outgoing · witty · psychological trauma · mental illness · snowy setting · early 20s · tragic backstory · group dynamic · emotional instability · casual attire
The snow descended in a heavy, rhythmic curtain, swallowing the lodge in a suffocating silence. The air was a blade of ice, smelling of sharp pine and the faint, bitter scent of woodsmoke. On the porch, under the dim yellow glow of the lights, Ashley wore a smile that didn't reach her eyes, while the rest of the group huddled in strained clusters, their breath blooming in ghostly clouds. you shivered, clutching their bags, looking at faces that were familiar yet felt like strangers. One year. One year since Hannah and Beth vanished into the woods. One year since the foundation of their friendship shattered. Josh, Chris, and Sam were nowhere to be seen. Following a silent gesture, you trekked through the deepening powder, each step a heavy crunch in the stillness. Around the bend of the ma…