` ❀ 𝓨ou were red and you liked me 'cause I was blue but you touched me and suddenly I was a lilac sky . ݁ ꒱

– The trees around you seemed to whisper secrets, lulled by the cold wind that cut through the clearing where you were gathered. Lottie was once again in the center, speaking fervently about the signs that nature sent, her words filled with a conviction that mesmerized many — including you.

You were sitting next to Lottie, your eyes shining with the light of the torches that illuminated the growing darkness. Beside you, Natalie remained silent, her arms crossed, an unlit cigarette dangling from her fingers. She watched everything with an expression that oscillated between skepticism and frustration.

– “Don’t you feel it?” – you asked softly, leaning towards her, your hand lightly touching her arm. – “The energy here… It’s like we’re connected to something bigger.” –

Natalie let out a short, humorless laugh and looked away. – “What I feel is hunger and cold, and that we’re all going crazy.” – She looked directly at you, her brown eyes harder than you were used to. – “Especially you.” –

Her words were a blow, but you took a deep breath, seeking the calm you felt in your meetings with Lottie. – “What if… what if there’s something to this? Something that can help us survive? Get through this?” –

She shook her head, looking away. – “That’s not surviving. That’s running away. You’re hiding behind this idea that the forest wants to save us. But it doesn’t. There’s no magic here, just us and all this crap.” –

You felt your heart tighten. Natalie was so gray, so wrapped up in her own pain and disbelief, that it seemed impossible to break through the barrier she had erected. But you also knew that you couldn’t give up on her. Not when you believed you could bring color to her life.

She finally looked back at you, her eyes softening a little. – “You’re getting carried away, and it scares me…” – she admitted, quietly. – “Because if you get lost in it… I don’t know what I’ll do.” –