[016] pick a side

                           "There's no point in going out to hunt. They aren't going to get anything," Suki declared, sitting comfortably on the steps with her knees hugged closer to her chest.

                           "Negative much?" Van frowned.

                           "It won't let them. It's tainted everything. First, the berries. Now, the meat. It's testing us," Suki nods.

                           And Suki wanted to do everything to pass its test.

                          "Has anyone ever told you that you're creepy?" Jackie suddenly asked.

                           Suki actually thinks about it for a moment before shrugging. "Not to my face."

                            Courtney then stepped outside, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Suki noticed that she had been inside of the cabin for a while, doing... Well, Suki didn't actually know what Courtney was doing. Courtny usually told Suki everything but now she was being all tight-lipped. Suki was bothered by it, but she didn't know how to tell Courtney. She didn't want to seem jealous and paranoid.

                            "What took you so long, Princess?" Van questioned.

                            "Why do you want to know? Are you that obsessed with me?" Courtney retorts.

                             Van scoffs. "In your wildest fucking dreams."

                             Misty follows after Courtney, pulling her shirt collar up a little more to cover her neck. Suki narrows her eyes in suspicion, even more so when Misty cast a glance her way before quickly looking away from her. Suki knew that it was a lot coming from her, but Misty was acting weirder than usual, and she didn't know how, but she felt like it had something to do with her very own best friend.

                              The sound of approaching footsteps captures Suki's attention and she looks over to see Travis and Natalie walking back towards the camp. Although they were trying to act nonchalant, it was pretty obvious that they were both embarrassed by all of the stares being thrown their way. Everyone was feeling excited to see them, hopeful that they had brought back food. But from the looks of it, they had come back empty handed.

                                Just as Suki said.

                               "Natalie and Travis sittin' in a tree," Laura Lee sang. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

                               "I think they were doing a bit more than kissing," Lottie laughed.

                                "Hey, Nat, what exactly are you and Flex hunting for out there, anyway?" Mari teased while Akilah did her hair.

                                Suki stands up to her feet, deciding to join the others. Courtney follows after her, feeling pretty pissed at the lack of food. She was getting hungry, and she wasn't content with chomping on leaves and berries for the rest of the time.

                               "I hear it's beaver season!" Van shouts, making Valerie burst with laughter beside her.

                               Natalie sticks up the middle finger for all of them. "Ah, sit and spin, assholes."

                                "Is this why we don't have any food?" Jackie rants, storming out of the cabin and accidentally shoving past Suki in the process so she could get to Natalie and Travis. "'Cause you've been too busy running for mayor of Pound Town?"

                               "Uh, go fuck yourself?" Natalie immediately retorts.

                               "I guess we shouldn't be surprised. Nat's always down for a good time, right?" Jackie continues with a smug look on her face, her arms folded across her chest.

                               "You really are only good for one thing, aren't you?" Courtney scoffed.

                               Suki frowns. "It's not her fault, Court. Stop it."

                               "No. It's both of their faults. If they'd just stop being so fucking horny, we wouldn't be hungry back here. Can you two keep it in your pants long enough to actually get us some food or what?" Courtney continued with a scowl.

                               "I can't magically conjure a deer, Jackie. And I know you're not talking, Courtney, when all you do is sit on your ass and be a fucking bitch to everyone," Nat retorted. "Keep talking shit, you two, I'll find something to shoot."

                               Natalie began to approach the both of them, but Courtney doesn't back down. In fact, a wicked grin breaks down onto her lips as she glares down at Natalie.

                              "Oh, wow. Oh, you're so tough," Jackie rolled her eyes. "I'm not scared of you, burnout," Jackie remarked.

                             "No. You're jealous. 'Cause you're an uptight, prudish little bitch!"  Natalie shot back. "And you... you're jealous too, Court."

                             "Oh, really?" Courtney scoffed. "You're a washed up, slutty junkie who will never amount to anything. What could I possibly be jealous of?"

                              Suki grabs Courtney's arm, pulling her back. "Stop it."

                              "Hey!" Taissa shouts, pushing Natalie back before she could slap Courtney across the face. "Knock it off, all three of you!"

                             Jackie sticks up the middle finger at Natalie before she storms back into the cabin. But Courtney snatches her arm away from Suki's grip, focusing her anger on Suki now.

                              "I'm so sick of this! I'm so sick and tired of you defending Natalie when she hasn't done shit for you! She's not your friend! She doesn't give a shit about you! No one gives a shit about you except for me!" Courtney ranted.

                            Suki flinches, both at Courtney's harsh tone as well as her words. Although Suki had already believed it deep down, that didn't mean she wanted to hear it out loud and in front of the others.

                             "That's not true, Suki," Nat insisted.

                             "You know it is! I was there for you when no one else was. If it wasn't for me, you'd be all on your own because let's face it, no one was rushing to be friends with a psychopath's daughter. If it wasn't for me, you'd forever be known as the poor girl whose mom went nuts and killed herself," Courtney remarked.

                             "Courtney, knock it off," Taissa frowned.

                             "No! I'm tired of you going back and forth and forgetting your place, Suki. You need to pick a side right now. Her or me. But I suggest you choose wisely. I'm the one that made you. I saved you from being alone," Courtney continued. 

                             I own you was what Courtney neglected to say but it was heavily implied to the point she didn't even need to say it.

                            "Just because we're not back home doesn't mean you can just forget that," Courtney adds. "So what's it going to be? Who are you going to choose?"

                             "Fuck you," Suki spat before she stormed off, her hands balled up into fists. She could feel her nails digging into her skin, puncturing the soft flesh and allowing blood to begin rising to the surface. But the pain was nothing compared to the pain she felt from Courtney chewing her out like that in front of everyone.

                             She expected it from Mari, of all people, not Courtney.

                             "Suki, get back here," Courtney frowned, 

                              But Suki just kept on walking, storming right into the cabin and going to the one place that everyone else seemed to be avoiding: the attic. It was the one place where she knew that no one else would bother her.

                             "Suki, get the fuck back here!" Courtney continued to shout, growing angrier when she wasn't getting an answer. She expected Suki to come back to her, just like she always did. And so, this act of defiance set her right over the edge. Courtney knew she was losing her control, and she knew now what she had to do.

                              Courtney then looks around, noticing the stares from the other girls. It was the first time anyone had seen Courtney actually losing her cool like this. It was a glimpse of the real her and it was a little horrifying to see her get so angry. Normally, Courtney flourished underneath the attention, but she felt exposed and vulnerable underneath all of their stares. And all it did was make Courtney want to claw all of their eyes out.

                             "What the fuck are you looking at?" Courtney snaps, instantly making everyone look away from her. 

                             With a huff, Courtney left the others to go and carry out the rest of her plan.

                             Safely away in the attic, Suki walked over to the window where she could see the others outside. Courtney was nowhere to be found but in this moment, she was the last person that Suki wanted to see. She traces her finger along the crack in the window, the one created by Lottie the night of the seance. Suki feels a shiver going down her spine, although she's unsure if it's the memory of the seance or something else that seems to make the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight up.

                             Suki then turns around, seeing someone standing in the shadows of the attic. All she could see was their feet and the end of a white dress. "Mom, is that you?"

                             But this time, she doesn't get a response. Suki frowns, taking a step closer towards the figure.

                             "I did everything you asked me to. I let it in for you. But nothing's happened. I don't feel any better. I still feel so alone. I feel like a freak. I thought you were supposed to be helping me," Suki pleaded.

                            Still, there was only silence and Suki's frustration reaches an all-time high. Courtney had already set her off but now this was the final straw.

                             "Why did you have to leave in the first? Why did you have to do what you did? I miss you so much but I fucking hate you for leaving me here!" Suki shouted.

                             "I never meant to leave you," her mom insists and yet she hadn't moved from the shadows. She remained hidden which confused Suki even more.

                             "Then why did you do it? Why did you kill yourself?" Suki questioned. For so long, Suki had wondered why her mom had killed herself and tried to bring Suki with her. Did she really have some sort of psychotic break or was there more to it than Suki thought?

                             "It was an accident," her mom answered but now her voice started to sound a little distorted.

                             "No. No, it wasn't an accident! You deliberately drove into the lake just so it wouldn't take me. But what was it? What was trying to take me?" Suki questioned, growing desperate for the answers she had never gotten.

                             "It's too late," it says, retreating into the darkness. Its voice grew deeper, more menacing. "It's already inside of you. There's no way of escaping it. This was your fate. It always has been. Not even she could save you from it."

                            Suki gasps as a new figure emerged from the shadows and now began to approach her. She recognized it as the same woman from her nightmares, the queen with antlers on top of her head. The Antler Queen. 

                            "Accept your fate," it spoke, towering over her.

                            Suki falls to the ground, seeing a flash of images. She saw a group of people running through the forest, chasing after someone. It was dark and although they appeared to be people, the way they shouted and ran reminded her of animals. The fear in the air was palpable but the hunger was even stronger. She then saw the same group of people, all dressed up in front of what appeared to be a large buffet. They eat ravenously but the more they ate, the more Suki realized that it wasn't a banquet of food. It was of raw meat. Human meat. Blood smeared their faces and their hands, their teeth were sharp, and their eyes were dark.

                             But what scared Suki even more was that she saw herself at the head of the table, eating with them and enjoying every second.

                            "They need you to guide them. They may laugh at you now, but you'll be the one to save them in the end," it continued.

                            Suki felt her eyelids grow heavier and heavier until she passed out, the antler queen's shadow covering her as she lied there.

(🌲🔪🦌)

                                    "Do you know where Suki is?" Courtney questioned, holding on to the warm mug of tea.

                                    "Now you give a shit about Suki? You seemed pretty fine tearing her to shreds earlier," Taissa scoffed.

                                    "Have you seen her or not?" Courtney persists. She wasn't in the mood to get into an argument with the others for a change. "Because if not, I suggest you stay the fuck out of our business."

                                    "She went up into the attic. She's been up there for a while, I think," Jackie answered.

                                    "You've got to be kidding me," Courtney murmured before walking inside of the cabin.

                                    Courtney tried to be careful as she climbed up into the attic, the tea in hand. She sets the tea down onto the ground when she sees Suki lying on the ground, still passed out. Courtney got down on her knees, cupping Suki's face in her hands to try and wake her up. Suki eventually did, glancing up at Courtney in confusion. How long had she been out for and what was Courtney doing here in the first place?

                                   "Don't tell me you actually fell asleep in here. This place gives me the creeps and plus, the floor's far from comfortable," Courtney teased.

                                   Remembering what had happened earlier, Suki moves away from Courtney and sits up. "What're you doing here?"

                                  Courtney sighs. "I know you're upset with me. I was a really shitty girlfriend back there. But I'm sorry, okay? I just got angry and said things that I didn't mean. But I wouldn't have said those things if you just stuck by me. You know how much I hate it when it feels like you're abandoning me."

                                   "Are you saying that was my fault?" Suki frowned.

                                   "No. I'm just saying that it's... partially your fault. But come on, you know me. You know I say shit when I'm mad. It doesn't mean anything," Courtney insisted.

                                   "No, you meant it. You meant every single word. You were just holding back this whole time to spare my feelings. I'm not that sensitive," Suki shakes her head.

                                   "Are you sure about that?" Courtney raised a brow.

                                    Suki scoffs.

                                    "Can you forgive me? Please? I miss you so much. It's not the same without you around. I need you. And I promise that I'll treat you better. Can you give me a second chance?" Courtney pleaded, holding onto Suki's hand.

                                   She wanted to be mad at Courtney and push her away. She wanted to teach Courtney a lesson. But she still loved her so much, forming an unhealthy attachment to Courtney that was impossible to break. Still, Suki didn't want to look like a fool again. And she was still really hurt by what Courtney had said about her.

                                   "I'll have to think about it," is all Suki says, reluctantly pulling her hand away from Courtney's.

                                   That wasn't the answer Courtney wanted to hear. But she wasn't too worried. With the plan she had in mind, things would work out her way soon enough.

                                   "I see. Well, I made you something. If you won't forgive me, you can at least take my little peace offering. It's one of Misty's little recipes. The girl's fucking weird but she can make really good tea," Courtney says in a hopeful tone, holding out the warm cup of tea for Suki to take.

                                   "I'm not in the mood for tea," Suki shakes her head.

                                  "Are you going to be stubborn the whole time? I know you like tea. Now drink some... please," Courtney persisted, not taking no for an answer.

                                  Suki gingerly takes the cup from Courtney, meeting her gaze as she took a large sip from it. Courtney smiles.

                                  "There you go, drink up. If you won't forgive me now, I'll just do everything I can to win you back. I'll be girlfriend of the fucking year, just for you," Courtney insists, kissing Suki on the cheek before she begins to get up. "We should probably head back down before the others try to get nosy."

                                  Suki only nods, taking another sip from the tea before she joined Courtney downstairs. Courtney and Misty share a look as Suki joins them, drinking most of the tea. She walks right past Nat, making sure to harshly shoulder check her before she sits down on one of the chairs, earning a glare from Natalie. Suki wanders over to where Lottie was, setting the cup down to the side.

                                  "Are you alright?" Lottie questioned and it was obvious that she was referring to what had happened earlier between her and Courtney.

                                  "I'm fine," Suki shakes her head, wanting nothing more than to forget about it. She runs a hand over her face, suddenly feeling very nauseous.

                                  Lottie furrows her brows in confusion, resting a hand on Suki's shoulder. "Are you sure?"

                                  "Yes, I - I think I had another vision," Suki nods, looking at Lottie.

                                  "When?" Lottie moves in closer, desperate to hear about what Suki had seen.

                                   "It was up in the attic. I saw... I saw -," Suki began.

                                  She wouldn't be able to finish her sentence, however, because she suddenly felt the urge to vomit. She bends down, unable to control herself as she started vomiting on the ground. The others looked over in concern while Courtney perked up, practically skipping over to where Suki was so she could rush to her rescue.

                                 "Oh, gross," Mari frowned, scrunching up her nose in disgust.

                                 "Grow up, will you?" Taissa scoffed.

                                 "Are you okay?" Courtney asks as she made it to her side.

                                 Suki only answers by puking some more and Courtney holds onto her, biting back a smile as she waited for Suki to be finished.

                                 "Can you guys help me with cleaning this up? I need to get Suki out of here," Courtney ordered, helping the sick girl up to her feet. "It's okay, Suki. I'm here now. I'll take care of you."

                                 Courtney's plan had worked perfectly.

(🌲🔪🦌)

word count: 3007
notes: so courtney's now out here poisoning people and suki's continued to be haunted by visions. ik court and suki are toxic as hell (entirely on courtney's side) but they are so fun to write and their dynamic drives me crazy. suki might be trying to resist her for now but she'll be back around