[014] something else

                              "O keeper of this wild and hidden place, we anoint ourselves with blood and earth," Jackie remarked, trying to sound as serious and creepy as possible. 

                               She then placed the mark on Shauna's forehead using the little concoction she made and placed in a silver bowl. Suki took the opportunity to look around the room, still totally against the whole thing. If it wasn't for Courtney talking her into it, she probably would've been downstairs with Taissa, Laura Lee, Coach Scott and Javi. But nonetheless, Suki tried her best to ignore her worries. Maybe it would just end up going absolutely nowhere.

                             "Here," Jackie holds it out for Travis to take, although he was reluctant to do so. "It's just dirt and deer blood - classic witch recipe. Relax."

                              He eventually takes the bowl from Jackie, putting some of it on his forehead in the shape of an x. Jackie then made herself comfortable beside him, taking a deep breath before closing her eyes and raising up her hands. Misty immediately followed, wanting to be a team player.

                              "O spirit, we offer our sister as your instrument," Jackie remarked, referring to Shauna who was blindfolded and holding some sort of pendulum which was really just a knife tied to a long string. Courtney found it to be a little over the top, but she was willing to keep her mouth shut just once. "Come to us and speak your peace."

                               "It is I, Jacques," Shauna responds, causing everyone in the room to start giggling. It even got a laugh out of Suki who had been tense for the most part. Shauna then cleared her throat before trying again, opting to try and sound more like a man. "Jacques."

                              As expected, everyone laughed even more which made Jackie grow very annoyed due to their lack of seriousness.

                              "Ask your questions," Shauna ordered. "The pendulum will answer them."

                              "Okay. Dear dead hunter guy, did O.J do it?" Van decided to play around, causing the group to laugh some more. Shauna lifted up her blindfold, looking over at Jackie who was eager to turn things serious again.

                            "Come on, guys. Real questions," Jackie huffed.

                            "The veil is thin between our two planes. Ask what is in your heart," Shauna tried again.

                             "I'll go," Mari offers with a smile, "Is Professor Berzonsky screwing Ms. DeWine?"

                             "I'd be more shocked if they weren't screwing," Courtney admits, making the others laugh.

                             Everyone watched in awe as the pendulum began to swing, seemingly on its own. Of course, Courtney was convinced that Shauna was just making it do that. Suki, on the other hand, kept looking around the room. She swore she could feel eyes on her. But when she looked, there was no one there.

                              "Oh, it is certain," Shauna answers when the pendulum swings in the direction of yes, causing the other girls to laugh. The only one who seemed out of it was Travis but that wasn't much of a shock.

                            "Hunter guy, if we hadn't crashed, would we have won nationals?" Akilah asked next.

                            Shauna's head cants to the side and they all watch as the pendulum eventually swings to no, making them all groan in disappointment.

                            "That's obviously a lie. With me on the team, we would've made it," Courtney shakes her head.

                             "Just you?" Mari raised a brow.

                             "It's definitely not gonna be you. I mean, do you remember how you played at the last game?" Courtney retorts.

                              Before a fight between the two could break out, the conversation shifted from their potential failure at nationals to fake boobs. And soon enough, Javi decided to join them and he sat right next to his brother who didn't look too pleased to see him.

                               "I thought I told you to stay downstairs," Travis frowned.

                               "Whatever. It's boring," Javi shrugged and the matter was settled after that.

                                Courtney couldn't help but think of Nancy in that moment. What was Nancy even doing now that Courtney was gone? Was she happy to be rid of her big sister, free to move without her shadow looming above her? Courtney figured she was thrilled.

                                 "I think they got divorced recently. It could've been guilt money," Van offered.

                                 "Well, that's just creepy," Mari shakes her head.

                                 "Well, honey, your mom and I are splitting up, but don't worry, 'cause your tits are gonna look amazing," Van tried to imitate her best man voice, clutching onto her breasts and making the other girls laugh.

                                 "Okay. Guys, guys, focus. Next question. Misty?" Jackie decided to give her a chance, just as Taissa joined them. Valerie spotted her first and the two smiled at each other when they locked eyes.

                                The curly haired girl smiles, grateful for the attention. "Um... Dear spirit, I need to know the truth. Does the person I like like me back?"

                                Shauna's pendulum ended up going in the direction of yes which made the other girls cheer. But no one could've been happier than Misty.

                               "Yes, Misty!" Mari smiles.

                               "Okay, next question," Jackie asked, looking around for someone else to ask.

                             Javi raised his hand, causing all eyes to fall on him. "Are we all gonna die out here?"

                              The mood in the room instantly went sour, leaving everyone quiet. While dying in the wilderness had been a very large possibility, it wasn't one that they had wanted to think about. But Javi had managed to bring it all up, ruining their fun little seance. Suki feels her heart sink and that dread come back, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up. She grips onto Courtney's hand tightly, causing the blonde to wince in pain from how tight it was.

                                Just as Travis nudged his little brother for ruining the moment, the pendulum began to swing. It was doing an infinity symbol, which genuinely sent a shiver down Valerie's spine.

                               "Okay, an eight? What's that supposed to mean?" Van frowned.

                               "It's not an eight. It's an infinity," Mari corrected her.

                               "Okay, Aristotle," Van scoffed.

                                No one noticed Lottie turning around, looking towards the window. It's only when she started screaming that everyone jumped, the window swinging open and a cold breeze blowing out all of the candles. Lottie wouldn't stop screaming, the sound even making Courtney terrified.

                               "Who has the matches?" Jackie questioned.

                               Misty went up to close the window while others went to see what was going on with Lottie. She continued to scream and cry, a sign that something was going wrong.

                               "Woah, woah, woah. Guys, something's really wrong with her. I- I don't, think she...," Akilah trailed off.

                              "It wants... It wants...," Lottie managed to get out in between deep breaths. "It wants!"

                             "Misty, what do we do?" Van questioned.

                             "Lottie, I swear to God, if you're fucking with us," Mari remarked, eyes wide and horror written all over her face.

                             "I think she's, like, possessed," Akilah guessed.

                             "Lottie, snap the fuck out of it now!" Courtney huffed in frustration.

                             "Listen, Lottie. Lottie, sweetie. What's going on? What is it?" Shauna asked, trying to get the answers out of a disturbed Lottie.

                             "More like what does it want?" Akilah inquired.

                             "Hungry," Lottie answers before beginning to giggle like a psycho. She grabs onto Shauna's wrist, tightening her grip. "It's in you already."

                             Shauna immediately smacks her hand away, moving away from her like she had seen a ghost.

                             "Lottie, knock it off. This isn't a game," Taissa frowned.

                             "She's right. This isn't funny at all. Snap the fuck out of it," Therese frowned.

                                  Lottie then turns to look at Suki, smiling at her.

                                  "Suki? Suki, it's me. It's Mom," Lottie spoke but when Suki heard her, it sounded like her mom's own voice.

                                  Suki lets go of Courtney's hand, her eyes widening in shock. "Mom?"

                                 "Stop this right now, Lottie," Courtney frowned.

                                 "Yeah, that's fucking low," Taissa shakes her head. With what had happened to Suki's mom, it was obviously a sore subject. And to bring it up during a moment like this only made it worse.

                                  "Come here," Lottie urged her.

                                  "Don't go," she hears behind her. It also sounded like her mom which was impossible since she was clearly right in front of her.

                                  Suki ignores the voice, and she does as she's told and with a blink of her eyes, she can see her mom sitting there in Lottie's place. She looked beautiful and pristine and like the mom she had remembered before she died. She feels like a little kid all over again as she crawls towards her with a watery smile. "Mom?"

                                  "I don't want you to be afraid anymore. What I did before... it was a mistake. I was afraid of who I was. But I don't want you to make the same mistake. Let it in," her mom responds.

                                  "Okay. Okay, I won't be afraid anymore. I let in," Suki remarked.

                                  Lottie touches her forehead and then just like that, the world went black for Suki. But for the others, they saw Suki fall to the ground before she began convulsing. It looked as though she was having some sort of a seizure. And before any of them could accuse Suki of faking it, her nose began to bleed, and her eyes started rolling to the back of her head.

                                  Courtney rushes over to Suki, glaring at her with a frown. "What the fuck did you do to her? Suki? Suki!"

                                  Lottie just smiles at her before she started speaking French. The thing is, none of them had ever heard Lottie speak French before.

                                  "Is that French?" Van questioned.

                                  "Since when does Lottie speak French?" Nat asked.

                                 "Jackie, w-wasn't she in your class?" Shauna stammers, looking to her best friend for help.

                               "Yeah, but she sucks at French," Jackie shrugged.

                                Suki also began to speak French, although it was impossible since she had never spoken French a day in her life. She didn't even have it as a class. And yet it managed to come out perfectly. And she seemed to be saying the exact same thing as Lottie which freaked them out anymore.

                               "Well, what are they saying?" Mari inquired.

                               "I don't know! I suck at French too!" Jackie exclaimed.

                               "Well, damn it, Jackie, try not to!" Van retorted.

                               "Uh, he... Uh... It, it. No, it wants... something... Uh, blood? I - I think she's saying blood," Jackie tried but it was obvious she wasn't going to be much help.

                              "Not the word I want to be hearing right now," Mari complained.

                               "Someone help me!" Courtney shouted, making Misty rush towards her. But the girl quickly panics as she looks at Suki, not knowing what to do. Lottie stood up, walking towards the window with her back facing everyone else.

                               "Shit. More blood stuff? I don't know," Jackie sighs in frustration, as Lottie continued to speak more French. "Here? Here! They're both saying here.

                                "There's blood where, Lottie?" Van questioned.

                               "You really have to be encouraging her, Van?" Taissa scoffed.

                               Van sent Taissa a warning look before she focused back on Lottie. "Blood here, or out there?"

                                "You must spill blood," both Lottie and Suki say at the same time. "Or else..."

                                "Or else what?" Jackie reluctantly asks.

                                 Lottie takes a couple of deep breaths before she slams her head into the window. Suki started clawing at her face, nearly scratching her own skin off. Courtney grabs at her hands just to try and stop her, only for Suki to start screaming and fighting her off.

                                 "Stop it, Suki!" Courtney exclaimed.

                                  Lottie continued to scream while blood ran down her forehead, a fresh cut replacing the x that had once been there. Several of the girls tried to hold Lottie back while she screamed. Her scream combined with Suki's made the situation that much more terrifying. Things had quickly intensified, and no one knew what to do. In the midst of all the chaos and panic, no one had noticed Laura Lee going upstairs into the attic with her bible.

                                 "The power of Christ compels you!" Laura Lee shouts, now approaching Lottie with her bible in hand. "Begone, Satan! The power of Christ compels you!"

                                But Laura Lee's prayers didn't work. Lottie and Suki both just continued to scream, trying to harm themselves at the same time.

                               "Lottie! Lottie, stop!" Laura Lee exclaimed before finally throwing her bible at Lottie.

                              It did the trick because Lottie immediately snapped out of it, glaring up at Laura Lee. "Ow, what the hell, Laura Lee?"

                                Suki also seemed to snap out of it, regaining consciousness to find Courtney and Misty staring down at her in fear. She can taste metal on her lips and so she touches her lips, seeing blood now staining her fingers. She sits straight up, looking around the room and seeing everyone else looking scared. "What's going on?"

                                "I should be asking you that. Why were you screaming and scratching your face? And where'd you learn to speak French?" Courtney questioned.

                                "What are you talking about?" Suki frowns, confused.

                                "Do you not remember what you did?" Courtney faltered, seeing how genuine Suki looked.

                                "What did I do, Courtney? I don't know what you're talking about," Suki insisted.

                                 "You're joking, right? You had a mini seizure after Lottie touched you and then you were acting all crazy, scratching your face and speaking French," Taissa filled in the gaps for her.

                                 "I... I don't remember. I...," Suki shakes her head, hiding her face in her hands.

                                 "Seriously? What the motherfuck just happened?" Mari asked after a brief moment of tense silence would pass.

                                  That was the million-dollar question.

                                  After it was all said and done, everyone had now come back downstairs - ready to go to bed and try to forget what had happened. But it was obvious that no one could sleep. They were freaked out by what had happened. No one could make sense of it. And Courtney, who usually had a rational explanation, had now fallen short of trying to explain what had happened to her best friend.

                               "Do we think it's still up here?" Akilah questioned.

                                "You all need to stop," Taissa sat up, looking annoyed and disappointed in the others. "There's nothing up there. Lottie and Suki have both been acting weird for weeks."

                                Both Lottie and Suki were passed out, exhausted after everything that had happened. Courtney stayed by her side, worried that she might have another seizure.

                               "Fine," Taissa says, grabbing her things and getting up to leave. "I'll prove it."

                               "You're kidding, right? After everything that's happened, you're going up there?" Courtney questioned.

                               "Yeah, I'm going up there. Who's with me?" Taissa asked, looking around the room for volunteers.

                               Laura Lee immediately started praying while the others fell silent. Courtney wasn't going to leave Suki's side no matter what. Plus, she wasn't going to go there anyway. After what she had seen, she was avoiding the attic forever.

                              "Fine. More room for me then," Taissa replied, stubborn to the end, as she made her way inside the attic.

                              Courtney just moved closer to Suki, holding her close as she tried to make herself comfortable. But she was now a little afraid of Suki, wondering what was going on with her. And clueless to the fact that it was all about to get worse. Now that Suki had finally let the wilderness in and decided to embrace her gift, she had given herself to its control.

                               And there was no telling what would happen next.

(🌲🔪🦌)

word count: 2625
notes: double update wippee!!! let me know what you thought and what you think will happen next! i basically have the two seasons planned (wilderness wise, i'm still figuring out wtf i'm doing with the adult storyline but i have 40% of that planned so) but it'd be interesting to hear what you think!