doomsday. [ yellowjackets ]

dix.

xxx.

chapter dix.
ten.

xxx.

          " Theo, wake up. " Taissa whispered, and even her whisper was authoritative. When she didn't get a response, she grabbed the girl's shoulder and shook it, repeating, " Fucking wake up, Theo. "

          The girl rolled on her side, face contorted as she slowly opened her eyes to look up at Taissa, raising a hand lazily to pull the one off of her shoulder, " What do you want, Taissa? "

          " I need you to go convince Lottie to not sleep outside. " She replied, and that was when Theo actually looked at her, brows knitted and a confused frown on her face. Theo rubbed her eye with the heel of her hand as she moved to sit up, quietly and carefully as to not to disturb the few others that had already fallen asleep. Most of them were still awake, chatting quietly near the lit candles, but Theo realized that Lottie was in fact not among them.

          " Why is she trying to sleep outside? " Theo asked at first, but then closed her eyes for a second, and shook her head, " Why me? "

Taissa just gave her an expectant look, pushing herself back up from her crouching position as she went to sit at her own makeshift bed beside Van. Theo watched her with confusion still, but blew a quiet raspberry before she stood up. She carefully tiptoed over Dana and Akilah to get to the door, closing it quietly behind her when she stepped outside. Without her shoes on, the floorboards of the porch felt cold, and the spring breeze was still a little chilly as she squeezed her biceps, her skin prickled with goosebumps.

" Lottie? " She whispered as she walked around the side, finding her standing on the edge, her own arms wrapped around herself. Theo blinked at her, waiting for a response, but the taller girl just turned a little to acknowledge her, a stricken look in her eyes. Theo frowned, raising a hand to mess with her bangs as she raised her voice a little, " Is..everything okay? "

" I don't..I don't know. " She seemed spaced out, if it was any other person, maybe she'd even think she was somehow high. Theo tried to track her face, but it felt like her eyes and to keep moving to take in the strangeness. Lottie finally actually looked into Theo's eyes after a few moments and said, " Something feels..wrong, about this place. I don't want to sleep in there. "

" Well, you can't sleep out here, the mosquitos will eat you alive. " Theo insisted, but in a much gentler voice than she likely would've normally. Something about the way Lottie's voice sounded as haunted as she looked made her wonder if she should even convince her to sleep inside. When Lottie didn't make a notion of agreement, and instead just averted her eyes elsewhere, Theo pressed her lips together.

" Listen, just sleep inside tonight, and..if you don't like it in the morning, we can sleep outside tomorrow. " Theo offered, shrugging a little as she quickly added, " It's safer than you being out here alone, so.."

Lottie still seemed unconvinced, but between Theo and Taissa's conversations, she felt like she didn't have a huge choice in the matter; the next step was probably them dragging her inside and locking the door. So she took a small breath and looked at the cabin with apprehension once again, then her eyes shifted to Theo, almost pleadingly as a last ditch effort. Theo wondered, and she would only keep this to herself because she could only imagine her reaction if she said it out loud just now, if Lottie's bad feeling had anything to do with her taking the last of her medicine earlier that morning.