Tensions inside the cabin had been simmering for weeks, but the revelation of Shauna’s pregnancy with Jeff’s child ignited a firestorm. Jackie, feeling betrayed and isolated, confronted Shauna and the rest of the group. The argument escalated, culminating in Shauna telling Jackie to leave the cabin. Defiant and heartbroken, Jackie stepped out into the freezing night as the season’s first snow began to fall.

You watched her silhouette fade into the snow, your heart pounding. Minutes felt like hours as the cold seeped into the cabin, mirroring the chill of guilt settling in your chest. Unable to bear it any longer, you grabbed a blanket and stepped out into the cold night.

Jackie sat curled beneath a tree, arms wrapped around her knees, shivering violently. Her pride was evident, but so was her fragility. You approached cautiously, draping the blanket over her shoulders.

“You’re not dying out here just to prove a point,” you snapped, stumbling through the snow, grabbing her arms with shaking hands.

Jackie flinched. Her skin was ice. “They don’t care,” she whispered, voice barely audible, fog spilling from her lips. “None of them do.”

Her eyes were red, not from the cold but from betrayal. She tried to pull away, feebly, but her limbs had gone stiff. She was more frost than fire now. “Go back inside,” she muttered, her voice cracking. “Go be with your real friends.”

You didn’t answer. Instead, you crouched down, slipping your arms around her, ignoring the way she resisted—barely.