Love, Blood and Wilderness | YELLOWJACKETS

Chapter 26

taking requests for what should happen in the adult timeline! enjoy this chapter (it's a little short!) <33
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    The air was bitter against our faces, wind burning our skin as if it was afire. Snow flakes were floating down and a bad feeling turned in my stomach the way that the breeze turned the flakes.

    Misty cleared her throat as Lottie and Nat faced off to each other in their heavy winter gear.

    "Okay, so one-on-one means no assistance of any kind. If you get a kill, just leave it where it is and we will come and help you bring it back. You, yourself, have to be back before sundown, or you're automatically disqualified. If you're not back by then, we'll come out and we'll find you," Misty tried to smile but it was as awkward as the way that she was standing, "Oh, and for weapons... we only have... one gun, so, um, maybe you can draw cards..."

    "Lottie doesn't need a gun," Mari noted, quickly.

"She doesn't need you to speak for her, Mari," I grumbled.

    "Uh, okay," Misty replied.

    "Lot," I pleaded, "please don't, please. You're going to freeze or... or get fucking eaten okay? Please, you can't."

    Lottie held my hands in her own and squeezed them in reassurance.

    "I'm doing what I said I'd do, right? Please let me. For you," she grinned, genuinely.

    "Lot..."

    "Please."

    I nodded, reminding myself that Lottie was as stubborn as she was beautiful. I knew that Lottie didn't stand a chance with Nat hunting, Nat even had the fucking gun. Lottie had her intuition, her savior complex and her burning desire to win me back. It was admirable, but also so fucking stupid.

    "Hey," Nat interrupted, "we haven't started yet, so don't get too confident with Taylor."

    "Jesus, Nat," I muttered.

    I was frustrated but I also wanted Nat to be safe, even though I knew she would be. So I turned to face her.

    I took her hand in my own, kissed it and whispered "good luck". Then I did the same for Lottie.

    The two stared at each other and nodded in understanding and agreement. I pursed my lips together, nervous for the outcome of this challenge.

There wasn't really anyone I wanted to win and there wasn't anyone I wanted to lose. I could only hope that they would both come back alive and safe.

    Lottie and Natalie trudged off in opposite directions through the snow, their feet lifting heavily from the frozen ground.

"Oh, Lot," I whispered, paranoid for her safety.
I felt a hand intertwine with my own and could only assume that it was Shauna.

I felt guilty, because Shauna couldn't do nothing to prove herself, not that she needed to, but I was sure that maybe she felt a twinge of jealousy or anger.

"You okay?" She asked me.

"I'm okay, Shipman. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

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It's only been half an hour but I couldn't stop pacing, terrified for what was happening to Lottie. I wasn't as afraid for Nat's safety, because I trusted that she knew what she was doing and that she also had a weapon. Lottie had nothing.