if you’re watching in slow-motion, as the Wendigo lets out a loud screech and brings its hand back for another blow. You close your eyes and push at it desperately. Memories begin to flash before your eyes and it’s as if time freezes. You wait for unfathomable pain and infinite darkness. 

Just as its teeth graze your skin, the Wendigo screeches in pain and moves back. You take the afforded opportunity to scramble towards the flare and throw it at the Wendigo, which immediately scampers backwards at the threat of flame. There’s the loud sound of a shotgun discharging and you turn to the side, only to find Josh with a shotgun in hand. The combination of the flare and the shotgun seems to keep the Wendigo at bay for now.  You know that you don’t have much time, though. You grab Josh’s arm and he seems to get the idea; the two of you sprint down to the basement and race through the winding halls, before finding an isolated corner and remaining still. You’re both breathing hard and trying to remain quiet at the same time. It takes several moments for you to catch your breath. 

“Did you really think I’d leave you?” Josh asks breathlessly, still panting from the exertion. You can’t find anything to say. The ensuing silence must speak volumes, because Josh shakes his head at you disbelievingly.  “You alright?” He then levels you with a worried gaze that shouldn’t affect you as much as it does. The thought of being on the receiving end of that concern is enough to send your heart racing out of your chest once more. 

“Yes, thanks to you,” you eventually murmur. Josh sends you another heated look and you avert your eyes, instead deigning to walk back through the halls. Josh seems to know where he’s going, so you follow him. Sure enough, before long, the two of you manage to regroup with everyone else in the basement. Your friends seem to be debating what to do for the rest of the night. Josh asserts that you all should stay in the basement. Mike brings up one core fault to that plan—namely, what you’re supposed to do if you need to sleep. Josh motions for you all to follow after him. You’re the first one to do so and, eventually, your friends get over their hesitation and follow you. 

Josh leads you to a nondescript looking cabinet and opens it up. Before you can ask what he’s doing, he’s pushing the back of the cabinet back to reveal another room. You raise your eyebrows in surprise. This is a new twist; you hadn’t seen this in any of your prior attempts to live through this night. The others don’t seem to know about this secret space either, as they all have different surprised expressions on their faces. Once everyone is standing in the hidden room, Josh pushes the back of the cabinet into place and turns to look at the group.

“We should be safe here,” he maintains, his gaze wandering across the group before settling on you of all people. He looks over you thoroughly and you feel your skin prickling. You’re not quite sure what he’s looking for, and you don’t have the time to figure it out. “There are four bedrooms down here.”

“That’s convenient,” Matt remarks casually. Emily raises an eyebrow at him and they seem to have a telepathic conversation amongst themselves. Matt then turns his attention back to the rest of you. “Em and I can share a room. Then, Mike and Jessica… Chris and Ashley… That leaves one room, with—”

“You two,” Emily interrupts, pointing at Josh and you. Josh’s eyes widen and he sends you a strange glance. He almost looks nervous, and you’re not quite sure why. There’s a devious smirk on Emily’s face and you can sense that same mischief in your other friends’ eyes. Just what are they planning? You don’t get the chance to find out, as the group splits up and moves to their respective rooms. Josh exhales slowly, before leading you to the bedroom you’re supposed to share.

Your mind is reeling, even as Josh closes the door to the bedroom and takes a seat on the bed. You had no idea that these rooms existed before. Would you have even found them without Josh’s help? You were adamant on living through this night alone—just how much did that hinder you? Were you really just too prideful to reach out for help before? You’re certainly relieved that you all seem to be safe [for now], but… this all feels like a slap in the face. You feel ashamed, humiliated, remorseful. The guilt is eating you alive. 

Trying to remain calm, you kneel down to sit on the floor. Your head falls back against the wall. It’s far from comfortable, but you’re far too exhausted to care. Within the few seconds that your eyes are closed, you’re about ready to fall asleep. At least, until Josh interjects. 

“What the fuck?” your friend asks. You open your eyes and look at Josh, only to find him staring at you with a scrutinizing gaze. “Why are you on the floor?”

“Oh, I just assumed—” you break off, not quite sure how to explain your thought process. In all honesty, you assumed that Josh would be the one to take the bed. That thought must be ludicrous, because he looks at you like you’re absolutely crazy. 

“Get up here,” Josh says, moving over to leave you ample room on the bed. You push yourself up from the floor and sit down next to him. Silence stretches across the space and it’s both uncomfortable yet welcome. You rub a hand over your face, unable to calm your racing heart. 

You’ve never made it this far before, and you can’t rid yourself of the fear that everything will reset again. You’ve already lived this night six times. Each time, you thought your actions would be final. Each time, you woke up to find yourself walking along the snowy path towards Josh’s lodge. This time, you think that you’ve done it right. No one died, and you want things to stay that way. 

“I really don’t want things to reset again,” you murmur, unable to hide your fear any longer. You don’t realize that you’re trembling until Josh is reaching out and clasping your hands. There’s a strangely concerned expression on his face.

“Hey, hey, it’s okay,” he reassures you. His gaze burns into the side of your face, but you can’t find the courage to meet his eyes. Josh’s thumb skims over your knuckles and a shiver rolls down your spine. “I won’t let that happen.” 

You desperately want to believe him, but every time you close your eyes, you see your friends’ corpses. Each time you blink, you see Josh’s crushed skull; Jessica’s unhinged jaw; Mike’s smashed face; Emily’s broken body; Chris’s twisted neck; Matt’s corpse left to rot at the bottom of the cliff; Ashley’s gouged out eyes. You feel as if the breath is being robbed from your chest. You’ve seen so many horrible things over the course of this night, and none of it really settled in until now. You were forced to watch as each of your friends died—over and over and over again. Hell, you even died once yourself. The realization comes crashing down on you all at once and you find yourself gasping for air. 

“Whoa,” Josh remarks. His voice sounds garbled and warped, as if he’s underwater. You watch with blurred vision as he squeezes your hands and stares at you, willing you to meet his eyes.  “Hey, breathe with me. In, out. In, out. Come on.” You take a ragged breath in at his command, and exhale in unison with him. It takes several minutes, but you eventually manage to regain your composure. You’re holding Josh’s hands in a death grip, but he doesn’t show any sign of pain.

“Sorry,” you say moments later, releasing his hands.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Josh shakes his head. There’s worry written all over his face, and it hurts when you recognize that you’re the reason for it. You adjust your posture a bit and lean back against the numerous pillows behind you. Your body is incredibly fatigued but your mind refuses to slow down. You don’t want to let your guard down. “Hey, why don’t you rest? You look like you could use it, no offense.”

You don’t even have the energy to respond with a witty comment. “Honestly, I don’t think I can.” You stare at the ceiling, pretending not to remember that there are vicious Wendigos still roaming around. The effort is rather difficult. Your eyelids are stinging and burning with the lack of sleep, but you don’t want to rest. You can’t rest—not until this night is over. 

“You can go to sleep,” Josh eventually says. He then pauses for a moment, contemplating his next words. “I’ll be right here, keeping watch.” That’s a generous offer. You tell him as much and he chuckles. However, you know he needs sleep too. You remind him of that fact but he shakes his head. “You need rest more than I do. I’ll be fine.”

You bite your lip and look at him, trying to find a trace of dishonesty in his expression. There’s nothing to be found. You eventually give in, pulling the covers back and burrowing under them. Josh moves to turn some of the lights off and before long, you can feel your drowsiness catching up to you. You’re definitely nervous at the thought of sharing a bed with Josh, but your fatigue and exhaustion outweigh any potential embarrassment. Just before you succumb to slumber, you feel a feather-light touch on your cheek and you sink into the darkness. 

You wake up to find yourself standing on the snowy path leading up to Josh’s lodge. You blink a few times and stare at it in confusion. What’s happening here? Are you lucid dreaming? Surely, that’s the only logical explanation. You walk up the steps and knock on the door. It swings open within a few moments and Josh welcomes you in. You step in warily, only to find that everyone else has already arrived. Dread coiling in your chest, you keep quiet and listen to their conversations. None of this seems right-

“Hey, you okay?” Josh asks, bringing you back to the present. You stare at him with wide eyes and he stares back, looking confused and mildly concerned. You blink a few times and wait for the visage of him to disappear, for you to wake up with sweat-soaked skin. Nothing happens. 

“Wh-What is this?” You manage to choke out panickedly. 

“It’s a party, duh,” Emily responds, looking at you as if you have three heads. You take a look around at the group. Everyone is standing in a makeshift circle—Mike, Jessica, Emily, Sam, Matt, Chris, Ashley, and Josh. All of them are staring at you now, varying degrees of concern on their faces. Your heart is racing out of your chest. 

Ignoring the group’s confusion, you turn around and run over to the clock on the far wall. You don’t want to look at the time—you don’t want the confirmation of your suspicions, your fears. Even so, you need to know. You bite your lip and stare at the wall for a moment, before slowly looking over at the clock. 22:28 p.m. The night is just beginning.

You failed.