Until Dawn ~ Another Path {Josh x OC}

Chapter 5

My head suddenly ached, flooding my head with the image that the totem gave me, making me fall to the floor.
The voices started to come back.

Why didn't you come for us? Why did you let that be our fate?

"No no no no no.... No I didn't..I tried my best.. I was drunk..." I fell to the floor with my eyes closed tight, clawing at my ears, rocking back and forth as they mocked me.

We could still be here, we could still be making more happy memories with all of you. You killed us.

They repeated again and again. I heard distant mumbles all around me. I had only returned to reality when I felt myself being violently shook.

"Bella! Bella come back to us! Please!" Josh yelled to me as he still shook me.

When I stopped clawing my ears and opened my eyes, which were still wide and in horrific shock, he stopped shaking me.

Josh was kneeling down right in front of me while Chris was kneeling down behind me, with his hand on my shoulder. Everyone else was standing next to them, looking down on me with worry plastered across their faces.

My ears were red and the skin around my ears was bloody, as well as my hands and nails.

"I'm...I'm fine. I was just...just thinking..that's all.." I said getting up, rubbing my bloody hands together.

"You were not just 'thinking' Bella, stop even trying. You were hearing voices again, weren't you." Ashley saw right through me, as everyone else did to.

"What, who told you that?" Tears forming in my eyes, I tried to hold them back.

"Bella, we can help you, just let us know how." Mike said, even though our relationship hasn't been the best lately. I've always seen him as a second brother to me, yet I was mad at him after he pulled the prank, I eventually forgave him, but I never forgave myself.

I couldn't hold back the tears anymore. My face suddenly became a river of tears, the dam that held my emotions deep inside of me, now broken. I fell into Chris's arms, not caring about what they all thought about me anymore. Josh stood next to Chris, holding my hands tightly, as if it was my only life line to reality.  The rest of my friends just stood around me, telling me it was alright.

"They..they told me it was me. It was my fault they died. They said they would still be here if I would've helped them.. Why are they saying that? I tried! I really did try Josh!" I sobbed, while everyone listened closely.

"Bella, don't listen to them. It's not real. It's just your imaginations way of blaming yourself. Your the only one who actually tried to go out to get them, risking your life in the process." Josh soothingly said, calming me down more.

"Don't you blame me too?" I asked sniffling.

"Are you kidding me? Why would I ever blame you? You tried and that's all that matters." He said, still holding onto me tightly.

"I guess.." I began rebuilding the dam that was once holding my feelings. Now that it was empty after my embarrassing episode, I could begin to refill it. I still had so much more to cry, so much more to tell them, about my pointless therapy, the horrid nightmares, my drugs, suicidal thoughts, cutting, the mind boggling pills.

"I'm ok, let's..lets party like pornstars, right?" I joked, doing my best to make my ongoing act believable.

Josh replied with a warm smile. The circle that was once surrounding me now started to diffuse.

"Come on Bells, let's get you cleaned up." Sam said as both Ashely and Sam held my arms, guiding me into the kitchen to clean my hands and cuts on my ears.

~Chris
"She's a lot worse then I thought guys, I'm sorry." I apologized for her issues. I felt sorry for her, I should've never brought her up here.

"It's fine, we'll comfort her and help her through this. You know I've always seen her as a sister Chris, I won't let anything happen to her." Mike genuinely replied.

"Me and Mike both." Jess said, wrapping her arm around his. I appreciated  her concern, but I knew Bella didn't like her that much, nonetheless, I still returned their smiles.

"Don't apologize, it's not anyone's fault she has bad depression. I was hoping this trip would help us all, but I guess I was wrong." Josh's smile turned to a frown.

"No, I know you meant well. I'm just not sure she's ready to be back here."

"Oh really, she's being a big baby about it. It's not like she saw them die or anything." Emily with her nasty comments, making my blood boil over her best friends disappearance.

"Emily, come on, Bella has been your friend for a while now and your just gonna turn on her like that?" Matt attempted to calm her down.

"Oh please, we all know very well that she never liked me, and we haven't been good friends either." I tried to ignore her before I snapped right in her face.

Emily went on with her stupid remarks and I just ignored her. I hope this night is going to get at least a little better.

Relationship Status

Josh: 9/10

Chris: 10/10

Mike: 7/10

Matt: 6/10

Ashley: 9/10

Sam: 9/10

Emily: 2/10

Jessica: 2/10

~Traits

Brave: 6/10

Honest: 5/10

Charitable: 7/10

Funny: 6/10

Romance: 7/10

Curious:  4/10