#bc lol

When you had seen Shauna cling to a frozen body outside the cabin, you knew what had happened. You knew that Jackie should’ve gone inside, you knew you should’ve told her to quit it and get back in the cabin the second it started snowing.

Then, when Tai had caught Shauna playing with Jackie’s corpse like a doll, seeing the sight of Jackie’s body being covered in makeup and somehow with her ear missing, made you feel sick. But nothing could make you feel sicker than the others devouring her body like ravaged animals when her corpse was burned - you had stood there with Coach Ben as they reduced her into a mere pile of bones.

You were horrified, and you briefly considered running away with Coach Ben. But for some reason, you felt like you had to stay - but you kept your promise to Coach Ben that you wouldn’t end up like them, not for a long shot.

In exchange, he didn’t say anything about how close you were to abandoning them, and you had done your best to defend him when Shauna practically demanded they put the poor man to death.

You and Nat had done your best to keep him safe in some way, and when Natalie had done the deed for everyone for his sake, you were the only one who agreed with it. In some way, seeing your former coach in that much pain reminded you of Jackie.

It reminded you of how you failed her and how you now failed your coach in saving their lives. Instead of Ben’s head on that stump later that night, you saw Jackie’s instead for some reason. That was when it had started.

You didn’t know why, as for the last year you hadn’t experienced it, but suddenly Jackie was everywhere.

When you were helping the now-demoted Nat skin an animal for dinner one day, you could hear her calling out to you. You had rapidly turned around, eyes wide with want and fear.

“Hey,” Nat said, shaking your shoulder. “Focus, champ.”

“Sorry,” You said, your head downcast. “I thought…I thought I heard something.”

You didn’t tell Nat what you heard, you knew she’d think you were crazy - just like Lottie was, just like how everyone was falling into. Insanity.

This continued for a few more days. You kept hearing Jackie, and then Laura Lee, and then Coach, and you thought you were going insane. You could’ve sworn you saw Jackie at camp when you were chopping wood one day. You almost cut your thumb off from fright and had to have Mari bandage your finger with whatever she could find.

And then, Akilah’s animals had suddenly died. At the sight of the dead animals and Akilah’s tears, Shauna had called for another ‘hunt’ for food. You knew what that meant. You guys had to kill another one of your friends and teammates to eat in the harsh winter. To survive.

You had a feeling that something was going to happen, and just like you suspected, you had pulled it after Shauna insisted that she go before you.

When you looked at the card, your face showed no emotion before showing it to the group. Van had looked distraught at the result, like you weren’t meant to be the one to get it. But Shauna, who seemed to have held some sort of dislike for you since you had defended Natalie and opposed her becoming the queen, had seemingly smirked.

But you also wouldn’t be surprised if Shauna had some sort of dislike for you for even longer.

“Tough break, champ.” She said, already moving towards you and taking off Jackie’s heart necklace.

You didn’t say anything as you shrugged off your fur covering, revealing your colorful parka, and let Shauna put the necklace on you. Part of you wanted to protest, to demand a redraw, yell out that you had thought that this was rigged.

But the other part of you knew that it wouldn’t work. Shauna practically had the rest of the team in a death grip with fear and intimidation. You watch as Shauna pulls out a knife, a vicious smile on her face as she begins to count down. Before you knew what you were doing, you jumped for the knife, and you had it in your grasp for a few moments before Shauna managed to grab you and throw you to the ground.

Mari and Hannah managed to help you up as Lottie began to count, and you noticed that Shauna started looking even more excited as Lottie kept counting up and up…and up.

“You deserve everything that’s coming to you, Shipman!” You shouted, thrusting yourself out of Mari and Hannah’s arms, and began running.

You knew you had no choice but to run; that was all you could do. If you could get them off your trail, somehow, in some rare instance, lead them into a path of someone unlucky enough to cross them. You’d be safe, you’d find rescue on your own.

As you ran for your life, you could hear the rest of the team making animal noises, cawing, howling, clearly looking for you.

Those noises were the only reason you kept running, even as they seemed to fade away, your breathing being the only thing you could hear. Jackie’s necklace dangled on your neck like a lifeline, like she was trying to protect you in some way or another, even after what you had done.

But no matter what you felt, you just kept running.

Eventually, you hold onto your parka, breathing heavily as you look around. You were tempted to take it off, to throw the others off your trail, and you could blend into the snow more easily. You would be able to hide yourself in the snow, and your dress would help.

Ultimately, that’s what you decided to do.

You struggled to take it off at first, but eventually managed to throw it off your body and onto the snowy ground. Then, you took off your boots and your sweats, your breathing hitching for a split second as the cold air hit your bare skin. For a moment, you consider running again before picking up the parka.

“They’re coming.”

You gasp as you hear the voice, turning to see the girl who had been haunting you for weeks now. Jackie Taylor.

“What’re you doing here?” You gasped out, your voice full of fear. “You’re supposed to be dead.”

“And you’re wearing my necklace,” Jackie said, her voice full of that sarcasm that you had always loved. “What? I thought we were telling each other the obvious?”

You looked down to see the heart necklace still dangling on your neck, and you grabbed it, holding it out. “Take it then,”

But Jackie made no moves to grab it. You shake your head to realize that she obviously couldn’t take it; she was dead for fuck’s sakes. You sighed as you let the necklace fall back against your chest, looking at the ghostly figure in front of you.

“Why are you here?” You finally managed to ask, looking behind you to make sure that the others hadn’t found you yet. “Are you just…here to taunt me?”

“I’m here to tell you to keep running,” Jackie said, her voice wavering. “If you keep standing here, they’ll get you. You don’t want to be dinner, surely? Not like I was. Nor do I want you to be like that.”

Before you could walk towards Jackie, she was gone, just like that. Then, you heard a howl, and you threw your parka onto a branch and ran for it again, your breathing heavy as you feared for your life. You could hear Jackie’s voice as you kept running, telling you to keep running, to not be like her.

It was somehow Jackie who comforted you as you continued to run. She was your last grasp for hope, even now, even after death.

“Death isn’t so bad,” Jackie’s voice ran out as you stopped again, feeling the walls trap in on you. You felt like you had run everywhere, and you had no idea where you even were. “It's like…a sweet relief, it’s quicker than falling asleep in a way, I guess.”

Jackie’s words hit you, your eyes wide as you looked down at the snowy ground. This was how it was supposed to be. You were always supposed to die. You were meant never to make it.

At that realization, you couldn’t help but begin to cry. You hold onto yourself as you sob, realizing that this was going to be your fate. You couldn’t help but wonder if Jackie had that same realization, as you could’ve sworn you felt an embrace come behind you. It wasn’t one of the girls or Travis, but it was a warm touch as if welcoming you in some way into death while trying to comfort you.

But, even then, you felt determined to still run for it, and when you felt the warm embrace go away, you began to run for it again, only to fall into a branch and feel something scratch against your foot. You groan in pain as you push yourself up, now limping as you run.

“Stop!” You could hear Jackie call out as you kept running. “Hey, come on! Stop, please!”

But you couldn’t stop yourself; for some reason, you could just feel yourself being able to get out of here. You could’ve sworn you could find a clearing. Back to society, back to get help for everyone else.

You were going to make it out of here.

“Jackie…I’m almost there…” You managed to say, seeing the light of the clearing. “I can get help for everyone else…they don’t need to get any food!”

Then, just as you stopped running, you began to walk to it instead. You found yourself so close to rescue, so close to freedom, so close to helping everyone be free.

As you walked, Jackie stood behind you, knowing that this was it for you. You were seeing the thing that you wanted, just like what she wanted when she had…but instead of stopping you, she decided to let you believe it.

At long last, the two of you would be reunited. The one thing that both of you had wanted since she died. 

She let herself have a small smile as you kept walking, and she followed you as you kept going.

“Yeah, sweetheart,” She said quietly. “You’re…you’re almost there.”

Just as Jackie finished those words, she heard your scream as you fell into the pit. She walked over to the edge of it and couldn’t help but tear up at the sight, but she bent down and held out her hand to your mangled body.

Your final face was full of fear, despite how excited you felt at seeing the ‘clearing’ in your head. When really, all you had seen was a light coming to collect you at long last. Jackie felt your now warm hand grab onto hers, and she couldn’t help but smile despite the circumstances.

The two of you were finally together again. This time, you would be together forever.