Monstrous - Until Dawn {Completed}

TWO

The flight from California to Alberta, Canada was only a few hours long, and Josh spent the entire trip passed out on my shoulder. He even drooled a little, but I didn't say anything about it. Now we're on a bus, Josh dozing with his head against the cold window this time, on our way to the base of Blackwood Mountain. Apparently there's a cable car that will take us up to the top, where the ski lodge is. While a cable car doesn't seem like the safest form of transportation to me, who prefers being on the ground rather than in the air (making the flight to Canada a nightmare), I trust Josh. 

We're the last passengers on the bus when it reaches the base of the mountain. Josh woke up a few minutes prior and now bumps me with his shoulder. "Come on, let's go," he says with a sleepy smile.

He slides past me into the aisle and offers me his hand. I roll my eyes at him and stand on my own, to which he laughs. He leads the way off the bus, tipping the driver generously for taking us. Snow crunches beneath my boots when I hop off the last step. I grimace. I'm not exactly fond of snow, per se. Josh sees my expression and laughs. "Live a little, Charlie."

We start to walk, a stone wall and wrought iron gate looming ahead of us. Josh starts to job, looking to have a bit more of a spring in his step now that he's back on the mountain. I can't help but smile. Until he starts spewing profanity, anyway.

I quicken my pace, trying not to slip in the snow. "What's the matter?"

Josh shakes the gate, a large frown on his face. "Fucking gate is broken. The cops must've busted it while they were up here investigating." His face is dark, but it brightens when I rest a hand against his back. "I think we're going to have to climb over the wall. You up for that?"

"I don't see another option, unless you'd like me to fly back home," I say grudgingly. I walk toward the left of the gate and toss my bag over the wall. Good thing there's nothing breakable in there. Not that I think anything would break in the snow. But what do I know?

I wedge my fingers into the gap between a couple of the stones, get a nice foothold, and start to climb. The wall is taller once you're on it than it is looking up at it from the ground. I jump for the next handhold and almost miss it, knocking my knees against the stone along the way. Cursing quietly under my breath, I get a grip on the top of the wall and swing a leg over, prepping myself to get completely on top of the wall.

"I really like the view from down here, gotta say," Josh says below me. He whistles.

"Shut up, please," I say. He laughs.

The muscles in my arms are screaming at the effort of having to heave myself over the wall. Exercise isn't exactly my forte. I take a short break at the top of the wall before I slide down the other side, bending my knees so I don't hurt my legs. I don't know a lot, but I do know that. Straightening up, I grab my bag and sling it over my shoulder just as Josh tosses his own bag over, narrowly avoiding hitting me. "Hey, watch it!"

Again, Josh just laughs. I doubt I'll ever get tired of hearing it. Seconds later, he's up and over the wall and landing next to me. He's hardly touched down before his legs fly out from under him and he falls into the snow. He shrieks. 

I look down at him, trying to mask my grin. "I thought you were used to the snow, Joshua?" I say teasingly.

He sticks his tongue out at me and gets to his feet, frantically shaking out his coat and shirt while hopping around in circles. "Not when it's down the back of my shirt!" he whines, waving his hands to get feeling back into them. "God, that's so cold."

"Try to stick the landing next time, eh, Joshie?"

He rolls his eyes, grabs his bag, and walks ahead of me. "I hate you."