doomsday. [ yellowjackets ]

quarante-six.

xxx.

chapter quarante-six.
chapter forty six

1996.

xxx.

" Hey, how's Lottie? " Akilah asked, the question having been a long awaited one. The group all laid on the floor before the fireplace, packed together to keep warmth, and none of them had even thought to ask Theo about the injured girl for the few minutes that she was downstairs, so when Misty came down from checking in again, they were quick to hop onto the questioning.

" She, um.. " Misty trailed off as she noticed more of the group sit up to hear her answer. She shifted her gaze to them as if they were an audience and crouched down, " She said that if..if she dies, she wants us to make use of her. To stay alive."

           There was a pause of consideration.

           " Did she really say that? " Gen asked skeptically, though she almost sounded excited that Lottie would offer to be their next meal.

          " She must be really fucking sick. " Mel commented, glancing down with a disgruntled expression.

         " I can't imagine being here without her. " Van stated, looking amongst the others.

         " Me, either. " Shauna murmured, her face solemn. Tara found it pretty interesting how she didn't seem to hold any guilt over the situation being her fault anyways; she was the one that nearly killed Lottie, after all.

        " Then, let's not. " Mari insisted, leaning up to look at them with an annoyed face, " Lottie isn't gonna die, the Wilderness won't let her die. "

        Alex thought that, too. A naive thought, really. The Wilderness had gotten what it needed out of Lottie, it would be after this instance that it proved who It wouldn't let die now.

         " It may not want her to, but if she's starving.. " Travis started to trail off, " there's no way she's gonna live. "

         " The same is true for all of us. " Natalie agreed, and suddenly, Taissa sat up, garnering the attention of the group.

" Okay. We need to find a way to stay alive. And it can't be her. " She insisted, her head turning as she looked at each and every one of them, waiting for someone to conjure an idea.

Unbeknownst to Taissa, Alex already had one and was waiting to be prompted for it. First, she waited to see if any of the rest of them would say anything, if they would be the one to suggest how they should pick someone to kill and eat. That's what they were saying, it was just that none of them were secure enough to say it directly.

After a long silence, Alex forward, leaning her arms against her knees as she insisted, " Find a way to kill someone, that's what you mean, right? "

She was met by more silence as Taissa just shot a small, pointed look at her as if to say 'not now'. Still, Alex cleared her throat, rising to her feet and walking over to the coffee table they had pushed aside. As she stood near it, she glanced over the group and stated, " We should let the Wilderness choose, then. That's how it's been so far, right? "