Chapter Text
“JAVI!”
“NATALIE!”
Natalie grips the boy's hand tightly as she sobs and he gags on water, trying to pull himself up. He's screaming her name over and over again.
There’s more screaming behind them, getting closer and closer. The girls are screaming bloody murder as they also shout her name, running at the pair with weapons raised, until they realise what's happening. They stop running and Tai makes them spread out so the ice doesn’t crack more. Misty is the only one still running, but she has nothing in her hands. She’s screaming for Natalie, but not in a harmful way.
“NATALIE STOP! LET HIM DIE! IT'S YOU OR HIM!” Natalie tunes her out as she grips Javi tighter, tears streaming down both of their faces as Javi’s fight starts to leave his body. He's halfway out of the water when Misty falls down beside them and tries to pull Natalie off of him.
Natalie screams and bites Misty’s arm, her hold on Javi faltering a bit as he gets his stomach on the ice. “MISTY GET THE FUCK OFF OF ME!” Misty is sobbing as well as she snatches her arm back, pain sprouting up the limb from where Natalie drew blood. “Natalie…” Javi’s voice is small and weak as he grips her hands, his whole body finally landing on the ice. She pulls him close, cursing under her breath as the lunatics behind them start the chase again. Misty doesn't say or do anything, she just stares up at Natalie. “Javi, Javi, we need to go. Come on, I-I know it's cold I know. But you need to get up.” She thinks back to when she had fallen into this lake, it had only been her upper body and it was the worst cold she'd ever felt, she can't even imagine how Javi is feeling right now, but they need to get away. Fast.
Natalie helps Javi stand, holding half of his weight. She looks back at the girls gaining on them, then down at Misty, tears still spilling from both of the girls’ eyes. “Please… don't let them get me…” Misty sobs and nods. “RUN!” And Natalie does. As best she can with Javi halfway in her arms. The two stagger across the rest of the lake as Tai, who's leading the group, collides with Misty. She's grabbing everyone and making sure none of them can get past the hole in the lake.
They’re in the forest, hobbling past trees as Javi points in the direction they need to go. Eventually he leads her to a grand tree with large roots. One of Coach Ben’s crutches is outside of it… “BEN!?” No reply. There’s silence as Javi slides himself through a big opening in the roots, and Natalie follows. They cover the entrance then go silent, taking deep breaths. A hand lands on Natalie’s shoulder and she screams, jumping and spinning around, fist connecting with Ben’s face.
“FUCK! IT'S JUST ME!” She takes a breath and stares at him with wide eyes. “Holy shit Ben… Is this where you’ve been!?” There’s footsteps and yelling above them. Chanting, howling, and her name being screamed. Ben goes to say something, but Natalie puts a hand over his mouth shushing him. He doesn't even try to say anything else. The two stand in silence, Javi curled up in the corner, the screaming above them continuing on. They wait with bated breaths until the hunt sounds far enough away. Natalie pulls her hand back and relaxes slightly. She immediately rushes to Javi. She starts to pull his jackets off then takes two of hers off, wrapping them around the shaking boy, leaving her in a ripped up Smashing Pumpkins band tee. Ben limps his way over to the two, looking concerned. “Nat, what the fuck is going on?”
She sits next to Javi, pulling him into her side with an arm around his shoulders as they both shiver. “We need food… decided to draw cards, whoever got the queen would be chosen. I got the queen. They’re fucking crazy Ben. Javi was helping me and he fell into the lake. Ben, they still have Travis at the cabin. Wh-What if they kill him for helping me get away?” Ben stares at her with wide eyes and lowers himself to the ground in front of the two. The two kids. The two kids.
“Okay… okay… fuck. I won’t let them hurt you Nat. Don’t worry. I-I’ll go back and make sure Travis is okay. I’ll try to convince them to stop coming for you. You’re all gonna be okay. I promise.” She lets out a sob and nods, pulling Javi closer.
“Please… make sure he's okay… be careful Ben. They’re fucking crazy.” He nods before picking himself up with his crutch. He hobbles to the entrance and with only a bit of struggle, gets himself out.
“Natalie…?” She turns to look at the shivering boy, sniffling before replying. “It’s okay Javi. Don’t speak, don’t waste your energy. Everything is gonna be okay. I promise. I-It’s gonna be okay.” The younger boy sobs into her chest as he shakes and shivers. “So cold…” She holds him tighter, burying her face in his curls. “I know Javi… I know. I’m so sorry…”
The two, full of exhaustion, end up falling into a deep slumber seconds later, not able to keep their eyes open for any longer.
Natalie groans and opens her eyes, blinking into the dark area. Her back aches from where dirt and roots are stabbing into it and her arm is sore from where Javi is laying against it. Javi. Fuck! She must’ve fallen asleep. She looks down at the boy's sleeping form and for a second thinks he's dead, but there's a small, soft rise and fall to his chest. She lets out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding in. “Javi…?” The boy doesn’t stir. Instead, she hears the cracking of sticks and thunder of footsteps above them. Her breath hitches and she all but drags the unconscious boy across the dark area, hiding him in a corner before turning to face the entrance, picking up a sharp looking bone. She holds it in front of herself with shaky hands as the sounds of someone entering fill her ears.
She braces for attack, trembling, keeping her body between the entrance and Javi. Just in case. “Natalie!? Javi!?” That voice… It's Travis. She throws the bone and sprints to where his tall form has appeared in the entrance to the hidden area. “TRAVIS!” She screams as she throws herself into him and sobs loudly. He curses and holds her close, kissing her head and muttering about how glad he is to see her.
“Natalie… Natalie holy fuck…” He pulls away slightly to look at her face, cupping her cheeks and whipping her tears with his thumbs. She’s never felt so relieved. So safe. “Wh-Where’s Javi…?” She trembles and tries to walk to where Javi is, but stumbles a bit, realizing how out of it she is. Luckily, Travis catches her and holds her to his chest before she can fall. She points to the corner. “He-He’s unconscious… he's breathing.” Travis nods and helps her lean against the wall before going over to his brother. She hears his breath hitch and can see the tears forming in his eyes as he hoists his brother's small and cold form into his arms.
“Travis… is it over…?” He walks over to her and nods.
“Yeah… it is. They aren't going for you anymore. S-Someone else… They keep saying that ‘the wilderness has chosen’...” He doesn't explain more and Natalie starts to cry again. Someone else is dead. Someone else when it should be her. Who? Who has she forsaken?
“Who…?” Her voice comes out shaky and smaller than it's ever been. Travis looks at her with pity and sorrow.
“Mari. Mari is…” He trails off, not wanting to end his sentence. “We should get back. Javi needs to warm up. You do too. And… we need to eat…” She nods, eyes distant. Natalie climbs out first then helps lift Javi through before Travis comes out as well, and picks Javi back up. They make their way back to the cabin, avoiding crossing over the frozen lake. They're slow as Natalie is about to pass out any second and Travis is holding Javi.
When they make it back to the house, the smell of cooking meat is overwhelming. Natalie’s stomach growls and she doesn't know if she needs to eat or throw up. She's so hungry, but… it should be here who's feeding the others, not Mari. Sure, she was never really the kindest, but she was better than Natalie. Everyone is better than Natalie. A murderer of choice, a druggy, a disappointment, a delinquent. Useless.
“Nat!?” Misty’s voice breaks through the fog in her mind. The curly haired girl cries out as she runs at her. Misty slams into her and hugs her tight. “NATALIE I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SO SO SORRY! I-I TRIED TO HOLD THEM BACK! I'M SORRY!” Natalie places a hand on her back, halfway melting into her arms. “Misty… its okay. Me and Javi are alive. You-You did good. Thank you.” Misty immediately stops all of her sounds and pulls away slowly, looking up at Natalie with wide tearful eyes. “I-I…” She doesn't finish her words, burying her face in Natalie’s chest again before grabbing her hands and pulling her towards the cabin where the smell is intoxicating and addictive. “C-Come on, let's get you inside. You're cold and need food. Come on.” Misty leads the shaking girl into the cabin and helps her bundle up before handing her a bowl of Mari stew. Natalie doesn't eat it. Guilt eats her instead, just like how they’re all supposed to be eating her instead. She falls asleep snuggles between Travis and Misty, Javi cuddled into her side from where he sleeps on Travis’ lap.