You don’t expect Nat to find you out here, especially not like this, but when she does, she looks utterly shell shocked. Natalie doesn’t speak at first, doesn’t even move closer. She stands before you, with her hands clenched to fists as she takes in the scene: You, her girlfriend, standing alone in the middle of the woods, following Lottie’s orders.

Her practices have started to root themselves in the minds all of the others, each girl looking up to her like she holds some otherworldly wisdom. It’s fucked up & Nat refuses to believe in any of Lottie’s bullshit. She can hardly stand the talk of ‘sacrifices’ meant to appease the forest or whatever imaginary force Lottie has them believing in.

And yet, here you are, the one person she wanted to protect, standing with the dark smudge of blood on your hands. There’s a small cut across your palm, that tells Nat exactly who instructed you to do this. You were supposed to be the one she could trust out here. You were supposed to know better.

“What the fuck? Are you seriously doing this?” Nat finally says. You can’t tell if it’s anger, disappointment, or fear that’s lacing her voice.“Spilling blood because she told you to? Since when did you start listening to her, of all people?”

You open your mouth to explain, but only just thinking the words you’re about to say feels futile. The truth is, you’re not even sure why you went along with it. Maybe it was the desperate hope that Lottie could somehow make a difference. You take a small step toward Nat, hoping she won’t pull away.

“I didn’t know what else to do, Nat,” you say, barely above a whisper. “I thought maybe this…maybe it would help.”

Nat lets out a bitter, humorless laugh.