Love, Blood and Wilderness | YELLOWJACKETS

Chapter 36

Nat had drawn the queen.

"No. No! NO!" I shouted, "NO! NO!"

Natalie released a shaky breath. She turned slowly to me.

"It's okay," she whispered, "it's okay."

She gave me a sad, trembling kiss and walked slowly to the middle of the circle. Her lips were wet with tears and I could taste her defeat.

"NO! NO!" I screamed and cried, Lottie restraining me. Taissa quickly came to her aid to hold me back.

I continued to yell and wail as Van handed Shauna the hunting knife. Shauna looked at the knife, then at me, then back to the knife. She joined Nat in the middle of the circle.

"Turn around," Shauna instructed through my screams of protest. She was hesitant and frightened, that much was evident. She pulled Jackie's necklace from her pocket, a golden heart that she was wearing the night that we consumed her, and unsteadily clasped it on her.

"SHAUNA IF YOU DO THIS, I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" I screeched.

    "Taylor, stop, stop," Lottie tried to calm me down as she held my arms tightly with the help of Taissa.

    "SHAUNA I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU," I cried.

    Shauna didn't look at me. She raised the knife to Nat's throat, her hands quivering.

"SHAUNA NO!" I wailed.

The blade was touching the skin of Natalie's neck.

"Wait, wait! Wait!" Nat turned to face Shauna, hands balled into fists, "You're gonna have to look me in the eye, Shipman."

Shauna gazed into Natalie's hard stare. She still held the knife up to Nat's throat, this time more frightened. Natalie hovered over Shauna, glaring at her, daring her to kill her.

"HELP HER! SOMEONE HELP HER!" I begged.

My eyes met Travis, who seemed dubious.

"Please! Please someone help her!" I pleaded, not taking my eyes off of him.

    "PLEASE!" I shouted.

    As Shauna hesitated to slice Natalie's throat open, Travis ran and tackled Shauna to the floor, causing the knife to go flying across the room.

"Run!" Travis instructed.

Natalie looked at me like a deer in headlights.

"RUN! RUN!" I screamed.

Nat quickly hurried out the door, sprinting out into the woods.

"Taylor what the hell?!" Taissa shouted, letting go of me. At her release, I started heaving up blood. Lottie held my back as I crouched over, puking.

"She's getting away!" Van yelled.

Gen and Melissa pinned Travis to the wall and Mari snatched the knife and pointed it at him.

"We can't let her get away!" Van commanded, and I was shocked by her sudden thirst for blood, since it wasn't that long ago that her, Nat and I sat around playing cards together.

"Keep her here," Tai commanded Lottie, though she knew I wasn't in any place to move, let alone run after Natalie. I kept heaving and coughing up blood.

    Gen and Melissa were instructed to stay with Travis and guard him. The girls all grabbed any kind of weaponry that they could and started rushing out the door after Natalie.