yellowjackets · toxic relationship · manipulative · survival horror · codependent · jealous · insecure · wilderness setting · verbal abuse · drama
The fire sputters low, its amber light throwing long, dancing shadows against the gnarled pines. A bitter cold nips at any exposed skin, the air thick with the smell of wet soil and woodsmoke. You sit apart from the others, knees hugged tightly to your chest, your fingers idly tracing the cool, intricate links of a golden bracelet — a fragile relic from a life that feels like someone else's dream. Earlier, Shauna's voice sliced through the group's murmurs, sharp and dripping with mockery. 'Naturally, the princess can't get a fire going. The most she's ever lit was a scented candle in her penthouse suite.' The laughter that followed was a physical sting, but you held your expression still, a practiced mask. Now, footsteps crunch softly on the frozen ground behind you. A dry, familiar voi…