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„NATALIE!“ Shauna screamed, it was louder than anyone Nat has ever heard. Her voice echoed into the void that was the Canadian wilderness.
“You followed me?” Nat asked even dough the answer was clear. Her lips were shaking. Not just from the unimaginable cold, but also from the anger in Shauna’s eyes, piercing through the freezing air.
She hugged the satellite phone close to herself, pressing it into her chest. Help was on the way, but it would take them at least 3 days to find them. Every tree, every lake looks the same out here. Even if rescue was coming, Nat couldn’t afford to lose the phone, they were going to need it in the following days.
“Drop it.” Shauna said calmly signalling to the cliff only a few feet behind Nat. She shook her head, not able to respond with words. She was so close to getting them all out of here. So close and yet nowhere at all.
“I said drop it, Natalie.” Shauna repeated but this time her voice was louder and more commanding.
“Why are you doing this Shauna?” Nat said, the device still between her arms and body. “Don’t you want to go home?”
“Why do you want to go home so bad Nat? Your mom probably forgot you existed in the first place. And do you really want to be back to school? Pretending nothing happened out here, like we didn’t fucking eat people?” Shauna answered while slowly walking towards Nat.
“Yeah Shauna, even that would be better than this. All of this, I want to have my shitty life back, I miss it.” Nat took a step forward closing the distance between the two of them.
“It’s too late anyway, they’re coming. We are getting out of here.”
“No—no, no, no.“ Shauna stumbled back. Nat used the opportunity to get as far away from the edge, the girls would be able to do anything at this point and Shauna pushing her out of anger wasn’t that far of a stretch.
Shaunas breathing got heavier but when she stood up she went right past her. She wasn’t crying or screaming anymore, she looked—empty.
“Shauna what are you doing?” Nat whispered out of confusion. But She didn’t react she was getting closer and closer to the edge of the mountain. And she didn’t look like she was going to stop.
“Shauna!” Natalie dropped the phone she was protecting so hard up until now and wept forward. She grabbed one of the fur pieces that was wrapped around Shauna’s body and using her remaining energy she yanked the girl back. They landed on the powdered snow behind them and Nat climbed on top of Shauna holding her down with her thighs.
“What the hell? Were you—trying to kill yourself?” Nat screamed but Shauna didn’t respond. Her eyes were pressed shut and she was on the verge of crying.
Nat slowly got of Shauna and tried again.
“Hey, Shauna, talk to me. Whats going on” She said and her voice was calm this time, as if she was talking to a child.
“I don’t want to go home without him.” Shauna sobbed and covered her face with her hands.
Natalie was even more confused now. She said ‘him’ so she’s not talking about Jackie. Maybe Javi?
“Who is ‘him’ Shauna?“ Nat asked.
She didn’t answer, instead she just wrapped her arms around her stomach and continued to sob.
Oh, fuck.
To be completely honest, Nat felt a little relieved the day Shauna’s Baby didn’t make it. Heartbroken, but also relieved. Shauna was starving there was no way her body could have produced milk. And what else could they have fed the newborn?
Nat wasn’t sure on what to say, so she got closer to Shauna and hugged her.
“I’m so sorry” She whispered into her ear. “But he’s gone. And staying here won’t change that.”
Nat let Shauna sob into her neck for a while, but it was getting darker. And darkness meant cold.
“Shauna look at me.” Nat cupped Shauna’s face between her hands. “We have to get back to camp or were doing to freeze, okay?”
“Okay.” Shauna mumbled. She looked just like the day she has lost her baby. Nat hadn’t seen her cry since then and seeing her like this was a little heart-breaking. They’re fearless antler queen sitting in the snow like a lost puppy in the forest.
“Okay let’s go.” Nat pulled up Shauna and grabbed the satellite phone. To her surprise Shauna didn’t mind. Then again, she was so out of it that Nat could have done anything, and Shauna still wouldn’t have reacted.
She wrapped her right hand around Shauna’s waste, making sure she didn’t fall during their hike down to camp and in the other one she carried the device.
***
They were able to make their way down the mountain safely by the time it got dark. And Nat could already see the fire coming from Camp.
“Natalie you’re alive!” Misty jumped up, catching everyones attention and making the other girls turn towards them.
“Did it work?” Tai asked and Nat nodded.
“They said they’d be here in a few days.” She says but than Shauna collapsed and she was just able to hold her up. She has to lie down.
The girls jumped up to celebrate the fact that rescue was coming. Misty walked up to Nat.
“We thought she was going to kill you.” Misty whispered looking at Shauna.
“Yeah, me too.” Nat said but not loud enough for anyone to hear. Then she followed it up with, “Can someone bring me Tea or something hot?”
She dropped the phone and carried Shauna into her tent. She propped her up so she was sitting and covered her with all the blankets she could find.
“I’ll be right back, okay?” Nat whispered and went outside to make sure the satellite phone wasn’t broken or damaged from the snow.
She picked it up and looked around only to find everyone starring at her in disbelief.
“What?” She asked and tucked the phone into her own tent.
“What happened? She went after you to kill you, and you brought her back in your arms? I thought you hated her.” Van broke the silence asking the question they all wanted to ask.
“It’s complicated. What matters is that were going home.” Nat answered. And that’s true it was very complicated. Nat did hate Shauna for a while but today she finally understood her. Shauna has been through so much, she lost her best friend who was also the love of her life, they all knew that, and she lost her child. She was broken and trying to survive this hellhole just like all of them.
Nat glanced over to where Shauna was sleeping and saw Melissa entering.
“Hey! What the hell are you doing?” She ran over to her.
“I’m just bringing her tea like you asked me to.” Mellisa said questioning what she was doing wrong.
“Thanks, but I can manage that.” She said before turning to the rest of the girls and Travis. “Hey listen up, nobody’s allowed to speak to Shauna today, except for me, okay?” She announced serious.
Van looked over to Tai and raised her eyebrows. “Okay?”
“Good” Nat said before disappearing in Shauna’s tent with the cup of tea that was actually an old bean can filled with hot water and boiled plants they could find out here.
***
“What was that all about?” Shauna sked while taking the drink from Nat. She let it warm her hands before taking a sip.
“You heard that?”
“Yeah.”
“I just don’t want anyone to bother you. You need to rest.” Nat smiled. Then she turned around to leave but Shauna whispered after her.
“Nat?”
“Yeah?” Nat turned around to look Shauna into her big brown eyes. And they looked happier than they did on the mountain.
“Can you—stay? For the night.” She asked and then looked away embarrassed. Nat hasn’t seen her act like this since months she seemed more alive.
“Yeah of course. Do you want me to sleep in Melissa’s bed?”
Shauna shook her head.
Oh.
Natallie hesitated for a moment, she could feel her cheeks getting hot but she managed to put all of that aside and climb under the blankets, next to Shauna. She didn’t even know what she was feeling, it was stupid. Of course, Shauna would want to sleep next to someone she almost froze up on the mountain she needed to stay warm.
But When Shauna brushed against Nat’s skin it wasn’t cold at all. The opposite actually.
“I’m sorry for what I said about your mom.” Shauna laid her head on Natalies chest and wrapped one arm around her waist. Nat stopped breathing for a second but eventually responded.
“It’s fine.” Nat said and it was fine. She was used to getting comments like that all of the time.
“You have been through so much out here.” Nat whispered into Shauna’s hair.
“Yeah, but so has everyone else.” She answered, her voice was filled with guilt. Nat felt a teardrop fall onto her chest.
“It’s going to be over soon. I promise.”