𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 ✸ 𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐉𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬

[ 023 ] loss of a loved one.

            Her attempt at humour actually managed to rouse a half grin from the Martinez boy. It didn't reach his eyes, but it was a start. Travis weakly chuckled as he sniffed back his emotions. "That's a relief. I was worried there a second." He jokingly responded.

What little laughter there was quickly faded away, leaving the two to sit there in silence, simply listening to the steady breaths of their friends and the crackle of the fire. After what seemed like forever, Travis' mouth opened and his worry began to tumble free. "Javi's out there again. That's two nights in a row."

"Javi's okay, Travis. He's just scared." Nola uttered calmly to the fearful boy. It was understandable that he would worry for his brother but Nola knew he needn't bother. Sooner or later, Javi would return to them. She could hear him.

"How would you know?" Travis shot her a puzzled look. He didn't know what she meant.

The girl sucked on her teeth. She was aware how crazy she was about to sound but it didn't matter. Travis needed some semblance of comfort. "As weird as it sounds, and trust me I know I sound crazy every time I say it, but I-I can hear him." She quietly admitted to the boy. When his brows furrowed at her, Nola continued to explain. "I mean, take last night for example. I could hear you. You and Jackie coming back to the cabin. How can that be? I wasn't anywhere near here when that happened."

Travis felt conflicted. On one hand, what she was saying was crazy, it sounded crazy and even she knew that, on the other hand, Nola had been hearing things for ages now. "You heard us? You can hear Javi?"

Nola nodded. "I can. He's hiding. I don't know where but he's safe." Every now and again, the faint sound of shuffling and running footsteps would ring out in her ears. It just had to be Javi. He had to be okay. When Travis didn't immediately call her nuts and instead looked contemplative, a small smile tugged at her lips. "You believe me, don't you?"

"Nat—"

She swiftly cut him off. "Nat is scared to admit that strange things have been happening here. Things we can't explain. You though, you seemed more in tuned if that makes sense."

Nola then reached out a hand, grabbed hold of one of Travis' before tugging it closer to her body and cupping it comfortingly between her hands. Unshed tears pricked at the boy's eyes as he stared woefully back at the brunette. "We'll find him, Travis."

            Though the boy seemed comforted by Nola's words, he still tugged his hand free of her grasp. "I'm gonna go to bed." He quietly uttered while pushing himself up from the ground. When he began to walk away, something told him to turn back. "Tha—" he started before letting out a sigh. "Don't stay up too long."

            A nod of appreciation was sent his way. Nola allowed the faintest of smiles to form upon her lips as she whispered back, "Good night, Travis."

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THE FAST PACED THUDS of Shauna's feet as they trudged quickly down the attic ladder and through the cabin towards the door managed to rouse everyone out of their slumber. As the Shipman girl whipped open the door, almost tearing it off its hinges from how aggressively she had pulled it, the rest slowly peeled opened their eyes as the light of morning poured in.

            Groans of exhaustion reverberated off the wooden walls. The sight of white covered the ground outside however caused the groans to cease and instead made everyone scamper to their feet as they took in the sight of snow blanketing the ground.

            Misty fixed her glasses upon the ridge of her nose as she said, "Oh my god, it snowed?"

            Van rose to her feet as the words, "Holy shit." fell from her mouth in astonishment.

            Any shock they had at the sudden weather change swiftly vanished when they noticed that Shauna stood at the edge of the porch. She seemed completely frozen to the spot, paralysed with fear. Suddenly they heard her whimper out, "Jackie?"

            "No, no, no." The Shipman girl chanted fearfully, her bottom lip wobbling as she rushed forward. Her knees gave in as she collapsed on to the ground, right next to a large mass of snow, piled up higher than anything else.

            Nola was now stood alongside everyone else upon the porch, watching teary-eyed as Shauna brushed away the snow that had buried Jackie underneath. Their collective gasps resulted in clouds of mist due to how cold it had gotten overnight. The temperature had surely dropped far into the minus's.

            Jackie's entire body had began to freeze. The skin of her face, her pouty lips, everything had turned a horrifying hue of blue. Her clothing and the sleeping bag that she was wrapped up in crackled as Shauna aggressively began to shake the frozen girl. "No. No, Jackie! Wake up." She cried out, pleading with all her heart for the girl.

            Taissa rushed past everyone and made a dash for Shauna. Her knees sunk into the snow as she reached out, grabbed hold of the brunette and attempted, with all her strength, to pry Shauna away.

            Shauna continued to push and pull at the blonde. A flood of tears was now washing down her cheeks and snot was leaking from her nose. The taste of saltiness entered her mouth as she continued to sob. "Jackie, wake up!"

            Nola found herself unable to stand. Her knees buckled for only a second before she tumbled to the ground. Her body slammed hard into the wooden floorboards of the porch. Her cheeks were wet with tears as she observed the now frozen and lifeless body of one of her best friends being jostled about. Her stomach churned horribly as guilt racked her body.

            She felt a hand rub against her back. She didn't know who it was nor did she care in that moment. The act wasn't soothing, wasn't comforting no matter the intention. Instead it just made her feel worse. She didn't deserve their comfort. None of them deserved comfort. Jackie was dead because of them.

            A most earth shattering, heartbreaking, desperate scream of agony suddenly filled the air. Shauna wailed a cry fitting only for a banshee. All of her pain, all of her sorrow, her guilt and grief echoed through the air, shaking everyone to their core.

            Shauna eventually fell back into Taissa's arms, gasping for fresh air through her fit of excruciating, chest crushing cries. "Jackie." She choked out once last time before succumbing to the cold, hard, frozen truth.

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jamielee's thoughts.
chapter twenty-three. not proofread.
final chapter of season one! this show is hard to write for what with all the violence, betrayal, cannibalism lmao im excited to get to season two as well as beginning to write adult nola, i hope you enjoyed :) also I know this chapter isn't that long but oh well.