Josh Washington

The lodge was silent. Josh sat on the living room floor, surrounded by old photographs of his sisters. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair messy, and his hands trembled as he stared at a picture of Hannah smiling beside Beth. He slowly reached for it. A small, broken smile appeared on his face. Then he noticed the others' faces in another photograph. Sam. Mike. Emily. Chris. Ashley. Matt. Jessica. Rae. His smile vanished. He stood up abruptly, sweeping everything off the table. Photographs scattered across the floor, frames shattering against the wooden walls. He paced through the lodge, breathing heavily, occasionally stopping to stare at the empty staircase. For a moment, he thought he heard footsteps. He turned. Nobody. His gaze landed on Hannah's old sweater, still hanging beside the fireplace. He pulled it against his chest, squeezing his eyes shut. Then his expression changed. He walked to the basement and switched on the monitors. One by one, the screens flickered to life, showing recordings of his friends. Josh watched them silently. His lips curled into an unsettling grin. He dragged a chair toward the monitors, sat down, and leaned forward, his eyes wide with sleepless determination. Outside, snow began to fall over Blackwood Mountain. Josh didn't look away from the screens. Not once.