STRANGERS ♱ yellowjackets

38. strangers

BUNNY WATCHES LOTTIE SLEEP, her breaths shallow but rhythmic, a fragile sign of life. The fever has subsided slightly, leaving Lottie pale and exhausted, but alive. Bunny's own eyelids are heavy with fatigue, but she cannot bring herself to sleep. She sits beside her friend, fingers gently brushing stray strands of hair from Lottie's damp forehead, her heart aching with a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

The attic is quiet, the oppressive silence now a familiar companion. The antler monster sits in its corner, its eyes watchful. Bunny feels its presence like a weight, a strange, almost comforting assurance that she is not entirely alone. She glances at it, her eyes meeting its dark, inscrutable gaze.

"I don't understand", Bunny whispers, carefully, as she tries not to wake Lottie up. The monster doesn't understand, "Where did it all go wrong? What could've I done differently?" Questions are left unanswered as the creature just stares at the girl. Bunny takes a deep breath in, "I don't know what I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do. It all just seems so... meaningless now."

The creature stays quiet, but Bunny goes on.

"I tried to find meaning after mom, but it was all just a fucking act and I think deep down I knew it. I tried to find meaning with Nat, and I did, I mean... I love her, I really do. I just - I can't explain it...", the girl mutters, her voice soft as it lingers in the attic.

Lottie groans slightly as she stirs in her sleep, causing Bunny to shift in her spot. She places her hand gently on the girl's forehead, checking her fever. "Bunny", Lottie whines as her eyes stay closed. "Shh, just sleep", Bunny says as she pets the girl's long hair, "you'll be just fine."

Suddenly, a noise breaks the stillness—a clatter from downstairs, followed by a muffled shout. Bunny's heart leaps into her throat. She shoots up and rushes to the small attic window, peering out into the dim light of the early morning. Her breath catches in her chest as she sees Natalie, bursting out of the cabin door, fear etched on her face. Behind her, their friends are in pursuit, their expressions a mix of desperation and something animalistic.

Panic surges through Bunny, but she forces herself to stay calm. She takes a final look at the antler monster. In its eyes, she finds a silent command, a wordless directive that cuts through her fear. She nods, understanding implicitly. She knows what she has to do.

Without hesitation, Bunny moves swiftly, her movements fueled by adrenaline. She slips out of the attic, descending the creaky stairs with practiced quiet. Her mind races, but her body moves with purpose. She reaches the main floor, her eyes scanning the room frantically. There, leaning against the wall is the rifle.

She grabs it, the cold metal a solid weight in her hands. She checks the ammunition with a quick, practiced motion, her mind flashing back to the lessons with Natalie. The rifle feels both alien and familiar, a tool of survival she never thought she'd have to use. As she makes her way to the door swiftly, she passes Travis who is pressed against the wall with a knife against his throat. Bunny's eyes widen as she looks at her teammates, who pay no attention to her as she and Travis share a quick look of terror. Bunny has to keep running she runs.

And if something Bunny is, she is the fastest runner the Yellowjackets have ever seen.

Bunny bursts out of the cabin, the rifle a solid, comforting weight in her hands. She plunges into the forest, her heart pounding like a war drum. The trees close in around her, their branches clawing at her clothes and scratching her skin. Every step feels like a fight, the forest trying to swallow her whole if she dares to slow down.

Her breaths come in ragged gasps, the cool air burning her lungs. The ground beneath her feet is uneven, roots and rocks threatening to trip her, but she pushes forward, driven by a desperate need to find Natalie. Fear gnaws at the edges of her mind, whispering that she might be too late, that she might never find her in this vast, snowy maze.