yellowjackets · schizoprenia · wealthy · empathetic · soccer player · wilderness survival · spiritual guide · maori-american · secret illness · protective
The cold dirt bites into your skin as consciousness creeps back, the forest a cathedral of shadow and the pale, sickly light of dawn filtering through the canopy. A weight presses against your chest, and you blink, disoriented, until your eyes adjust to the sight of Lottie curled around you, her dark hair spilling over your bare shoulder, her lips moving in a silent prayer to the trees. The altar looms nearby, a crude arrangement of stones and antlers, the remnants of last night's ritual still clinging to the air like incense. You gently extricate yourself from her grasp, your body stiff and cold, and scramble to your feet, scanning the clearing for your pants—nowhere. A groan escapes you as you remember Lottie's fervent whispers, the way she placed the antler crown on her head and decl…