(Emily, I'm Sorry)
ACT ONE — CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

1996

Emily watched the animal in front of them, Natalie lying beside her, gun in hand. Moments passed by and the animal gnawed on the vegetation around it, Natalie exhaled as she pulled the trigger. 

Nothing happened however, an empty-sounding click passing through the air, she quickly checked the gun's chamber, finding it empty. Travis chuckled from the other side of Natalie. 

"You cheater!" she exclaimed, and Emily held back a small laugh as Travis held up the bullet, making it 'disappear' seconds later.

Natalie rolled her eyes, "Oh my god. Are you seriously doing magic right now?" she sat upright, shaking her head, "You do know that girls are not into that right?"

"Wait," he paused, and Emily's smile started to drop catching on exactly where he might be going with this.

"Are you saying when I wasn't doing magic, you were into it?"

Natalie didn't even have time to respond, Emily faking a gag beside her, "That's actually revolting."

A small teasing smile flashed across Natalie's face, "Jensen over here makes a fantastic point. You don't stand a chance with any of us."

In the corner of her eye Emily spotted something...or rather someone, she could feel her chest constraining against the weight of the air around her. Natalie and Travis were still speaking but Emily could barely make out their words. They just sounded so far away. 

She knew it wasn't real, but the image still didn't fade away, the nineteen-year-old still stood there, staring at her.

The blood on his left temple was impossible to miss, Emily could almost feel his hands brushing against her cheek.

She squeezed her eyes shut, promising herself that it wasn't real, but still it wouldn't stop. 

That was until Natalie's voice came back into focus, "Emily? Em?"

Emily shook her head, still discombobulated, "Yeah?"

"Are you okay? We lost you there for a minute," she whispered gently, and Emily nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. Give me that, I'm going to show you both how it's done. I don't fucking lose."

Concern lingered on Natalie's face, just underneath the small smile she forced, as she handed Emily the weapon, "Don't get too cocky, Em. I don't fucking lose, either."

Emily glanced up at the ceiling above her, listening to the muffled voices of the other girls participating in the seance. She lightly sketched one of the unique trees she'd spotted in the forest just a few hours earlier. 

"You're not partaking in all of that?" 

The blonde looked over her shoulder at Taissa, "Nope, as I told Nat, I don't fuck with ghosts, and they don't fuck with me."

 "Make that two of us." Taissa chuckled drly, "It's creepy and weird,"

Laura Lee reached over the table, for a pamphlet that Emily hadn't noticed before, and Taissa's movements paused for a few seconds.

"What's that?" Emily asked, motioning at the paper book, Laura Lee gave her a small shrug, "Just some light reading..."

"Light reading?" Taissa scoffed, "If you're seriously thinking about flying that thing, then you're even crazier than those idiots upstairs."

"My grandpa used to fly and he could barely write his name. It can't be that hard."

Both Emily and Taissa gave her a look. Was she being serious? The Jensen girl opened her mouth to say something but then Laura Lee continued.

"Ok, fine. It's probably hard, but there's no harm in reading about it."

"Yeah, I guess..." Emily trailed off, a slight twinge of worry pulling at her chest.

Taissa shook her head once again, and looked across the room, "Coach, are you listening to this?"

Ben shook his head, "No."

Laughter echoed from above them, and Emily sighed, "We're going to be haunted, forever with this bullshit."

"I didn't think you believed in that sort of thing," Taissa scoffed, and Laura Lee glanced up from the booklet, "Yeah, me neither."

Emily shrugged, looking between the two, "I keep an open mind. I'm not really sure what I believe."

Javi stood up abruptly, "I'm gonna go see what's so funny."

"No! You can't join the dark side, Javi!" Emily exclaimed dramatically, and he hesitated for just a moment.

"She's joking." Taissa shook her head, and he looked to Emily for confirmation and she smiled, so he continued, and climbed up the ladder.

A few minutes later, Emily was still drawing in peace, when a shrill scream tore through the air. She flinched muttering a quiet "What the fuck?"

The blonde quickly climbed up the ladder, where she found all of the candles completely blown out, and Lottie seemingly having a psychotic break, rocking back and forth muttering to herself.

"It wants! It wants!"

"Misty, what do we do?" Van questioned, looking around for the curly-haired blonde.

"Lottie, I swear to god if you're fucking with us!" Mari exclaimed, and Emily hovered a bit further away, finding her sister's side. 

"Lottie, Sweetie, What is 'it'?" Shauna asked, gently rubbing the hysterical brunette's back.

Emily leaned closer to her sister, "What the hell happened?" 

"I don't know," Ash rushed out, "She just freaked out!"

"Lottie, this isn't a game." Taissa spoke sternly, and the Matthews girl seemed to look directly through her, speaking what Emily recognized as French.

"Was that French?" Van questioned, "Since when does Lottie speak French?" Natalie added, and Emily shook her head, trying to pay close attention to the words she was speaking, hoping that she would pick up on something.

Shauna asked, Jackie something and she shook her head, "She sucks at French!"

"Well, what's she saying?"

"I don't know! I suck at French too!"

"Well, Damn it, Jackie! Try not to!" Van exclaimed.

Jackie rapidly tried to translate Lottie's repetitive words, but she wasn't getting very far. Emily flinched away as Lottie scrambled towards the window. This was exactly what she had meant when she said she didn't fuck with ghosts.

"...or else." Lottie spoke, and Jackie replied, "Or else what, Lottie?"

Lottie never responded, she just breathe heavily before slamming her head into the window, "What the fuck!?"

Lottie stumbled back, and resumed yelling hysterically, next thing Emily knew, Laura Lee was standing a few feet in front of her, holding out a bible.

"Lottie stop!" Laura Lee exclaimed, literally throwing the bible at her. Emily's eyes grew wide, she was never expecting that to have worked, but Lottie stopped screaming, muttering a quiet, "Ow."

"What the hell, Laura Lee?"

Laura Lee stared at her not responding, and Emily stood up gently placing her hands on either one of  Laura Lee's shoulders, "You're okay." she whispered, and the other teenager nodded, exhaling softly.

"What the mother fuck, just happened?" Mari questioned, and they all stood around entirely stunned by the events that had just taken place.

Soon after it was decided that it was time to go to bed, that had been enough borderline horror shit for the night. They laid around all still wide awake, and thoroughly freaked out.

"Do we think it's still up there?"

Taissa sat upright very quickly, "You all need to stop. There's nothing up there! Lottie has been acting weird for weeks."

When no one gave in to her words she stood up collecting her pillow and blanket, "Fine. I'll prove it."

"You're going to sleep up there?"

"That's right." she stood up, "Who's with me?"

None of the girls made any efforts to join Taissa, and after a minute she gave up, "Fine. More room for me then."

Emily sat up beside Natalie, "I'm not letting her be up there alone. It's just freaky." she murmured, glancing around to verify no one was paying attention before placing a quick kiss on Natalie's cheek.

The girl with the bleached blonde hair opened her mouth to respond but Emily shook her head, "I'll come back if anything weird happens."

"Seriously? How the fuck," Mari kicked at the bush, "Are there no fucking berries?"

Ash rubbed her forehead in defeat, sitting down on a nearby log, "The birds could be picking them off...or mice."

Van sighed, sitting beside the brunette, also looking very defeated. Ash couldn't help but wonder if they had any hope of making it through the winter when they were barely getting by in the warm weather.

"I'd eat the crap out of a mouse right now," Van stated, and looks of disgust passed through the group.

"You know some animals live off of eating their own vomit." Lottie quipped crouched down, searching a different bush.

"Jesus Lot, could've done without that fact." Ash wrinkled her nose in disgust. 

"Yeah, thanks for that image," Van added, shaking her head slightly. 

"Did dead cabin guy tell you that or do you guys just chat about blood and stuff?" Mari quipped, and Ash sent a glare in her direction. 

Lottie moved to her feet, "No we mostly talk about how Danny dumped you for his own cousin."

Ash bit back a small laugh, standing up to follow Lottie, she couldn't help but find her remark amusing. 

"Hey, they're second cousins! And that's totally legal you know." 

Lottie wandered away from the group, Ash following fairly closely behind her. Once the Jensen girl caught up, she found Lottie staring off into a small empty clearing.

"Lot?" Ash spoke softly, trying not to startle the girl, Lottie tore her eyes away from the clearing, "Yeah?"

"What are you looking at? Are you okay, I know last night was a lot..."

Lottie forced a small smile, "I'm okay, I just— I just thought I saw something, that's all."

"Okay..." Ash trailed off, her eyes flicking between Lottie and the clearing, "You're sure, you're ok?"

Lottie nodded, with a smile, "Are you doubting me, Ashely?"

The other brunette, opened her mouth, a bit taken back, "Ashely? Did you just call me Ashely? No one gets away with calling me Ashely."

The Jensen girl shook her head in disbelief, "Ashley?" she murmured, and Lottie laughed, "I feel like I just did."

"Whatever," Ash crossed her arms.