UNTIL DAWN: Sam's story

VIII.

It was around 4 AM when I let my eyes slip shut for a while and heard soft footsteps closing in on us. I looked towards the sound and recognized Chris, who was now about to sit down next to Ash. The girl looked at him encouragingly as he quickly averted his eyes shyly. She squeezed his hand in support and they kept them like that. I smiled to myself when I saw the pair holding hands. At least something good has come out of this shit-show. Another few minutes passed in quiet, when a loud scream pierced the air. My body tensed to the sound and I quickly scrambled to my feet, taking the first step.

"Let me in! Let me IN!!!" somebody banged on the door loudly.

"Is that—?" Ashley looked at me as we ran towards the door.

"It's Em!!" I quickly recognized the voice.

"Let her in! Quick!!" Chris shouted as he pulled the knob.

"Shut the door! Oh my God—shut the door!!!" she gasped as she fell to the floor. We gently pulled her up as Chris closed the door.

"Em, are you alright?" he asked worriedly.

"I didn't think that I'd make it –" she cried out.

"You were screaming bloody murder."

"Are you alright?" I asked over him.

"You look totally wiped –" Ash blurted out when we arrived back to the living room.

"There was something –" she continued hyperventilating.

"Where's Matt –"

"Come sit down, sit down –" I led her to the couch.

"Something's out there –"

"Did you guys split up?"

"A monster—It's a monster—"

"Wait!" Chris shut us all up loudly. "What are you talking about?" he asked calmly.

"I said there's something out there--!" she repeated, her breath slowly getting back to normal.

"Like what?" Ashley's eyes opened in horror.

"Ash, relax.... It was Josh, it was all Josh-" I reassured them.

"No, no no no listen to me-" Emily freaked out again.

"We got him tied up, he can't hurt you," I comforted.

"NO! It was AFTER ME. And it wasn't human—" she stuttered.

"Hold on... Em, can you tell us exactly what happened?" Chris stepped into it again.

"I am trying to tell you," she clasped her hands and looked around at us. "We were climbing up the tower and it fell. The whole tower just fell! Right into the mines—"

"Whoa whoa whoa, what mines?"

"There are all these mine shafts all over, running under everything, when the tower fell, we ended up down there." She gesticulated furiously.

"I don't understand, the tower fell?"

"How did it fall?" We continued questioning her.

"I—I was walking down there, in the mines, and it was dark and I found this pile and it was Beth's head!" We all gasped at this.

"Wait, what?"

"Beth's head I found it," she stammered out unfocused.

"Oh my God!" Ash pulled her knees to her chest again.

"What the fuck?" Chris ran his hands through his hair.

"Are you serious?" I whispered.

"YES, I'm serious!" she yelled. "I think they fell down there. But the worst part is I don't think Hannah died, like, from the fall, not right away."