Work Text:
Rattle Trap
I never could cut.
The alarms blared around Shauna as she clutched the armrests. She felt herself hyperventilating, suffocating with air all around. A sharp lurch startled Shauna as the plane crashed down, and heat licked at her body from the flames building around her. She sat frozen, eyes wide while her gaze watched the horrific tragedy in front of her.
And Shauna’s eyes locked on her.
Jackie Taylor.
She was struggling in the aisle, with a leg that appeared to be broken. She was desperately trying to crawl away from the fire behind her, clawing at the floor and kicking her legs.
“Shauna!”
Shauna drew in a deep breath. Her eyes drifted to Jackie almost lazily. The flames were going to consume her, and Shauna couldn’t do shit. It was like she was trapped in a fog.
Jackie pushed her body off the floor with her arms, tattered jeans already on fire. She lunged toward Shauna, wrapping her body around her and holding on tightly.
Finally, Shauna snapped out of her haze.
She thrashed, Jackie’s weight on top of her as the flames seared into both of the girls. Her body burned with agony, and she screamed out into the empty darkness enveloping her.
-
It's not who I wanted to be
Shauna gasped into the cool night air. She blinked, thrashing around in her sleeping bag.
“Shauna?”
Shauna looked up to see Tai staring at her, concern etched over her features.
“Nightmare,” Shauna rasped.
“It’s nothing.”
Tai nodded sympathetically.
“Same one?”
“Yeah.”
Shauna sighed, looking over at Jackie. She was sleeping peacefully, that same entitled team captain even in her slumber. She felt her jealousy and hatred spike, but just scowled and looked away.
“You know…maybe you should talk to her. I know you two have this weird rivalry thing going on, but it might help to get it off your chest. Plus, it’s not like she’d ever kill you in real life.”
Rivalry was an understatement. They were the kind of people who scoffed whenever the other messed up the slightest bit, glared at each other across the halls, and pulled mean things for their enjoyment. They were real enemies.
But secretly, Shauna admired her. She loved every feature of Jackie, each perfect freckle and every single detail. She had that face etched into her memory better than her own. Her hazel greet Shauna upon the closing of her eyelids.
Shauna chuckled bitterly. “I’m not entirely sure about that.”
The nightmares had been going on ever since they’d crashed in the woods. It made each night a whole lot of hell, for her and whoever was the unfortunate soul to wake up from her screaming. She felt bad about disrupting others sleep, but until she could find a way to fix it, there was little she could do.
-
Burnt at your touch
Shauna opened the door and stepped out into the woods. She headed farther into the tree line, looking for something edible.
“Ah-ha!”
Shauna spotted a bush of chokeberries. She whooped and scooped handful after handful into the bucket, even eating a few as she worked. She was quite nimble with her hands after months in the wilderness.
The rustle of footsteps behind her made her jump. She whirled around to see Jackie standing in front of her, arms crossed.
“You have berry juice on your face.”
Shauna scoffed, but froze when Jackie bent down and wiped her cheek with a finger.
She let out a sharp gasp, eyes widening. Sparks exploded throughout her face as she blushed hard.
“What-“
She stared at Jackie, eyes wide. The other girl just smirked.
Jackie pulled back and walked away, leaving Shauna spiraling in her thoughts as the girl’s touch lingered on her skin.
-
Joked at each stop
Shauna laughed with the others around the fire. Nat and Lottie were chatting in their own little world, while Tai, Van, and Jackie were all laughing together while Van shared her stories.
The hair on the back of Shauna’s neck prickled, and she could almost feel eyes on her. She turned to see Jackie drop her gaze just as she looked.
She scoffed, attracting the attention of Tai.
“Just talk to her!” she hissed.
Shauna shook her head vigorously, but couldn’t help her eyes from darting to Jackie once more.
A loud yelp pulled her out of her thoughts. Lottie had tripped and tumbled into the fire. Instantly, Shauna was transported back to her dream. She could almost feel Jackie’s breath on her ear….
“WAKE UP, SHIPMAN!”
Shauna jolted up from her log seat and gasped. Lottie’s whole face was charred. Her chest was barely moving.
“Is she breathing?” Van asked.
Nat clutched Lottie and pressed an ear to her chest.
“Barely!”
Van sprinted into the cabin and fetched a bucket of water, but Shauna just stared at the burn marks on the girl in front of her.
“You’re the worst, Shipman!”
Shauna gasped at a hand on her shoulder. She blinked to see Jackie standing next to her, then flinched, face hot.
“SHES NOT BREATHING!”
A buzzing filled Shauna’s ears as she stepped over to Lottie.
“No..”
Van had finally come with the water, but at the sight of Shauna’s tears she dropped the bucket. It clattered to the ground. She wrapped Tai in a hug while both Shauna and Nat stood in silence.
-
We’re searching for luck
Shauna chopped the last of the meat. The shares were going to be pitiful, but it’s better than nothing.
Her gaze drifted to the trees, and she yelped when she saw one on fire. Shauna scrambled backward, accidentally throwing the knife and nicking her finger as she backed away. Just as she blinked, the flames disappeared.
“Focus, Shipman.”
Jackie’s voice rang in her ears as she spun around. The girl had caught her thrown knife. Jackie stepped forward, eyes locked on Shauna’s bloody finger.
“Give me your hand,” she ordered.
Shauna held out her hand, and Jackie wiped the blood and tore off a piece of her sleeve.
That was pretty fucking hot.
Jackie wrapped her makeshift bandage around Shauna’s hand, then squeezed gently. Shauna was taken aback by the kind gesture. Their wordless rivalry had grown to be the norm for them, but it seems the wilderness carved into the cage around their hearts.
“Thanks,” Shauna whispered, looking up at Jackie. The girl met her gaze with her bright hazel eyes.
God, everything about her is perfect.
“What’s your deal with fire, Shipman?”
Shauna blinked. “Fire? It’s nothing.”
Jackie scoffed. “C’mon, I can obviously tell you’re lying.”
Shauna exhaled deeply.
“I-I have this nightmare about the plane. We-we’re, well you and I….I was frozen while you were trapped in the fire with a broken leg…a-and then you start burning but lunge at me…and I burn with you clinging to me.”
Jackie raised an eyebrow.
“So…you think I…took you down with me? Could you even escape, though?”
Shauna’s shoulders trembled as she stared at Jackie. She couldn’t answer, too scared of the tears spilling if she opened her shaky lips. The other girl watched her, then stepped forward and wrapped her in a hug.
Shauna sniffled and groaned, sinking into Jackie’s embrace. But in a second, it was over. Jackie gave her one last look before walking back to the cabin, practically taking Shauna’s heart with her.
-
No more shaky daze
The sound of Nat’s gun rang through the woods. She whooped and held two rabbits above her head.
The group erupted into cheers. Shauna rushed to skin the rabbits and chop them. The group roasted them on the fire, and Shauna vibrated with impatience. They hadn’t had food since the last bit of stored meat.
Stored meat…
Images of Jackie’s hug and her gentle touch flashed through Shauna’s mind. She smiled softly, then picked up her share.
As soon as she popped a piece into her mouth, she groaned. It was mouthwateringly delicious. She savored the chewy taste, eating each bite of goodness slowly and carefully.
“Yum!” Tai said, and Van chuckled next to her.
-
No more breaking out in a craze
“SHIPMAN!”
Shauna bolted upright as soon as she heard Jackie’s voice.
“NAT’S SICK!”
Shauna sprinted past Jackie to the cabin, panting. She froze when she saw Nat curled into a ball on the floor. Van and Tai were surrounding her. Tai pressed a cold cloth to her forehead while Van held out a bucket. Natalie retched into the bucket and groaned, slumping against the floor.
“Hgghhhh”
No.
Shauna snapped out of her thoughts and rushed to Nat’s side.
“What happened?” she asked, desperate and panicked.
“Her rabbit was undercooked,” Van answered. “It’s probably E. Coli.”
Shauna covered her mouth with a hand. Back in middle school, one of her classmates had died from E. Coli. She hoped Nat didn’t suffer that same fate.
-
Instead you just wait
Nat’s condition has gotten much worse in the last few days. Shauna and the others know her death is inevitable, but that just makes it so much worse. They all see the sheen of sweat on her skin, her rising temperature and watery eyes. Her pants and her struggle. If only they hadn’t scarfed down that rabbit so fast…
Shauna wished she could help, but all she could do was watch as Natalie deteriorated. They brought her water and blankets, chatted with her and tried to make her comfortable. Nat fought through the vomit and stomach pain to smile at them even though she knew it was lost too.
On her last day, the remaining healthy four sat with Nat. Shauna squeezed her hand while Van rambled on one of her stories.
“Guys-“ Nat rasped.
Everyone’s attention turned to her.
They all saw the tired expression on her face, her hallow eyes and chapped lips.
“I think-“
Tai pressed a washcloth to her forehead. Shauna held back her tears, trying to keep her breathing even while Jackie watched the group with a frown. They all sat in silence, listening to the thump-thump of Natalie’s heart slow.
“What a way to die. E. coli, hah!” And then Nat closed her eyes and put her head down.
-
Dance with me
Shauna hoisted the shovel over her shoulder and began to dig. Halfway through her hard work, a familiar set of footsteps greeted her ears.
“Hey, Jackie,” she said, looking down at the hole.
“Need some help?”
Shauna nodded, and Jackie took out her own shovel and dug as well. After a little while, the pair had made a hole about 6 feet deep.
“I’ll..”
“Yeah.”
Jackie left and returned with Nat’s body on a makeshift wooden platform. She lowered her friend into the ground and scraped the dirt all over, then patted it down. Jackie held out a large rock and placed it in the ground, and Shauna put a dandelion on top.
After they’d finished, Shauna was sweaty and dirty. She turned to Jackie to see her staring intently at her.
“Like what you see, Taylor?” she teased. Shauna might be pushing it with the nickname, but that’s okay.
Jackie scoffed, then looked away.
“Taylor? Not so sure about that one, Shipman.”
Shauna chuckled and brushed past Jackie, purposefully bumping her arm with Jackie’s as she walked.
Jackie shot her a look, making Shauna giddy inside.
Shauna couldn’t stop grinning the whole walk back.
-
Make me free
Shauna watched Van and Tai go. They were almost out of food, so it makes sense that they’d chosen to go out. Still, being alone with Jackie in the cabin was its own personal hell.
I’m not gonna survive this.
Shauna sighed and sat on the floor, staring at the celling.
“You okay over there, Shipman?”
Shauna jolted just as Jackie approached. The girl sat next to her so casually Shauna could burst.
“Yeah.”
“Any more dreams?”
“Every night.”
Jackie shifted and adjusted her Yellowjackets jacket, hair flowing down her shoulder in ripples. Shauna swallowed, flustered from merely looking at her. Oh, she probably looked like a totally down bad homosexual right now. I mean, she was, sooooo….
“See why you got Jeff…” Shauna muttered under her breath.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Jackie stared at Shauna meaningfully.
“Its not-“
“Shipman.”
Jackie looked at her, face both stern and determined at the same time.
Shauna instantly knew she hated that expression. It made her body feel all weak and fuzzy. She wanted to punch it off, take away Jackie’s control over her.
A loud scream startled them both. Tai came busting in, holding something tenderly in her arms.
“…Van?”
-
I never could make
They’re all dead. ALL DEAD.
Faceless people surrounded Shauna. Nat, Misty, Van, Lottie, Laura Lee, the whole team. Shadows warped and twisted around their forms, and long claws extended from their fingers.
Shauna yelled as the hoard approached, and she stumbled back inside the shaded realm. White trees surrounded her, suffocating and large. She edged away further, but felt her foot off the ground. The monsters came even closer, and in her daze she moved more.
And she was falling. Falling into a pit of despair and darkness. Whispy spirits floated around her as she landed softly on the ground.
In front of her stood Jackie.
And she looked like an angel.
Shauna gasped, and Jackie smiled warmly before pressing her lips to Shauna’s. Shauna groaned, melting into the kiss. A sharp pain in her backside made her wrench away, and she looked up at Jackie to see her holding a bloody knife.
So she screamed.
-
What it would take
“Shauna! Shauna! SHIPMAN?”
“Jackie?”
Shauna groaned, rolling over. In her motion, she accidentally pushed into Jackie. The girl was sleeping next to her, but had lifted her head to talk to Shauna.
“Another nightmare?” Jackie gently pried, not acknowledging the fact Shauna was now practically on top of her. She just…kept on talking.
Shauna flushed and sat up, pulling away from the other girl.
“Yeah.”
“Are they still bad, Shipman?”
Shauna looked at Jackie for a moment before turning and staring at the floor. It felt both treacherous and wonderful to admit her fears to Jackie. But her mind was suffering an internal war.
“…yeah,” she finally replied.
Jackie groaned, then reached for the collar of Shauna’s shirt and pulled her toward herself.
“Stop with the stupid-ass one word responses, Shipman. Get it fucking straight.”
Shauna made a strangled squeal as Jackie clutched her shirt collar, the proximity of their bodies messing with her head. She stared at Jackie for a long moment, red as hell. Then, she pushed back, the feeling of soft fingers lingering on her skin as Jackie let go.
“I had a nightmare about…us. The Yellowjackets were chasing me into a pit. And at the end of the pit…you were there and stabbed me in the back.”
Jackie chuckled. “I’m not a fucking backstabber, Shipman. Even with you.”
Shauna raised an eyebrow. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Oh, it means I hate you,” Jackie said this without an ounce of sarcasm, but her wicked smirk proved otherwise.
“I’m just never gonna hurt you.”
Shauna smiled. The words made a flutter blossom in her chest, and she felt a lot less scared than she was before.
“Thanks, Jackie.”
Jackie smiled at her, hazel eyes soft. She tossed her strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder and met Shauna’s gaze.
“I made you feel better, see?”
Shauna nodded.
“I appreciate it.”
Then she lied back down, facing Jackie with a grin even as she fell asleep.
-
Just to plead in
Tai and Shauna headed out into the snowy woods, braving the cold to look for food. Shauna looked across the barren, frozen landscape, disheartened when she didn’t even notice a single trace of life. In front of her, Tai was approaching a cliff. Shauna ran up to her, feet crunching in the snow.
“There’s a whole deer down there! I’ll go get it!”
Shauna looked over the cliff’s edge. There was, in fact, a very large deer.
“Wait, that’s not-“
Before Shauna could stop Tai, the girl was already clambering down the rocky slope. She gripped the rocks with her gloves, legs swinging as she climbed. Shauna held her breath as she went farther down.
Tai slipped a few times and almost gave Shauna a heart attack, but then Tai caught herself and kept going. When she finally reached the bottom, Shauna exhaled and then whooped.
Tai turned toward the deer, gun in hand, and shot. She nicked its leg. In response, the deer turned around and charged.
Shauna yelped as it rammed its antlers right through Tai.
“TAI!”
Shauna could only watch as she thrashed, impaled and bleeding out while Tai hung on the antlers. She desperately shot off more bullets until one finally embedded in the deer’s throat, but now it was too late. Tai was already losing too much blood. She screeched and pushed, kicking her boots to try and push herself off. Her movements were slowing, and she growled as her energy declined.
When she finally went still, Shauna considered ripping her fucking eyes out.
Now it’s just Jackie and I.
She sobbed all the way back to the cabin.
-
A stitch, sink it all in
Shauna sharpened her knife. She was so concentrated on her work that she didn’t hear when Jackie approached.
“Turn around, Shipman.”
Shauna spun around, face to face with Jackie Taylor. She flushed, then dropped her knife on the table.
“Can we do a memorial tonight?” Jackie asked.
“Since when did you care about other people?” Shauna retorted.
Jackie scoffed. Shauna just stared her down with her arms crossed.
“Just help me with the fucking memorial.”
Shauna nodded curtly,then pushed past Jackie and headed for the cabin. She gathered some of their fallen friends’ possessions after rummaging through suitcases and set them up on a table outside. Then, she lit a circle of candles around the items. Jackie pulled out a picture of the team standing all together and placed that as well.
“That’s from states,” Shauna commented.
Jackie nodded in response.
“Should we start?”
“Yeah.”
Jackie stepped forward.
“Lottie, Nat, Tai, Misty, Van… we miss you. You were wonderful teammates and great people to have around.”
Shauna felt tears prick at the edge of her eyes. Jackie looked at her.
“Anything to say?”
Shauna stepped forward and sighed.
“Nat, you were the most remarkable, resilient person I knew. Lottie, you were observant and loved. Van, you were one of the funniest on the team, and always brightened our day. Tai, you had serious determination and dedication. Misty, you were crazy smart, and always loyal, no matter what.”
Shauna looked over to see Jackie rubbing her eyes. She bent her head down and muttered,
“We hear the wilderness, and it hears-“
“Cut it with the bull, Shipman!” Jackie turned around, eyes slightly red as she glared.
Shauna sighed. “I never really believed it anyway.
Jackie rolled her eyes. “That’s one thing you got right. The only thing.”
Shauna finally snapped.
“Why do you hate me so much?!” she screamed.
Jackie looked at her.
“I don’t hate you, Shipman.”
“Well, what do you think of me then?” Shauna replied.
“I-“
“Now you don’t have words?”
Shauna huffed, then stormed past Jackie. Her foot caught suddenly and she tripped. Surprisingly, strong arms wrapped around her before she crashed to the ground.
“Be a little fucking careful, Shipman!”
Shauna looked up at Jackie, who was holding her to her chest. She gasped, body growing hot. Jackie was deadly up close. Shauna could barely look at her, she was that stunning.
Jackie was just watching her, still cradling Shauna in her grip. Shauna’s brain finally computed, and she asked, “Why did you-“
“I said I don’t hate you, didn’t I?” Jackie finally let go, and Shauna could breathe again.
Fucking god, Shauna! Get your shit together!
“Thanks, Jackie”
-
Into my skin,
Shauna gasped as Jackie stormed into the cabin. She almost had a stroke when she saw her diary in Jackie’s hands.
“What the fuck, Shipman? You fucked my BOYFRIEND?!”
Shauna sucked in a breath.
“I-“
“Oh my god, I can’t even look at you right now! I thought we were friends, Shipman!”
Shauna felt the edges of her eyes prick, but there was no shot she’d cry in front of Jackie. She stuffed down her emotions and stared back at the other girl.
“Friends?”
Jackie clenched her jaw and hissed, “Shut it.”
Shauna got the memo and stepped outside. As soon as she entered the woods, she snapped. Wet tears rolled down her cheeks as cold sobs racked her body. She was an idiot. Why would she do that? Obviously she was trying to get Jackie’s attention, but for that to happen, she had to know, and if she knew she’d be mad. Duh. Shauna seriously wanted to slap herself.
During all of this, a part of her was thinking about how hot Jackie looked when she was mad. Which wasn’t helpful in the slightest. Fuck.
Shuffling behind her made Shauna whip around.
“J-“ her mouth curled around silence.
Jackie looked at her, eyes unreadable, then narrowed her eyes .
“Do you want to explain?”
Shauna nodded so fast she felt her head might snap off.
“You fucked my boyfriend, Shauna. Like an attention seeking little prick.”
Jackie’s words stung. Shauna just sat there, staring.
“WHY, Shipman?!” Jackie leaned down and pulled hard on her shirt collar.
Shauna stayed silent.
“Well?!”
Shauna finally exploded.
“Are you that dense? Because of you!”
Jackie froze, stepping back.
“…what?”
“Because of you.” Shauna repeated.
“So you’d notice.”
“N-notice?”
“I FUCKED HIM SO YOU’D NOTICE ME, OKAY?!”
Jackie fucking gasped louder than Shauna had ever heard. She sat down, shaking all over.
“I don’t even like boys. I’m gay.” Shauna spits.
And Jackie fucking sobs. She bawls her eyes out for a solid minute before regaining composure faster than Shauna can blink.
“You’re an idiot, Shipman. I can’t believe you.”
And she storms off.
-
But in too deep
Shauna doesn’t know how she managed to sleep at all that night. Her thoughts were going a million miles a minute, pulse spiking every time Jackie breathed a little loud. She was so exhausted by her own anxiety that her body must have just given up.
Go figure she’s hella tired in the morning.
She yawned and stretched while Jackie was already outside foraging. At least they didn’t have to have another awkward conversation.
Though, a part of Shauna kind of wished they did, if only to be able to hold eye contact with Jackie for longer than a second.
God, she was fucked.
The brush rustled in front of her. Shauna’s eyes snapped up to Jackie as she returned. The other girl’s eyes darkened as soon as she saw her, and Shauna nearly broke on the spot.
“Jackie…” she started.
“Fuck off, Shipman!” Jackie yelled, then stormed past. Shauna quickly lunged forward and grabbed her sleeve. Jackie froze and spun around, jaw clenched tightly.
Shauna wanted to run her hand over Jackie’s strong arm, to feel every inch of her muscles…
“Jackie, I…you deserve better than Jeff, he was an ass.”
Jackie’s eyes flared. She stepped inches away from Shauna’s chest, glaring down at her.
“I’ll fucking kill you!”
Jackie lunged forward and shoved Shauna hard. Shauna promptly pushed Jackie onto the ground and pressed her back into the dirt. Jackie growled.
And then Shauna kissed her.
Jackie smelled wonderfully woodsy when their lips met. Shauna pressed her mouth to Jackie’s hard and fierce, sighing. She bit down on Jackie’s lower lip and groaned.
Shit
Shauna pulled away abruptly, climbing off Jackie and sprinting back to the cabin.
Fuck. Oh lord.
What the hell have I gotten myself into?
-
But in too deep,
“Shauna!”
Shauna jolted and stood from the floor of the cabin, turning around to face Jackie.
She’s so hot.
Shut up, she’s probably mad.
Jackie stepped forward tensely, almost tiptoeing.
“Ugh, just say it!” Shauna groaned, throwing her arms down in exasperation. “I’m a gaywad! I fucked up and kissed you!”
Jackie froze.
“Shauna…that was a thousand times better than anything I’ve ever done in my life.”
Shauna’s mouth fell open.
“What?”
Jackie just grabbed her shirt and kissed her.
Shauna gasped against the other girl’s lips. They crashed together with a hunger that felt unquenchable. Shauna felt her body ache with the pent up pressure and lust. Her mind narrowed down to the warm fuzziness of Jackie’s touch. Shauna groaned and clutched tightly to the fabric of Jackie’s shirt, deepening the kiss. The other girl pushed Shauna into the wall in a way that was neither rough nor gentle, just…hungry. Shauna bit down on Jackie’s bottom lip, making Jackie yelp. She pulled away for a split second and Shauna flashed her a smirk before joining their bodies once again.
Shauna gasped against Jackie’s lips as the other girl trailed her hands down her back. She clung to Jackie’s waist, then pulled back to gasp for breath as she panted, face flushed.
“Jackie…” she rasped, voice rough around the edges.
Jackie looked up at her, eyes hungry and longing.
“I-I want all of you,”
“Me too,”
Shauna felt those words spark a heat deep in her gut. She lunged forward again.
“Then give it to me.”
-
I can’t hurt
“SHAUNA WAKE UP! THE CABIN’S ON FIRE!”
Shauna gasped awake at her girlfriend’s voice. She shot up out of her sleeping bag, panting.
“The door’s blocked!” Jackie screeched. Shauna rushed to the opposite side window and began banging on it. Jackie grabbed the knife from the floor and whacked the window as well. The girls huffed with effort, panting. The flames were getting closer, and Shauna’s lungs were burning from the smoke. She could feel the heat licking at her legs as her eyes stung.
“Shauna!”
Jackie reached out and wrapped her arms around Shauna tightly, holding her in a tough embrace. Shauna sighed and leaned into her body, smelling the same familiar rosy perfume she’d memorized by now.
The flames lapped at the two girls, heat catching on their clothes.
“I love you, Jackie Taylor.”
“I love you too, Shauna Shipman.”
They kissed as their world burned.
I’m feeling weak