𝐈𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐁𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 ∽ 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬

𝘊𝘏𝘈𝘗𝘛𝘌𝘙 𝘚𝘐𝘟𝘛𝘌𝘌𝘕

｡･:*˚:✧｡
▏INVISIBLE STRING ▕
➫ ———— act one. gold rush
CHAPTER SIXTEEN ─── alone or not
to listen to ➺ welcome to the jungle by novo amor

pour water over each wound. what about the wound inside me, the wound i was born into? where do i pour when i am the wound? i am what wounds me.

— sanna wani, my grief, the sun

I know Sarah says it's July in this episode. However, midsummer is usually in the latter parts of June. And in 2020, it was specifically on June 24th. So...that's what I've changed it to.

As someone who suffers from intense anxiety, I wanted to make Josie's anxiety attacks as realistic as possible. Sometimes, when you're spiraling, all you need is some time to cry it out and gather your thoughts—remind yourself that it is all a momentarily lapse of feeling like the world is ending. If fatalistic language triggers you, please read with caution.

☼

THE GROUP OF FIVE ROWDY TEENAGERS MADE THE JOURNEY DOWN TOWARD RIXON'S COVE. With the lack of the Twinkie present, they were left to make the trek by foot alone.

Josie, of course, groaned in JJ's ear about walking the entire way there. Halfway through the walk down toward the water, she'd tugged her feet free from her heels and settled for going barefoot the rest of the way.

The three of them that remained out of the loop were impatiently curious, begging for more information regarding the new plan. But the boys insisted on making a fire before they spilled any beans, so that was the first thing they did when they'd found their gathering spot.

Pope begrudgingly helped John B and JJ get the fire going, while the girls huddled close together on an old cooler. The simple straps of their dresses did nothing to protect them from the night's breeze, so Josie had to rub her hands over her arms to stimulate heat.

John B made himself comfortable on a stump. Pope and JJ put the final touches on the fire, before the blond finally shrugged off his waiter getup. He was dramatic with it, pretending to shive with disgust as he pulled off the bowtie, and Josie laughed at his movements.

She smiled when he draped the button-up shirt over her shoulders, watching as he moved to sit on the ground next to her seat. Kie playfully scoffed at the fact that he opted for the ground over a stump. He retaliated by sticking his tongue out at her, then leaned forward to casually rest his elbow on Josie's thigh.

Pope, too, settled in his spot on a rock he'd drug over. "Hey, guys. So, like, my dad's already gonna kill me. So what's this mandatory meeting about?" He looked between the guilty parties who'd bailed them out.