Havenfell

Chapter 8: It All Spills Out

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of depression, false accusations. Also arguments, and one of the characters does have a PTSD meltdown)

The early morning light cast a pale glow over Havenfell as Felicity and Juno made their way back to the Havenfell Inn. Their bodies ached from the long night of fear and running, but they were relieved to be alive. As they approached the inn, the sight of their friends gathered in the lobby brought a small measure of comfort.

However, the tense atmosphere quickly shattered that comfort. Alex stood in the center of the group, his voice raised in anger. "They're dead! Felicity and Juno are dead because of that fucking demon!"

The group gasped in horror, and panic spread through the room like wildfire. Bree, her face pale and eyes wide, clung to Callum, who looked equally shaken. Poppy and Rin exchanged anxious glances, while Pete and Elliott wore expressions of disbelief.

"We're not dead," Felicity said, their voice cutting through the chaos as they stepped into the lobby.

Everyone turned to look at them, their faces a mixture of shock and relief. Alex's expression twisted into one of fury. "What the hell? How are you still alive?"

"By not abandoning each other," Juno snapped, glaring at Alex.

Alex's face contorted with rage, and he stepped forward, his voice dripping with venom. "You should've stayed dead. Both of you. You're nothing but a burden."

"Enough, Alex," Callum said, stepping between him and Felicity. "What is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me?" Alex laughed bitterly. "What's wrong with all of you? Felicity is the reason everything went to shit last year. They're the reason Juno drinks herself stupid every night."

"That's not true," Felicity said, their voice shaking but determined. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, don't I?" Alex sneered. "You almost killed yourself last year, remember? Juno was terrified she'd be the reason you'd go through with it."

Juno's face crumpled, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I... I couldn't stand the thought of losing you, Fliss Floss. That's why I drank. To numb the fear."

"Juno," Felicity said softly, their heart breaking for their friend. "It wasn't your fault."

Alex's eyes gleamed with malice. "Maybe it wasn't Juno's fault. But did you ever wonder why you got rejected from your first-choice university, Felicity?"

Felicity's heart skipped a beat, and the room fell silent. "What are you talking about?"

"Alex, don't," Bree said, her voice a whisper, but Alex ignored her.

"I made sure you were barred," Alex said, his voice cold. "I told them you were a rapist. I made up false accusations, sent fake evidence. I did everything I could to ruin your life."

A collective gasp filled the room, and Bree's face turned white as a sheet. "You... you did what?"

"Felicity wanted to take you away from me," Alex said, his voice rising. "They were always there, always calming you down, supporting you. They were a threat."

"You sick bastard!" Juno screamed, lunging at Alex, but Nathan and Callum grabbed her, holding her back as she struggled. "How could you do that to them? To any of us?"

"You wanted to take Bree away from me!" Alex shouted, his face red with anger. "You always had to be the hero, always had to be the one she turned to."

"Because I was her friend!" Felicity shot back, tears streaming down their face. "I was there for her when she needed me, just like she was there for me. That doesn't give you the right to destroy my life."

The room erupted into chaos, voices overlapping in a cacophony of accusations and denials. Amidst the shouting, Felicity noticed Bree slipping away, her face a mask of shock and betrayal.

"Bree!" Felicity called out, but she was already gone, disappearing into the shadows of the inn.

Desperation clawed at Felicity's heart as they pushed through the arguing friends, searching for any sign of Bree. They ran through the hallways, calling her name, but there was no response.

Finally, they found her outside, sitting on a bench under a large oak tree, her head in her hands. Felicity approached cautiously, sitting down beside her without saying a word. Bree's breathing was erratic, her hands clenching and unclenching, a clear sign that she was struggling to hold herself together.

"Bree," Felicity said softly, "look at me. Breathe with me, okay? In and out, nice and slow."

Bree looked up, her eyes glassy with tears, and tried to follow Felicity's lead. They both took deep breaths, the cool night air helping to calm the storm within her. But Felicity could see she needed more than just breathing exercises.

"Hey, remember that time in Year 10 when we almost kissed during that stupid game of Truth or Dare?" Felicity said, a small smile tugging at their lips. "We were both so embarrassed that we couldn't stop laughing."

Bree's tense expression softened slightly, a faint smile appearing. "Yeah, I remember. We got so close, and then you tripped over my bag."

"We laughed for ages," Felicity continued, their tone light and reminiscent. "Everyone thought we were crazy."

The memory helped Bree focus, her breathing steadying as she let out a small, genuine laugh. "That was so ridiculous. You were such a klutz."

"I still am," Felicity admitted with a grin. "But we got through it, didn't we?"

"Yeah," Bree said, her voice steadier now. "We did."

They sat together in silence for a while, the weight of the night's revelations hanging heavily in the air. But in that moment, they knew they had each other, and that was enough to face whatever came next.