Salvation [Until Dawn]

❄️ Epilogue ❄️

Every single of the young adults on the Blackwood Mountain was extracted by the helicopters that arrived as the sun dawned upon them. Gwendolyn felt the warmth of the sunlight on her face and the tears that had spread across her cheeks rolled down to the snowy ground below.

There was a rush of feet as Michael went running in the direction of the survivors who had made their way out of the North West Mines. Jessica, however, seemed completely out of it as Michael reached her, trying to ask her if she was okay and trying to embrace her.

Matthew, on the other hand, stumbled forward in shock, looking around at everyone that was gathered there before Emily threw herself at him, sobbing and speaking incoherently.

Christopher had helped Gwendolyn, Joshua, Samantha and Ashley to their feet before turning to the redhead, who seemed to be speechless in her own shock. Samantha looked at Gwendolyn.

"Are you alright, Gwen?" Samantha asked, concerned for the icy-blonde whom she had never seen look like the way she did. "You're... crying..."

"I'm fine," Gwendolyn replied, wiping at her eyes to clear away all sighs of tears. "I'm fine... we need to... um, we need to flag that helicopter down..."

"I'm on it!" Samantha assured her, rushing forward to frantically wave her arms at the helicopter.

As everyone was busy, Gwendolyn turned around to look back at Joshua, who was staring at her in silence, thick tears decorating his tanned skin, the glossiness of green eyes as vivid a spring forest.

"Do you mean it, Gwennie...?" Joshua asked, and it seemed like her words had sobered him up very quickly. "Wennie... did you mean it? When you said that you..."

"I love you," Gwendolyn told him. "I have loved you for a very long time, Josh," She curled her hands into fists. "When Beth introduced me to you... that day... by the end of it, I was in love with you,"

"Why did you never... let me know?" Joshua asked, the tears in his eyes renewing. "If I had known... If I had known, maybe... I wouldn't have let myself become so fucked up... now I'm too damaged for you –"

"No, you're not," Gwendolyn responded. "I'm the only one who can decide who is the right person for me, and I decided that long ago. I knew everything about you by then. So, if you allow me... I would like to be a part of your life as someone more than just a friend,"

Joshua was stunned as he stared at the blonde in front of him, her eyes piercingly silver as she looked right back at him with assertiveness that melted all of her shyness around him away.

"You're... you're the only thing that keeps my feet on the ground," Joshua confessed. "I feel like I will suffocate if I'm not with you... I don't understand... but I can't... make you suffer through myself,"

"And do you think I will be able to live without you?" Gwendolyn asked, her eyebrows knitted. "Let me be there for you – allow me to lend you my shoulder so we can get through this together,"

With their eyes meeting each other, Gwendolyn and Joshua stood across from each other. Joshua's tears had momentarily halted but Gwendolyn's bottom lip was starting to quiver a little.

"Gwen! Josh!" called out Samantha. "Come on, the helicopter's landed! We've got to go!"

"We're coming," Gwendolyn informed the girl before reaching for Joshua's hand, who allowed her to take it. "Come on, let's get off of this mountain before we discuss anything any further,"

Jessica and Emily were allowed to get onto the helicopter first as they were injured, followed by Samantha and Ashley. Gwendolyn nodded at the boys, Christopher, Michael and Mathew to get on next before she and Joshua got onto the helicopter in the end.