STRANGERS ♱ yellowjackets

35. we hear the wilderness and it hears us

BUNNY STARES AT THE TREES AS SHE BREATHES IN, her breath creating a warm fog in the air as she breathes out. Lottie's hand is firm on her shoulder, keeping her thoughts grounded like an anchor. "Just focus on what you're feeling", the dark-haired girl says, her voice quiet and calm as Bunny squeezes her eyes, even more, shut, giving her emotions her full attention. "Now", Lottie nods and hands out her hand to Misty, who takes it into her hand and faces the palm up. Misty takes the knife and presses its blade into Lottie's skin, causing it to bleed on the crested snow. The pain travels through Lottie's body, and Bunny flinches slightly as her eyes shoot open.

"It worked?", Misty asks excitedly, but Bunny shakes her head disappointingly, "No, Lottie just squeezed too hard."

Lottie hums, as she wipes her palm to her jacket, "We'll figure it out, don't worry."

"The more we try, the more I'm starting to think that I'm not supposed to control it", Bunny sighs as she wraps her arms around herself, feeling the cold creep under her sweater like ants; fast and uncomfortable. Lottie gives the girl a comforting smile as she sits down next to her. "We'll figure it out", she repeats.

Bunny nods, her gaze lowering as they begin to prepare for that morning's group session.

"You and Nat are still not speaking?", the dark-haired girl asks, tilting her head as she eyes the blonde who sniffles softly as she shakes her head. Lottie's smile doesn't falter as she brings her hand to the girl's shoulder and squeezes it slightly, "She'll come around."

"She thinks I'm crazy."

"She loves you", Lottie answers.

"She hates me."

"She'd kill for you", Lottie says as she raises a brow, but Bunny only scoffs.

"I hate her..."

"No you don't", Lottie says calmly.

"She's a liar."

"So are you", Lottie says, but there's no bite in her tone, just affection, and care.

"I lied about stopping my sessions with you, she lied about Javi's death", Bunny insists, her brows knitting together as she speaks. The conversation ends there, as their teammates walk to them, forming a small circle as they prepare themselves for the session. Bunny's mind drifts off as Lottie begins to speak, leading the guided meditation as the teenagers fall silent.

The world is a pristine, white canvas, untouched and serene. In the middle of the woods on a winter morning, nature embraces its surroundings in a tranquil silence. Snow blankets the ground in a soft, shimmering layer, sparkling under the gentle morning light. Tall trees, their branches heavy with snow, stand like silent sentinels, creating a natural cathedral of winter's artistry. Silence reigns, profound and complete, broken only by the occasional whisper of a breeze through the branches or the distant call of a lone bird. The world is hushed, as if holding its breath, waiting for some ancient, forgotten magic to stir. It is not an intrusion, but a part of this timeless scene, as integral as the snowflakes or the towering trees.

Then, a subtle change in the air catches Bunny's attention. The wind, once a gentle whisper, begins to murmur more distinctly. It moves through the branches, rustling the snow-laden boughs with a delicate, almost ethereal touch. It carries with it a sound, faint at first, but growing clearer with each passing moment.

"Susan," it whispers. The sound of her name, carried on the wind, is both familiar and otherworldly. It seems to wrap around her, caressing her ears and tugging at her heart. It is unsettling, but not frightening. There is a strange comfort in it, a sense of being known, of being seen by the forest itself.