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🅴︎🅿︎🅸︎🆂︎🅾︎🅳︎🅴︎ 🅵︎🅸︎🆅︎🅴︎ Ⓟ︎Ⓐ︎Ⓡ︎Ⓣ︎ Ⓣ︎Ⓦ︎Ⓞ︎
NANCY WHEELER KNOCKED ON THE door a second time. Her hope was running thin, but there was no way she was giving up until she'd searched every inch of that cabin for Kali. She knew she was in town, she knew she was in here. She felt Kali everywhere she went, and she knew she'd never really leave her. She couldn't believe that Kali would ever truly leave; she wouldn't believe it.
Jonathan shook his head sadly. He refused to let Nancyʼs determination get to him. He couldn't let himself be tricked by coincidences. Kali was gone. She was gone and they were never going to see her again — it was harsh, but it was the harsh truth. He couldn't let himself hope for anything else because he was scared of being let down.
"Let's just go," he mumbled quietly, "there's nobody here."
Nancy shook her head. "She's here," she insisted. "I know she's here."
She knocked again.
They both waited.
Nothing.
Jonathan sighed and shook his head again, turning to Nancy in attempt to convince her to leave. He didn't like to be in the woods for too long, especially not in this weather.
Waiting for a few more silent moments, Nancyʼs head dropped, her expression fading. She nodded to Jonathan sadly and turned around to leave.
Then, the door swung open.
Kali Griffin stood there, looking the best she ever had. She seemed so much brighter than the last time they saw her, so much happier. She had a home now, a family — Nancy almost doubted that she even needed her anymore. Maybe that was why she hadn't come to visit. Maybe that was why she didn't come and see her. Nancy spent an entire year having to face the fact she'd never be able to see that face again, and she was here the whole time. In the middle of the woods. Why didn't she say ʼhiʼ? Maybe it was all in her head this entire time. Maybe Kali never actually liked Nancy at all.
"Nan —"
Kali was cut off by the slap that was suddenly sent across her face. When she turned back around, she was smirking, seeing the mixed expression of anger, excitement and relief on the Wheeler girlʼs face. She missed it so much — her kindness, her fierceness, her smartness. She should've known that Nancy would find her eventually. It was Nancy.
But a part of her thought that maybe she didn't want to see her again. Maybe she spent all that time moving on from her, getting her life back in order, that Kali was slowly removed from her mind.
