Chapter Text
Johnny woke up to the light of the morning passing through the thin walls of their tent, Today was it, after everything. Just you, me, and that snowy peak we always dreamed about as kids, ain't it Matt?. He unzipped his sleeping bag, beginning to sit up and felt the soreness from the previous weeks leading up to this moment. He and Matt had planned this trip for years, but only recently had it ever gone anywhere. They'd always loved a good thrill, the kind that got their parents begging them to stay inside. Nothing could ever keep them down though, not a worried call from a mother, a teacher's wagging finger of disapproval, or even a hospital visit. A broken bone or two meant nothing in the face of the sheer raw adrenaline of finding the limit of the human experience. It's what's kept him and Matt thick as thieves through every argument. Right now, with Matt's new job at the office it's exactly what they both needed. Putting away the night's comforts, he can feel the excitement build up. Matt's waiting just outside, probably prepping breakfast. God, do we even bother? We're so close, we can eat while we walk! Fuck, I could run this last stretch, we could race! Finally, unzipping the tent to begin packing it up as well, Johnny sees him just outside around the now re-lit fire from last night.
"Matt! God, can you just believe it man? They'll never believe you back at the office! I know I've said that like, every check point now- but really!"
Matt is facing opposite to him, staring off at the peak. He didn't react much, absent-mindedly stirring whatever he put in the pot over the fire.
"Mornin' Johnny."
"Mornin', watcha' got on the fire?
"I thought I'd do something nicer, like you said, almost there. Threw together the last of the nicer bits we had, something like a chili."
"Sounds great man, hey, we'll be out of this chill soon! Shit, I can hardly feel it under all these coats and the sun reflectin' off the snow. I am going to miss this feeling Matt. Really, how are you going to go back to all that now?"
"I don't know, probably the same way I always have after you dragged me out somewhere." His words, oddly monotone, almost seemed to carry a certain malice.
"Oh uh, ok. Is everything alright man?"
"Yeah.. Yeah I'm great John. Just tired from all the hiking. Maybe I need to throw on another coat. The chill and all that like you said." Whatever was there before dissipated into the air between them, carried off in the harsh cold.
"uh alrighty then, I can grab you another if you'd like, before I pack up the last of it. Did you sleep alright?"
"Slept fine, you know what? don't even worry about it. It's fine. Just one last stretch Johnny. Isn't that amazing?"
"Dude you're kind of freaking me out, don't talk like that. Did I do something last night?" He begins to approach Matt, as he does, Matt stands up and looks at him, face hidden by goggles and a balaclava. Matt puts a hand on his shoulder, relaxing a bit.
"Don't worry Johnny, we're almost here. It's everything, even just here ain't it? The way the light reflects off the snow. It's brighter than anything back home. Food's almost done, let's just sit here a minute." Matt faces him just a bit longer, before sitting back down, looking back up the peak. Johnny watching him, a bit speechless, but after a minute he pulls a folding chair up to the right of him. He watches the pot boil hard, this high up things boil at lower temperatures, so if it isn't spitting it isn't really cooking like it needs to. He can't help but keep glancing up to Matt, but all he does is stare off at the wind shaped peak, he almost looks like he's shaking. Minutes pass without a word, Johnny goes back to the tent, grabs a blanket and throws it over Matt. He doesn't move at first, but eventually he breaks his gaze and takes the pot off the heat. He grabs two bowls and fills them, it smells wonderful, he gives Johnny more. They eat it together, warming up, watching the fire burn till it runs out of fuel. Johnny waits for Matt to get up. They sit there for nearly an hour, but he does.
"How long has it been, John?"
"Since what?"
"Since we met."
"I was thinking about that earlier, I wanna say 10 years?"
"It's been 14 just this September. You were close. You've been my closest friend for a long time now. At many points, my only friend."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah." He stands up, looking down. Johnny doesn't look at him, he's bouncing his right leg. "I think I'm ready now Johnny. Let's go."
"Ok, let me finish packing the tent up and everything. Are you sure you don't want another jacket?" When he looks back at Matt to await an answer, he's already begun to walk. "Matt? What the hell are you doing?" He continues walking. "Matt! What the fuck?!" He shouts. Matt keeps walking up towards the peak. He runs up to him now. "Hey, Where the hell are you going? we still need to pack up, are you ok? I think you should sit down some more, it's ok if we can't make it today, or even tomorrow! just stop walking away man-" He tries to put his hand on his shoulder and begin to pull him back, Matt continues to walk. "DUDE YOU AREN'T GOING UP THERE LIKE THIS! Fuck I'm calling for a helicopter, I think they still go up this far, that or I will drag you down there myself!" Johnny steps in front of him, grabbing him, Matt fights weakly. They fall to the ground together, Matt grasping at the snow, still trying to propel forward.
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Lynn wakes up groggy to the blaring of her alarm, she always hated that stupid bell clock, but that's why it always woke her up through it all. After hitting the thing till it stopped, with her arms wide she stretched and hazily looked about her room. Even through her curtains the light from outside was hard to look at. The only blessing of this morning was her sister had apparently decided to make breakfast this morning, she always was the better cook. She got up, the smell of sausage sizzling weighed heavy in the air, looked back at the mess of blankets on her bed and long finished coffee mugs and plates, I wonder if she'll take a bribe to add a few more dishes to the sink. She walked out into the main room with the kitchen and living room, the couch where her sister slept hadn't been made either yet.
"Good morning Christy, cooking up the last of the sausage from the neighbors?" She greeted her sister, going up to the couch and folding up her blankets.
"Oh. Morning Lynn. You don't have to do that.."
"Oh it's nothing, thought I might as well 'set the table' as it were." She snickered to herself. "If you get a chance could you take stock of what he have left? I ought to head up and restock a bit, I know they aren't getting as much on the farm now but I'm sure the neighbors will still have something to sell off."
"Yeah. I'll add a few more things to the list. I only hope I didn't use too much."
"You never do Christine, you know that's what Mama was always lucky about with you. You're good at managing things, even all the way out here."
"Thank you Lynn." She was meek compared to her sister Lynn, never spoke too much, it's part of how they always got along. Lynn did the talking, with Christine right behind her to help with the work. They wouldn't have made it without each other, especially not off of the little their mother left them. After Breakfast was made they sat on the couch and ate together. The only sound between them was the muffled howling of wind, there was a storm out today. They would stay inside today, clean up a bit, read their respective books. Lynn would go up to the neighbors tomorrow, a nice couple with a few kids and a reasonable farm and get what Christy wrote on the list like she did every other week. Christy wouldn't add it herself, but Lynn remembered to get those chocolates she liked, on friday nights they'd make coco and watch their favorite movies on VHS. It had only been a few months of this, but they'd begun to settle into habits. Eventually, Lynn would find a job and after a month she would recommend Christy when she applies. The move had been real hard on Christy, but not so much their mother's passing. Whenever Lynn brought it up, she seemed to shut out more. It had always been difficult between them, but Lynn knew she still cared, it was their mother after all. When they'd find a way out of this place, save enough to move back, they could still have these friday nights, even if Christy moved back in with her boyfriend. Things were nice here, but they'd still be nice then. It's good for her to spend some time away anyway, she was always couped up in that old house in her room. Here she can learn some skills for herself, get some experience with whatever work we find, find out how loyal that man was--
"Have you seen anything from the mail man Lynn?"
"Oh, just some old bills from Ma, don't know how they even got the new address already."
"Oh. He told me in his last letter that he'd be sending a bit of money in the next one, even a little gift if nothing happened in customs, wouldn't say what it was though. Your going up to the office again in another few days right? I could go with you."
"Well, I don't know about that, who will watch the house? That leak has been getting worse, I still have to get some materials for a bit of patch work from the neighbors, in the mean time one of us has to be here to make sure it doesn't get too much worse, I mean what if the roof collapses?"
"You know that won't happen Lynn, it's been snowing for days now and there hasn't been a drop since."
"I just worry about you, your last cold was so tough on you and I don't want another outing to knock you out like that again. Your my only sister Christy, family is all we have right now, you are all I have right now. I'm sure his letter will come soon, I'll come running back down the second it comes in and deliver it right back to you, okay?"
"I know you've been hiding them Lynn." She spoke with a new certainty.
"Excuse me?"
"I found them. Couldn't find the money, though. But I can't help but notice there's a new necklace your wearing."
"Christy, I- You have to understand, he has to be lying, men don't stick around when your months out and across the globe, I'm protecting you from when he eventually gives up LIKE THEY ALL DO. YOU WEREN'T AROUND WHEN DAD LEFT."
"Lynn. Just give me the necklace." Lynn stares at her, upset and near unable to speak, her sister has never had that tone before. The eyes she could barely meet before her were cold and tired, her food in her lap was barely touched, she looked even just cold to the touch somehow. Waves pass over her, wanting to yell back at her, but she just couldn't. This is her little sister, who just made her breakfast, as she often did. The one who's been by her through everything, who she wanted nothing more than to be safe in the world. Finally, something new broke in her, now looking at her with a newfound powerlessness, she took of the necklace in spite of herself and carefully handed it to Christy who held out an open hand. Her eyes felt wet, but not a tear escaped her yet.
"You know I love you, right?" Christine only stared at her, something shifted in her expression, something nearing pity. Her brown eyes were near consumed by her pupils, something was vastly different with her sister before her.
"I know, Lyndsey. I thought so for a long time. I'm going to go on a walk now. Your not going to follow me." Lynn desperately wanted to run at her sister, to find out what caused this, how she knew and why she wasn't yelling back at her and angry like Lynn herself would have been, and at the same time all she could ask herself is why exactly she hadn't been doing exactly that as her sister with that unnatural certainty in her eyes got up and walked out the door without a goodbye. As the door closed, the fading memory of the blur of colors that mad up her sister was lost to the hungry winds outside. Finally, unconsciously she got up and ran to follow her, yanking open the door to find nothing more than a few footprints and the small diamond necklace with a thin gold chain gleaming even through the blinding snow.
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Nightfall had come now, It was just him and Matt in the tent. Johnny hadn't re-lit the fire, so dinner for them was 2 of the MREs made with the electric kettle. Matt stared at him with desperation, but not the way his friend before would, the kind that came out in extreme hunger. He was stuck in a sleeping bag and haphazardly tied up, after getting him back in the tent both him and johnny were far too exhausted to fight anymore.
"You have to eat Matt. I know we got through most of the good ones by now, but hey, I remember you mentioned the chicken noodle one wasn't the worst..maybe it'll help with whatever the hell came over you. That's what they always do in movies." Johnny looked at his friend, the one he'd known so long, trying not to fear him and whatever this is. This was their dream and it's become nothing more than a nightmare. I mean, it was both of their dreams, right?
"Johnny, it'll be ok, just untie me. I promise." Matt spoke so weakly now. He was still cold even under everything. Johnny had taken off the goggles, by now he'd begun to regret it. all he'd do now was stare at him, try and ask to leave every once in a while. Enough rest and he'd escape no problem. he knew it. Matt probably couldn't think of anything else. But even with so much struggle before, he never hurt Johnny. The kettle light popped on as the water began to boil, he poured it in each main packet and stirred. He offered a spoonful of the chicken noodle one to Matt. At first nothing in his face changed. Eventually he looked at it, and accepted it. They both knew this would only bring what was coming faster. But he couldn't just let him starve, and he'd knocked over the chili from earlier on the way back down. It was a shame, it really was quite good.
"Hey, you know you could've been a chef" he awkwardly laughed to himself. "You still could, if we get out of here."
"You know that isn't true John." They both knew it wasn't an option.
"Yeah, you have the office, right. The office. They won't be able to believe that quiet old Matt, the one who always got his work done on time, was out here was climbing the mountain. They just won't" Matt looked at him, that pity resurfaced on another's face. Johnny went back and forth, a bite for Matt, a bite for him. He had made himself the beef stew. It was bland at best. A both meals were finished, they sat there in silence once again. soon, Johnny begin to set up his own sleeping bag again. He was exhausted.
"Hey, Matt?"
"Yeah Johnny?"
"You know I love you, right?"
"Yeah Johnny. You wouldn't let me forget." He spoke little emotion.
"I know, Mathew."
"Goodnight John."
"Goodnight Matt. I love you."
Johnny felt himself drifting off with those final words. As he remained not yet asleep but still falling into it, a few snapshots stuck themselves in his memory. Matt escaping the sleeping bag and restraints, Matt cleaning up the night's meals, Matt unzipping the tent, looking out at something in the distance he could just barely make out. There was a figure out in the night, something darker than the sky, it's form uninterrupted even by passing snow. It's eyes were brighter than anything he'd ever seen. It seemed to wait for Matt, who was zipping up the tent, not even looking at John. And then he was opening up his eyes once more, to the morning light coming in through the thin tent fabric, with Matt no where to be seen.