Chapter Text
Victoria POV:
Victoria’s ass hurt like hell! She had been stuck on a train for three fucking hours! Nothing is worse than that, actually, she was stuck on a train for three hours with a girl who had severe anxiety and the inability to shut up. Multiple times Victoria tried getting Flora to shut up but nothing was working.
“Hey Flora, why don’t we try playing the quiet game, wouldn’t that be fun?” Victoria felt as if she was indulging a child, but a whiny and chatty one who wouldn’t calm down.
“Oh okay, sure!” Flora exclaimed. She sat back in her seat and looked around her while humming softly to herself, Victoria was getting sick of that too.
“Flora, that also includes humming. No noises, just sit in silence while you take me to your cult-thing.” Victoria said while waving her hand.
“It’s not a cu—” Victoria cut Flora off with a wave of her hand.
“Quiet game, remember?” Flora sat back in her seat with a slightly annoyed expression on her face.
The silence lasted for a total of about five minutes. “It’s not a cult, it’s a place where people like you—”
“Children of a nonexistent god! So fun!” Victoria interrupted. Flora sighed.
“Where people like YOU can survive and grow up and learn to survive in the real world before you age out of camp.”
Victoria was about to respond with questions and more sarcastic remarks but the PA system came on informing the passengers about their destination. “THIS IS LONG ISLAND. THANK YOU FOR USING LONG ISLAND RAILROAD. PLEASE BE CAREFUL OF THE GAP WHEN EXITING THE TRAIN.”
“Oh thank fucking god we’re off the train!” Victoria said as she stumbled to her feet. “My everything fell asleep.” She whined, stretching her back like a forty year old man getting up from a couch.
Once they were off the train, Flora wasted no time navigating through Penn Station, dodging people and their luggages as if she had done it a thousand times over. Victoria kept getting lost or confused and Flora kept having to go find her in a panic. “How do you know this place so well?!” Victoria asked, she kept getting stressed as she lost sight of Flora once again.
“Oh my gods!” Flora said as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “Stop getting lost!”
“You say it like it’s easy.” Victoria mumbled while crossing her arms.
“Do you want to hold my hand or are you a big girl?” Flora asked, her tone was very mocking and Victoria was taken slightly aback because she never expected that from someone like Flora. Nevertheless, she took Flora's hand as they sped through Penn Station in search of the exit.
“Slow down!” Victoria exclaimed as they dodged people coming left and right. Flora moved with ease while Victoria was getting smacked by bags in the way and peoples hair getting flipped into her face. “Flora, slow down!” She planted her feet and yanked the smaller girl's arm back.
“What?!” She exclaimed.
“Just calm down! We can walk out of here normally, and I'm sick of getting accidentally whacked by people’s arms and their bags or hair.” Victoria said as she rubbed her side, some guy had accidentally elbowed her in the ribs as they ran by. He yelled sorry but it was lost in the noise of the train terminal.
“Alright, fine!” Flora caved as they started moving again but this time, a lot slower and Victoria could actually catch her breath.
Oh my god, what is happening? Do I really trust her? Should I really trust her? For all I know, Flora’s taking me to a brothel! Victoria thought. She couldn’t think straight and she was just following Flora with blind abandon. “So where are we goi—”
“EXIT!” Flora exclaimed out of nowhere, cutting Victoria off mid sentence.
“Where!?” Victoria said, turning around. She felt Flora's arm tighten around her wrist once again. “Oh god.” She braced herself for more pulling and possibly a dislocated shoulder as Flora dragged her through the station once again, finally towards the outside.
“We’re so close!” Flora exclaimed as she ran, with a confused Victoria in tow.
“And I’m so close to falling, slow down!” Victoria yelled. Alright, that’s it! Victoria planted her feet and yanked her arm back and Flora got pulled back, her body twisted like a rag doll.
“OW!” Flora yelled as she recoiled back, clutching her arm in pain. “What the hell are you doing?!” She screeched; clearly this was a very serious matter for her, but Victoria still couldn’t see why getting to Long Island was either life or death to Flora.
“I need you to slow the fuck down!” Victoria yelled back. “Now, I don’t care that you basically kidnapped me,” Victoria whispered because she didn't want to bring more attention to the two of them than they already had. “And brought me here, but you need to cool it! Or else, I’m ditching you and going back to Manhattan, and you can stay here by yourself.”
“Okay, okay! I’ll cool down.” Flora gave in. Victoria breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she could catch her breath on this trip. If I’m gonna die because I’m getting kidnapped, I don’t want to be exhausted as shit! Flora better learn to walk normally or else I’m ditching her when her back is turned. Victoria thought of all the ways that she could get back on that train to the city without anyone seeing her or making her check a ticket.
They walked through the exit doors, allowing the sunlight to wash over their bodies. Victoria felt tired, but she quickly snapped out of it when she heard a growling, she curled her fists out of fear, until she realized that the growling came from her, her stomach to be clear. “God, I’m fucking starving!” Victoria whined, but Flora was determined to reach Long Island Sound, and the reason for this was still being kept from her.
“We can eat once we’re at the camp, okay.” She said, shutting Victoria down.
This is child abuse! Victoria screamed, her internal voice sounded like a fire alarm, mixed with a car alarm during a tornado siren. Her cry for food was so loud that Victoria was sure that other people could hear her.
Victoria scanned the area, looking for anything even remotely edible. Her eyes landed on a food truck selling sandwiches. Food! Her brain was no longer in control, Victoria's stomach was making the calls, and it was telling her to steal a sandwich. She made her way over to the stand, just as some guy finished paying for his lunch. He sat down and reached over for his phone or something else in his pocket, taking his sweet time. Gotta play this right, and I’ll get a free sandwich. Victoria thought to herself as she remembered her howling stomach.
The man was still digging around in his pocket for whatever he was looking for while Victoria snuck around behind him. She moved quickly but not-so-quietly because her movements were being drowned out by the noises of the people moving around in the rest of the station.
“Alright, I figured out how to get to the camp.” No one responded to her. “Vict—.” Flora turned around but was met by an empty space behind her. “Where’d she go? Oh god did I actually lose her?” Flora began to spiral and panic. “Where the hell did she go!?”
Victoria saw Flora panicking in front of the man. She saw her turning around in fear and anxiety. She waved her hand around trying to signal to Flora where she was, but nothing was working. Okay let me just get this over with and I’ll get back to the panicking queen. Victoria thought as she looked back down at the man. How does he not see me? And what the fuck is this guy searching for in his pocket that’s taking so long? Victoria drew a quick breath and reached down for the small paper plate that the guy's sandwich was sitting on. 3… 2… 1! She snatched the food from right under his nose and walked away, acting as if nothing happened. Victoria discarded the paper plate into the nearest trash can and took a bite from the sandwich as she approached Flora, who was still in a panic.
“Victoria!” She called into the crowd, hoping someone would answer back.
“What’s up?” She responded from behind; her mouth still full of sandwich. Her sudden appearance caused Flora to let out a small yelp.
“Where the hell were you?!” She yelled at a low volume.
“Getting a sandwich.” Victoria said nonchalantly as she took another bite.
“Where did you go?!”
Just as Victoria was about to answer, a man called out behind her.
“Hey! Who took my sandwich!?”
“Yeah we should go, like right now.” Victoria said, before taking another bite of the sandwich. “Lead the way.” She said, pushing Flora along.
“Do I want to know?” Flora asked.
“Nope, not unless you feel like disciplining me.”
“Yeah, I don’t wanna know.”
“Great! Then let’s keep moving.” Victoria said.
The duo left the main area and walked to the edge of the building till they hit a spot where many other people were gathered around near the sidewalk. Many cars were either coming and dropping people off then leaving or coming and collecting people then leaving. The sidewalk was crowded with people flagging down cars left and right. Victoria seemed so overwhelmed by it all, the constant movement and noise made her want to hide in a corner. But Flora pulled her along, keeping her conscious and moving.
“Come on.” She said as they approached the edge of the sidewalk. “Okay, you’re tall so you get us a cab and I’ll take care of the rest.
“What?” Victoria asked, almost laughing. “I’m not mentally ready for that. Give me at least 3-5 business days for that.”
“Just do it, it's not going to kill you.” Flora remarked, her tone getting annoyed.
“Fine, but why me?” She questioned.
“Because you tower over me, and tall people get noticed.” She replied with her head down, clearly upset over her height.
“Ugh, fine.” Victoria rolled her eyes, got closer to the sidewalk and raised her hand. She waved it around, trying her best to get the attention of a taxi. “This isn’t working.” She called back to Flora.
“Keep trying!” She exclaimed back. Victoria rolled her eyes again and sighed. She turned back to the road and waved her hand harder.
After about five more minutes of unsuccessful signaling, a cab pulled up to the sidewalk and the driver opened his door. He climbed out of the car and called out to the crowd.
“I’m open!” He called. Victoria turned back to Flora and waved her over to get into the cab. As Victoria was walking over, this haughty woman pushed past her and climbed into the cab but not before setting down her bags and snapping in Victoria's face.
“Put these in the trunk, but hurry because I’m in a rush.” The woman demanded. She was dressed in designer clothes and even her luggages read Prada or Burberry on them. “Why are you just standing there, are you deaf?” She asked aggressively.
“No, it’s just that this was our cab, my friend and I were going somewhere.” Victoria answered calmly. Why am I being nice to her? She thinks I’m hired help.
“Sweetheart, that’s nice but,” She eyed Victoria's ripped jeans and her grunge style clothing. “I think my issues are just a little bigger than wherever you and that little brown girl are headed.” She pointed to Flora and Victoria’s jaw almost hit the floor and she could feel Flora’s eyes practically melting a hole through this lady’s head. “Now, put my bags in the trunk. Thank you, dear.” She said, completely ignoring what she just said about Flora. “I mean how hard is it to move a few bags?” She asked sarcastically to the cab driver. He was a Latino man who looked sorry for the two of them.
Deep breaths, Tori. Don’t cut this bitch. She reminded herself. The last thing that Victoria needed was a racist prick yelling at her and calling the police. Not again, not the police. She shuddered at the thought of almost getting arrested for nothing. She brushed the thought aside and refocused on reality. “Ma’am, this was our cab and you pushed your way through and we’re kind of in an urgent rush.” She expressed as calmly as she could but the woman wouldn’t budge.
“Listen, I’m in a rush too. I’m about to miss my hair appointment. I mean, can’t you see that my issue is more important?” She flicked one lock of hair and began to close the door.
“The only thing that can help that ugly mop on your head is just shaving it.” Victoria whispered under her breath a bit too loud. The woman paused and pushed the door back open. She got out of the car and looked Victoria dead in the eyes.
“Look, little girl. I don’t know who you think you are, but I’m sure your gang is looking for you somewhere. I’m sure your ‘posse’ is trying to find you, so go away, go back to the ghetto or whatever.” She said dismissively. Victoria balled her fists but Flora came up behind her and put her hand on her shoulder, a silent message to calm down.
“She’s not worth it.” Flora said.
“I know, it’s just she—”
“Why are you still here? Just put my bags away and leave!” The woman exclaimed. “God, for fucks sake. I should just do it myself,” She said as she exited the car and grabbed her bag. “Rather than putting this into the hands of some ni—” before this lady could finish her sentence, Victoria went black in the eyes. She could feel the blood rushing to her brain, and Flora trying to calm her down.
“Not worth it.” Flora whispered in her ear. A gentle reminder that they were in a public space, dozens of witnesses if Victoria did something that would haunt her later.
“Screw that. I’m done.” Victories replied sharply. She walked over to the trunk of the car where the lady had just thrown her bag in. She turned around to see Victoria standing behind her, which was the last thing she saw before her fist came crashing down on the lady's face. She fell to the ground clutching her face in pain and started crying out.
“HELP POLICE! I’VE JUST BEEN ASSAULTED!” She yelled as she was on the ground. She cried for help and Victoria could hear security making their way over to the sidewalk.
“MOVE.” Victoria yelled. She grabbed Flora’s hand and launched her into the backseat. She was about to climb into the car next until she had an idea. The trunk was still open and still full of all the lady’s expensive luggages. Victoria stepped over and threw some of the bags out of the car and onto the woman, still sitting pathetically on the ground. She got pelted on the leg by a Louis Vuitton suitcase then a Gucci bag landed on her hand. She shut the trunk and sprinted into the car and closed the door behind her. “DRIVE!” She commanded the cab driver, and he slammed on the gas without a single protest. If anything he looked relieved.
“What the fuck just happened?!” Flora asked her. She was sweating bullets due to the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
“I don’t fucking know.” Victoria replied. “But I’m damn proud of it.” She said, laying her head back against the seat.
“So, where to?” The cab driver asked them. Flora looked up, as if completely forgetting that they had a destination during all that chaos.
“Oh shit, uhh.” She started thinking back before the incident. “Oh yeah, Long Island Sound, please.” She said politely.
“You got it, and just for that little stunt back there,” Victoria saw that Flora’s whole body had tensed up at his words, she grabbed Victoria's forearm in a panic and squeezed it tightly. “This ride is free.” He said.
“Wait, free?” Victoria asked. “As if, no money needed?” She was in disbelief, she thought that this guy was going to take them to a police station and turn them in for assault. “But why?”
“Because someone finally put that crazy puta in her place.” He explained. “That woman was always taking the train everywhere, and when something didn’t go exactly how she wanted it, she complained and made everyone else’s problem!” Victoria felt like she had just committed a public service, in fact, she felt a little proud of what she did. “And she made so many racist comments about me and everyone pissed her off, sometimes to our faces.” Now Victoria wished she punched that lady harder.
“What a bitch!” Victoria said. “I should’ve kicked her.”
“Hey!” Flora elbowed her in the ribs.
“What?! I know you wanted to too.” Victoria teased.
“No!” She lied.
“Sure…” She trailed off.
“Shut up.” She said, smiling softly. Flora’s face lit up at their giggling, unable to contain the adrenaline that was still very clearly dominating her brain.
“My god.” The man said, also smiling to himself. “So what are you two doing here, besides punching racists?”
“I actually don’t know.” Victoria realized. She looked at Flora who was staring out the window, admiring the passing trees as they drove on. “Flora, why are we here?”
“Huh?” She asked, turning around. “Oh, just for the view.” She laughed silently and awkwardly.
“Liar.” Victoria said. “You basically kidnapped me and brought me here and told me that I’m the daughter of some Greek goddess—”
“No, no, no. I don’t know when I ever said that.” Flora said dismissively. “You must be going crazy.” She smiled nervously.
Why is she gaslighting me? This is the only reason that she rescued me from that building. Flora’s the only reason I’m still alive. “Flora, why are you lying?” She asked the timid girl.
“I’m not lying!” Flora responded, very shrill.
The driver looked away from the rear view mirror and focused back on the road ahead and Flora turned back to Victoria. “Stop talking about it.” She said, her voice low against the rattling of the car on the asphalt.
“What, why? He’s just going to think we’re a little strange.”
“He might think we’re too strange and call the cops on us when he leaves us.” Flora reasoned. “Just let me do the talking, okay?”
“Okay, okay.” She surrendered. The cab driver looked back at the two of them.
“So where exactly am I dropping you off? Long Island Sound is a pretty big area.” He said. Victoria opened her mouth to respond until Flora elbowed her in the gut. She turned around and mouthed something.
“Let me talk.” She said without a single sound. Victoria closed her mouth and covered it with her hand and sank back into seat.
“We’re going to uhh. Hang on just for a sec.”
“No problem.”
Flora pulled a piece of paper with some writing on it out of her little satchel. Victoria tried reading it over her shoulder but Flora’s hand was blocking most of it. “Can you take us to 3.141 Farm Road?”
“Middle of the forest? Okay, weirdo.” He responded in kind. He smiled at Flora through the mirror and added more pressure to the gas as they sped along.
After what felt like another three hours, the car finally came to a stop that wasn’t a stoplight. “Alright, this is it.” The driver said as he unlocked the doors. Victoria practically threw herself out of the car.
“I’m never getting in a car for that long again!” She exclaimed. “First the train now this! I’m walking everywhere from now on.” She said while shaking her legs, trying to wake them back up. “Everything feels numb!”
“Baby.” Flora rolled her eyes playfully.
“Shut up and help me up.” Victoria said, easing her arms. Flora came over, grabbed her hands and hoisted her up off the ground.
“Can you walk?” Victoria nodded. “Good, because I’m not carrying you.” Flora said, dropping her hands and walking away, leaving Victoria sitting on the road with her jaw dropped at Flora’s remark.
“Wow.” Victoria responded. Laughing softly to herself as she got up from the road and followed her new friend. “Wait up!” She called, chasing Flora into the trees. “Thanks again.” She exclaimed to the driver.
“Anytime!” He called back before driving away, leaving Victoria and Flora in the middle of nowhere.
“Flora!” She yelled into the forest. “Can you wait up!?”
“My gods, how slow are you?!” She yelled back.
“My legs fell asleep, wait up!”
“Ugh fine!” Victoria jogged up the hill as fast as she could towards a very impatient Flora leaning against a tall pine tree. Victoria was so out of breath that she couldn’t see the stone arch only a few feet front of Flora. She was doubled over with her hands on her knees trying her best to catch her breath. “Holy fuck,” She muttered, exhausted. “Why am I so winded? I was on the fucking track team in school!” Victoria exclaimed, still staring at the ground.
“Hurry up!”
“I’M TRYING!” Victoria just gave up on trying to run and walked slowly with her head down, breathing heavily as she walked.
“Gods, you walk so slow.” Flora said, with a positive tone to her voice.
“So what’s the deal with this ‘gods’ thing again?” Victoria asked as she inspected the forest floor. “Because I’m still on the fence about this whole cult thing.” Her head felt like lead, never once breaking contact with it. “Still trying to decide whether I should leave or let you kidnap me.” She joked, making a small glance upwards to Flora.
“Tori, about that, why don’t you look up.” Her heart ached at the name.
“I know you couldn’t have known this but, please don’t call me Tori. That’s what my little brother called me and it hurt the most when I left him.” Victoria said as she stood up straight.
“Oh shit, I’m so sorry.” Flora responded, her eyes grew soft. “How about Vicky?” Victoria almost cried. She took one look at Flora and she knew to stop.
“Little sister.” She said, wiping away a tear.
Five minutes passed as they stood there in silence and Victoria fought back tears. Soon, she sniffled one last time before wiping her eyes and looking at Flora. “Okay, I’m good now. What’re we doing here?”
“Are you sure?” Flora asked. “Because we ca—”
“I’m fine, it’s fine.” Victoria lied. “Where’s your cult?” She said as she feigned a smile. Flora didn’t even bother correcting her.
“Look forward.” She said as she pointed ahead towards the stone arch.
“Woah!” Victoria responded in awe. “You really weren’t lying…”
“I told you.” Flora said happily. “Welcome to Camp Ha—” she was cut off by a rustling in the bushes behind them. “Get behind me.” And Victoria wasted no time. She saw what Flora was capable of and knew that she could handle her own battles. “Come out, now!” Flora demanded in a language that Victoria had never heard before, but somehow each word registered in Victoria’s head perfectly, as if she was speaking perfect English.
“Wait! Don’t attack!” A voice called out from the brush. “I’m friendly!” The voice soon came with a body as a kid walked out. He looked Indian and had loose, poofy, and curly hair. “Flora?”
“Koa!” She exclaimed in excitement. “You’re alive! I was scared out of my fucking mind!” Flora ran over and embraced Koa in a tight hug. Before Flora could smother Koa to death in another hug, the brush behind him began to shake again. “Get behind me.” She said, pushing Koa into Victoria as she raised her arms.
“NO!” He yelled, rushing back towards Flora and pushing her arms down. “They’re with me!” Two more people stumbled out of the bush looking scraggly and exhausted.
“Hi.” The darker skinned one said breathlessly. “Koa, who are they?” He asked, pointing at the girls.
“Who are you?!” Victoria demanded.
“Who are you?!” The Asian guy demanded back. As Victoria was about to respond with something sarcastic to piss him off, Flora chimed in.
“We’re not enemies, we’re just trying to get to safety.” She said calmly. The Asian kid lowered his guard a little. “I’m Flora, this is Victoria.” She gestured to Victoria and she waved at them, still heavily guarded.
“This is Rowan,” Koa said, pointing to the darker skinned kid. “And that’s Jordan.” He said, pointing to the Asian kid.
“Hi.” Rowan said softly. Jordan looked pissed, only shooting a bro nod at the girls.
“He’s friendly.” Victoria muttered sarcastically to Flora under her breath. Jordan must’ve heard because the second she said ‘he’s,’ he got visibly upset and Victoria saw a tear well up in his eye.
Flora broke the silence between the group. “So,” She asked aloud. “What now?” (End of Chapter Four)