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The woman with raven hair stared through the foggy window her forehead occasionally bumping on the cold glass as the vehicle trudged up the snowy mountain. She brings her hand to rub to her forehead as it aches. The past few weeks the nights had been filled with nothing but night terrors and ended in a cold sweat. Despite that she now traveled up the mountain in an attempt to get out of the house hoping this impulsive decision would drift her mind to a dream of excitement of her riding down the snowy slopes instead or maybe of her crashing horribly whatever works, she lets out a scoff. Her mind had lost a touch of reality in all honesty often filled with dizziness and that feeling of being in a dream made her anxious, more than she'd like to admit she had ran to the bathroom to splash her face and stare at the reflection of Diem Maeve, Diem Maeve..? Her usually bright green eyes were dull and her face looked sickly even her tan skin had taken a sick paleness all the way to her lips and the darkness surrounding her eyes. Diem Maeve, Diem Maeve, Diem Maeve, Diem Maeve, that's me, Diem is me...she runs her fingers through her tangled curls in frustration...what is going on? She blinks bringing herself back to the car as it pulls up to a set of large log cabins. Thanking the driver she hops out wrapping herself with her coat as she feels the stinging cold hit her. Pulling out her bags and rented equipment she waves to the driver and drags her things to the entrance, thankful to see a trolley near the set of doors. Peering through the glass doors as she struggles with her luggage and finally places it on the trolly with a sigh she begins dragging the luggage toward the doors. The inside was lit by bright enough lights to give you a headache and scratched, chipped wooden walls. Well this trip was.. spontaneous so it was not much of a surprise to see the cabin in such a state. Clearing her throat she approaches the reception, “..Hello ! I’m checking in? I'm here with the ski group for tomorrow ..” The receptionist looks exhausted and rubs her eyes as she begins to check in Diem, finally handing her the key to her room. Diem drags her feet through the hallway even the air smelled of something she could not recognize very musty and sour. She goes to Cabin A and enters. Walking to her room and inserting the key she opens the creaking door and drops her things by the entrance and sits down on the mattress placing her hands through her hair and sighing the migraine giving the sensation of her head being split “Cool...has to get worse of course of course.” She gets up and opens the curtains to look out the small window. Expecting a winter wonderland she's greeted with the dirty snow from the parking lot and the ink sky. Walking to the bathroom to rinse her face she grabs some water and takes some medicine for the growing migraine. Throwing herself on the hard mattress she groans readying herself for another nightmare, too drained to try staying up.
The nightmare always started the same, in a poorly lit gray room where I heard absolutely nothing and could not even move a muscle. The only feeling was the growing anxiety of being watched. I felt my nape tingling but I couldn’t move or even breathe. Was I alive? Fingers wrap themselves around my throat tightening their grip making my vision go spotty. I open my eyes as I stand in a long hallway with flickering lights and plain yellow walls. I don’t want to move..
I turn my head as I hear whispers around me, it grows louder and louder making my head hurt as the lights flicker faster and faster, my vision goes black again. I struggle to open my eyes as my head still hurts, the whispers still loud, I'm facing a door, I don’t want to open it. Please dont open it, please don't open it, The hand reaches out and turns the handle slowly the whispering getting louder and I feel so much pain I fall to my knees and yelp from the feeling of my head being split I rub at my scalp as i’m forced to look up whispering and screams surrounding me the lights begin to flicker and blood running down my forehead I look up only seeing flashing images. A set of lips, scratches, rotting meat, agonizing screams continue the face appearing more and more inhuman, melted,... dead. I once again feel those same fingers wrap around my throat as I try screaming and flailing.
I wake up sweating, my breath uneven , I reach to my face noticing tears start to fall.
The woman gets up and runs to the bathroom scrubbing furiously still breathing heavily. Walking to a chair besides the window she crouches on the chair and looks towards the clock. It had only been an hour and half… she stared out the window noticing the bits of snow beginning to fall towards the ground as she crouches on the chair wrapping her arms around her knees looking through the window.
Heavy Knocks are heard from behind her, blinking quick she realizes it's bright out and rushes to the door opening it. Being met by a tall woman with the most peculiar look on her face, it was very hard to depict exactly what she looked like. The woman was amused but looked at her heavily as if no such amusement was felt. Her eyes looked very dull though they were a light almost golden brown.. there was just something.. She snaps her finger “Hey! Yeah Hi...you're part of the ski group right? I mean that's what the lady upfront said you told her. Well if you are the lady she spoke of and not her murderer or something like that then we're leaving in 30 minutes ? We’ll be camping out in the mountains so pack a good bag kay’?”
“..W-what? The lady upfront told you..?!”
“Yepp, doesn’t care much about privacy when she works at a shit place like this.” The women said loudly, making Diem cringe. “Oh by the way my name’s Nour we’ll be staying in the same cabin anyways so nice to meet you..?”
“Diem Maeve... that's my name.”
“Well Diem start getting ready because you now have less time to pack so hurry it up ! See you outside.” The woman was very strange, her emotions going from pissy to angery and leaving off with a sweet smile, however Diem was intrigued.
Stepping outside the breeze hit strongly, making Diem squint from the brightness of the snow and the strong winds. At this point the woman marveled how she did not pass out from exhaustion and pass out right there in the lot instead she trudges through the snow towards the group. “Hello nice to meet you guys..My name Diem sorry if i’m late.” The group didn’t acknowledge her greeting with even a hello back; they just stared at the women and went back to waiting silently. Finally a lady approaches the group calling out to them to hop into the truck going up the mountain and begins to explain the rules as they all settle down. “I understand that you all are beginners ? No worries then you guys can learn together! We will be staying the night up in the mountains since it will take us hours to get to our destination and at most well get two trips of skiing for today if we’re lucky. So just relax and enjoy the ride or ask me any questions you may have.”
Diem stared out the window trying her best not to fall asleep; she feels a tap on her shoulder. “Hey Diem.” Nour stared back at her, the setting sun hitting her face. “You look like shit man like you haven't slept in ages huh?” she laughs though Diem didn't find it very humorous..no not humorous at all. She ignores the women and turns back to the window waiting out the hours to pass by.
“HEY! We’re here Diem... snap out of your trance already.”
Diem jumps and grabs at her head as she feels another migraine start to become stronger “yeah..Okay sorry just don’t startle me like that..” Searching for her bag she grips the handle and steps outside, she looks around her surprised by the loud silence surrounding her and the plows of snow decorated by the lines of green fern. “Okay guys I know it’s been a long day but I need you guys to stay with me we’re going to try to go down a small hill at least by tonight okay? But first let’s drop off our luggage at the cabin so follow me.” Trudging through the snow, the group turns the corner and are met with a small cabin. Following the instructor inside they all get told their rooms and drop off their bags quickly. The interior was snug but not necessarily comfortable..there were bits of rotting wood, the same sour smell seemed to inhabit this cabin as well even the surfaces looked grimy with filth. Diem held her ski equipment tightly and followed the group outside. Diem looks towards Nour and noticing a small scab at her cheek it looked very new she reaches her hand out focused on the crescent shape “Hey No-”
“Alright everyone gather around I’ll be going over the absolute basics and maybe if we're lucky we'll go down that..'' she points behind her to a slope considerably smaller than the larger slopes the size of skyscrapers. After much struggle they put on their equipment properly and learn the basic movements on the flat snow. Diem didn't feel very out of place as almost everyone would trip over their own skis and continuously fall on the snow.
By the end of the practice the sun had finished setting and only one person had made it to the hill and down. Diem rubs at her back feeling numb from the cold and pain from her many falls on the firm snow, even her feet now ache in the tight boots resorting to just sit and stare at the stout lady going down the hill. Diem stares up at the sky, large clouds hovering over them as light snow begins to fall. The instructor called the group together and told them to head back inside the cabin. “Or else we’ll be here when the animals come out it is pretty late already..” With that the group rushes for the cabin. Shaking off her boots of snow and finally stepping into the cabin the faint fire crackling and slowly warming up the interior. “Here,’ Nour hands her a cup of light brown liquid ‘Helps with the cold you can have it, I brought others.” She downs a small bottle and stares into the fire, Diem notices a larger tear in her skin now by her neck and reaches out without thinking. “The hell are you doing ?” Nour looks down scowling and moves back grabbing Diem’s hand “Haven't you heard of personal space?” Widening her eyes she looks again the scar now gone had she been hallucinating ..? Was it because of her sleep ? “I-im so sorry I don't even know...” Nour looks down at her blankly staring back, “You concern me.” She downs the rest of the bottle and interrupts the chatter around the cabin “Goodnight guys i'm heading to bed ! i’m exhausted..so don't be too loud.” She walks down the small hallway towards her room and shuts it loudly. The instructor clears her throat, “she’s right guys we have a long day tomorrow, let's get to bed.” Groans and goodnights are heard, Diem tells the others goodnight and finally heads to her room. Slipping off the heavy jacket she changes into her nightwear and goes to the bathroom. She doesn't notice until she rinses her mouth of toothpaste that her head does not ache..had it been the many falls or something? She thinks bitterly. Hopefully this means that she’ll sleep tonight.
Tucking herself in she wraps the sheets around her and sighs shutting her eyes.
The nightmares didn't come. Only a blank mind and nothing else she heard faint noise but could make out nothing from it, maybe people just running into each other in the bathroom. No dream, no nightmare, just darkness. And it is that exact silence that wakes her up.
She looks around confused touching her face, no tears.. No sweat? Then why did she wake up? She sits in silence looking at the clock. It's still night time 2:34 am..she looks outside. Is that a blizzard..? “These ski people are extremely unprepared..” She looks at the snow building up the many slow flakes covering up the inky sky. No..it could not have been the blizzard that wasn’t what I heard..
Her feet hit the cold wood and she walks towards the bathroom looking for the source of what may have woken her. She sits in silence again..maybe it had been accidental that she’d awoken?
Heavy breathing. Whines..? Right outside the bathroom. Getting up quickly and as quietly as possible she presses her ear on the door searching for the noise, the heavy breathing not one of someone sleeping no..right outside. She searches for something to use for her defense and finds nothing... “The door doesn't even have a lock so there's no point in being here.” If the rest of them are in danger..no they can’t be maybe it's another hallucination. Stepping out Diem looks down the hall and back noticing nothing she decides to head back to her room rubbing her eyes and yawning. Her foot hits something and she retracts her foot quickly noticing it’s wet.. “What the hell..? She grabs one of the ski poles and drags the object near the fire to get some light to hit it. Dragging it and cringing from the sounds it makes she leans down to look at it and falls back against the stone of the fireplace immediately. Her breathing becomes heavy as he stares at the object.. A heart. She covers her mouth to stop from screaming, this has to be fake ? A stupid prank maybe ? But from grown adults? Especially this group no.. She leans down closing her eyes and smells it almost throwing up right there. “No, no, no, no, no this is another nightmare it has to be. How cruel that It doesn't feel like one it has to be that's why I feel so out of touch with things..yeah it has to be.” The roaring storm outside continues as she breathes heavily deep down however she knew she was not asleep. This was happening.. “H-have to t-tell others now..? Yeah I do now ..just snap out of it.” She gets up and runs to the rooms screaming not being able to hold back her sobbing anymore. ‘Everyone get out!! Help! Someones been hurt please!” She knocks rapidly on the door sobs coming out from her mouth and she falls back when she sees a tall figure. The features are all contorted and blood runs down its face, skin looking rotten. Diem screams running back trying to find something, a phone, a gun, something , anything please.. She's sobbing as the tall figure runs at her, no voice only screams and whispers..? Her mind goes blank and she simply stares at the figure in front of her whispers.. whispers...rotting meat..screaming. Her mind is blank, she's silently screaming now her throat sore from her shrieks before. The storm outside grows louder and louder as she stares at the creature's neck and face. Crescents everywhere its neck, its face, new scabs of crescent on.. her neck..her neck?..the sour smell and rotting meat stronger than ever. Darkness.