HEARING DAMAGE
TEEN NOLA - CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN !

"YOU GUYS NEED HELP?" Nola asked with a smile as she shuffled up next to Shauna and Melissa, her voice full of curiosity. She glanced at the makeshift butchering station—just a weathered wooden slab perched atop uneven logs—was slick with fresh gore, the dark red pooling and trickling down into the mossy dirt below and creating squelch inducing footsteps. Shauna's hands were already stained, her nails rimmed with drying crimson as she worked in silence.

Shauna hesitated for half a second. Her feet faltered, her movements slowed and her weight shifting back and forth like she was considering it—actually considering accepting her girlfriend's help. But then, she sighed. "No, it's fine. You won fair and square."

There was something tired in the way she said it, her voice lacking its frequent edge. She waved off Nola with a small, tentative smile, and Nola just mirrored it back at her before lowering herself onto the ground nearby.

The Shipman girl then turned to her fellow loser; Melissa. She gestured towards the viscera that glistened under the slanted rays of the early afternoon sun, that needed hauling from one place to the other. "Can you help me with this?"

Her words weren't really a question. Melissa just nodded, rolling her shoulders before stepping back up to the bloody table. Together, they got to work, hoisting up the heavy slabs of meat, their arms straining under the weight as they hauled them to a better resting place. The sooner they finished, the sooner Shauna could disappear—away from the heat, away from the smug, gloating expressions of the winning team and away from the people that enraged her so deeply.

"Here." Shauna called out, tossing a thick hunk of meat toward Melissa.

Melissa reached for it, fingers stretching wide, but the weight of it, slick with fresh blood, was too much. It slipped through her grasp and plummeted to the ground with a wet thud, immediately collecting a thick layer of dirt, twigs, and decaying leaves.

Like a honing device set on picking up every one of the losing teams mistakes, Mari's voice suddenly carried over and pierced their ears. "Hey, watch it. That's our dinner." She scolded the pair before erupting into giggles with Gen, who lounged beside her, both in bikini tops to take in the sun that beamed down and warmed their skin.

A mischievous grin formed through the laughter shared by the two girls, both unaware of the glares being sent their way. (Not that they would have cared.)

Mari patronisingly clicked her fingers at the two. "Oh, Jeeves! Could one of you bottle us some berry wine over here?" A mock-regal jaunt appeared in her voice.

Shauna's jaw clenched. Nola rolled her eyes at her fellow winner. It seemed that the bump on the shoulder earlier hadn't been enough to deter the girl from continuing her needling of Shauna.

"Give it a rest, Mar." She called over her shoulder as she rose to her feet with a sigh. While dusting herself off, she looked towards Shauna, but also Melissa who remained a few feet behind the Shipman girl. "I'm gonna go meet up with Nat and the others, okay? I'll be back soon."

Shauna gave her a small nod. No fight. No protest. Nola smiled a brief smile before turning on her heel, walking a couple of steps towards the two antagonists stretched out in the sun. When Mari and Gen caught sight of her, their laughter faltered just slightly, replaced with something more guarded.

Nola barely acknowledged them. Instead, she locked eyes with Gen and spoke flatly. "Gen, we gotta meet up soon, so get moving."

The mirth drained from Gen's face. She let out a short exhale before shoving herself up, reaching for the loose shirt she had draped nearby, all the while her head bobbing up and down as she nodded obediently.

The moment the girl was on her feet, Nola turned away, heading straight for the hut where the others were already waiting.

Inside the cramped, dim hut, Nola settled onto the ground next to Van and Taissa, the ripped up seats from the plane beneath them still warm from the sun beating against the roof all afternoon. Gen shuffled in after her, taking a place near the edge, while Natalie sat cross-legged at the center of them all, fingers idly twisting in her lap.

They were about to start when—

A shadow fell across the entrance.

Standing there, peering eagerly inside through her thick lenses, was Misty Quigley.

            "Are you guys meeting now? Do you want me to, um, to take minutes?" she asked, her voice far too hopeful, her hands clenched down by her sides like some eager little secretary waiting for an assignment. Her enthusiasm was smothering.

            "Nope." Van quickly replied with a shake of the head, the expression of her face practically screaming how little she wanted Misty around.

Natalie, to her credit, at least attempted diplomacy. She shot a quick glance around the hut, clearly hoping for someone else to give her an excuse, a reason to send Misty away without outright rejecting her. But when none came, she forced a tight-lipped smile.

"Thanks, uh, Misty, but we're good. You were the MVP today. You should just relax. Enjoy it."

Nola noticed the muscles in Misty's face twitch, just slightly. She had picked up on it. The rejection. But she forced her own smile—thin, practiced, unreadable.

"Okay." She uttered, exhaling a slow breath before casting one last lingering glance at them all. Then, she turned and slipped away, her steps unnervingly quiet.

As she slinked away from the hut, Van jokingly called out, "Bye, Misty."

A snort of amusement came from Gen. Natalie, however, let out a long, slow breath, her shoulders slumping forward. "Who's up first?" She asked once the coast was clear.

Silence. No one spoke. Natalie's fingers tightened around her knees. She was already over this. "Okay, then." She exhaled sharply and turned her gaze toward Gen. "How's the hunting lately?"

Gen, who had long since taken over the duty of hunting for the group, ever since Natalie's duties as leader meant it was impossible for her to also do the hunting, perked up at the question, clearly pleased to be acknowledged. "Good. The deer are running like crazy in the north valley."

"Have you seen anything while you're out there?" Taissa, ever focused, leaned forward slightly.

The words were careful. Controlled. Loaded.

Van, however, had no patience for the subtlety. "Like murderous pyro tracks?" She muttered, her tone dry but her jaw tight with something darker.

Natalie's expression went dark instantly. "Stop." She said, almost pleading. Her fingers curled into the holes of her pants, her gaze darting around the group, looking for backup, for agreement, for someone to end this conversation before it even started. "You guys, we've talked about this. There's no way he's alive."

"Nat." Van started to protest.

Natalie cut her off before she even got the chance. "I've scouted every inch of this place for miles. There's no sign of him. Either he starved or he froze to death." She was firm. Final. Unrelenting. "I'm telling you, Coach is dead."

A beat.

Then—

           "What if he isn't, though?" Nola's voice was calm, but it cut through the hut like a blade.

All eyes snapped to her. She just shrugged, as if the words meant nothing. As if she hadn't just reopened something that had been so desperately trying to stay buried. "I mean, Javi survived longer than any of us thought possible and that was in the winter. Coach might only have one good leg but he's not stupid. He knows the basics on how to survive."

           The blonde stared at Nola, her fingers tightening where they rested against her knees. She exhaled sharply. "Nola, come on."

            It wasn't a plea. Not quite. More like an exhausted warning.

          Nola met her gaze head-on. She wasn't backing down. She was sick of being quiet on the topic. "I'm just saying, Nat. Sometimes I'm sure I can hear him."

          It was on and off but she knew she was hearing him. The quiet shift of footsteps in the underbrush. The soft rustling of branches where there shouldn't be any movement. A breath—barely there, just past the edge of her hearing, like someone standing too far to be seen but close enough to watch. The sounds would sometimes echo inside of her ears. Practically begging her to go searching for him.

            But the decree that no one go looking from Natalie has stopped her in her tracks every time.

           "And other times?"

           She was hesitant to answer. Other times, it was like he had never existed at all. Like the forest had swallowed him whole and erased every trace. Nola planned to lie, but the expectant look on Natalie's face caused her to exhale, irritated with herself, irritated with all of this.

          "Other times it's like radio silence. Nothing at all."

          The relief in Natalie's shoulders was barely noticeable, but Nola caught it. The way her muscles loosened, just slightly. She stared blankly over at Nola. "Maybe your frequency is fucked or something. There's no way he's alive."

          The words hit the ground like a gavel, final and absolute.

Without hesitation, the blonde moved on, delving into the other topics that she deemed more important. When everything had been said, Natalie brought the meeting to an end. "Well, I guess that's it."

            The tension in the small hut loosened just slightly, though the weight of what had been discussed still hung thick in the air.

            Van muttered a faint, "Okay." While rising to her feet alongside the rest of the girls.

            Nola pushed herself up from where she'd been sat, stretching out the stiffness in her legs. Van was the first out the door, stepping over the threshold with an easy, almost careless stride. Gen followed close behind. Nola moved to follow, but then—

            "Hey, Nat. Can we talk?"

            Taissa's voice stopped her mid-step. Her gaze shifted about. Van and Gen were already ahead, back mingling with the others in the camp, but Nola...

            Nola lingered.

            Something about Tai's tone—low, measured, too serious for comfort—made her hesitate. Instead of leaving, she hovered, stepping just to the side of the hut where the shadows swallowed her whole.

            She shouldn't listen. She knew that. But her curiosity got the better of her.

            "This thing between Shauna and Mari..." Nola stiffened. She should have known. The animosity between the two was like this thing that hung over them all, haunting them. It was daunting as fuck.

Natalie sounded exhausted as she replied. "Uh, Shauna's in a mood and Mari's Mari. It'll blow over."

Nola could picture her friend even without looking—arms crossed, brows furrowed, too tired for whatever argument Tai was gearing up for. But Taissa didn't drop it. "It's not like this morning was the first time. I really think you need to talk to them."

There was a pause. Then Natalie sighed. "And what? Tell them to start liking each other or else?" There was sarcasm in Natalie's voice now, biting and sharp. "Maybe I should make them say one nice thing about each other."

Nola nearly smiled. It sounded like a very Jackie Taylor thing to do. In fact, it was exactly what she had done the night of the party after they won sectionals. When an all out screaming match had broken out amongst the girls, Jackie had corralled them all away from prying eyes and demanded they said one nice thing about the girl next to them.

"Come on, Tai, it's dumb girl shit." Natalie's flat voice pulled Nola from her thoughts. "We have, you know, we have actual life or death to deal with here."

Yet another fucking pause. "That's my point, Nat." There was something in Taissa's tone that made the hair on the back of Nola's neck prickle. "Maybe out here, it's all life or death."

"Don't forget what happened to Jackie."

             The breath she had been holding finally escaped—slow, shaky, almost suffocating. She hadn't been expecting Taissa to name drop her best friend. Her best friend who died. The world felt too quiet all of a sudden. Suddenly she wished she hadn't stayed behind to eavesdrop. She quickly turned to leave but before she could disappear back into the camp, Taissa stepped out of the hut.

            The Turner girl stopped short, expression flickering. She knew. She could see it all over Nola's face. Regret settled into her features, heavy and reluctant. She had purposefully waited until Nola had walked away before speaking to Natalie, knowing that Jackie's name might crop up.

            Instead of speaking, of trying to explain it all, she just nodded over at the Rilke girl. She knew that Nola knew how important it was that things be taken seriously. Nola stared for a moment longer, sent her own brief nod then turned and walked away.

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THE NIGHT AIR WAS thick with the smell of the trees and the smoke from the torches set up to light the camp. The onyx sky above them glistened with starlight. At the center of the camp, the makeshift dining table—adorned with wildflowers—sat the winners of the game from earlier in the day. Everyone was draped in robes fashioned from airplane seat fabric, the stitching uneven, some edges fraying from wear.

Mari, reclining lazily in her seat, let her smirk grow as she scanned the table. She lived for moments like this, for the irritation she could stir up like a stick in a wasp's nest. "God, the service here is slow." She quipped, her tone dripping with mock impatience. "Oh, Garçon."

Across the table, a few of them rolled their eyes in mild amusement, though most simply ignored her. The losers of the game—today's unfortunate servers—stood beside the seated winners, bowls of deer soup balanced in their hands.

Natalie cleared her throat, stepping forward to address the gathering. "Okay. So, for your solstice dining pleasure or whatever, we have deer soup."

"Also known as braised venison stew, served with our finest vintage of berry wine." Taissa further elaborated, her voice smooth, almost regal.

"Ooh." The group collectively gushed in exaggerated delight, amused by the use of fancy rhetoric.

Stevie easily set a bowl in front of Nola, who glanced up with an appreciative smile. "Thanks, Stevie." Winning Capture the Bone earlier had earned her this meal, and she planned to enjoy it.

But the moment of camaraderie shattered.

"What the fuck?" Mari's voice sliced through the air, dripping with disgust. The sheer level of revulsion in her tone made heads turn. She sat upright now, staring at the contents of her bowl as if it had personally offended her. "Shauna just spit in my food."

"Here we go." Van sighed.

When there was no initial reaction to her words, Mari huffed even more. She glanced up at Natalie, their leader, and basically demanded, "Are you gonna do something about this or what?"

Natalie's expression hardened, irritation evident in the crease of her brow. Her exhaustion was palpable—one more thing to deal with, one more conflict to manage. She turned her gaze to Shauna. "Jesus Christ, Shauna, did you spit in her soup?"

"What?" Shauna feigned offence but they all weren't stupid. She continued to act appalled at even the notion of her spitting in Mari's food. "No. The fact that you even think I would is insulting."

Mari shot up from her seat, gripping the bowl tightly, her chest rose and fell in quick succession. Shauna instinctively took a step back, but her gaze never wavered. The firelight flickered between them, illuminating the tension that crackled in the air like a brewing storm.

"You should eat." Shauna's voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper. The threat was thinly veiled, her eyes sharp as knives. "I worked hard to make it."

A beat passed, thick with unspoken words. Then, with deliberate defiance, Mari moved the bowl off to the side and tipped it, letting the contents spill onto the ground with a wet, splattering thud. The stew mixed with the dirt, forming an unappetising slop. The bowl itself slipped from her fingers, landing with a dull clatter.

Her gaze then locked onto Shauna's, her whole body vibrating with adrenaline. "I should fucking kick your ass." She seethed, stepping closer.

Clearly, Mari had forgotten. Forgotten the violent streak that had been simmering beneath Shauna's skin for months. Forgotten the unchecked rage that boiled inside her daily. Forgotten that Shauna had nearly beaten Lottie to death with her bare hands.

Shauna didn't hesitate. She grabbed hold of Mari immediately, knocking her to the ground with ease despite Mari's attempts to fight back. A sharp gasp left Mari's lips as her face was shoved into the disgusting mixture of stew, spit, and mud.

"I told you to eat, bitch." Shauna snarled, her voice guttural, animalistic.

Chaos erupted. The others lunged to intervene, prying Shauna off Mari, who sputtered and gasped, wiping filth from her face.

Nola, however, remained seated. She barely glanced up, stirring the contents of her own bowl with an air of boredom. This shit with those two was seriously getting old. She also couldn't help but think that if she had been leader, this shit would have never happened.

Natalie's patience finally snapped. "That's it! That's it! I've fucking had it with this shit!" Her voice rang out, cutting through the night like a whip. She glared at them all but kept her focus on Shauna and Mari. "If everyone wants me to be the camp counsellor, then fine. Starting tomorrow, you're both on house arrest."

Natalie pointed haphazardly at the huts as she bossed Shauna and Mari about. "Stay in your shelters. I don't want to see your faces for a week, okay? Got it?"

Mari balked at her in disbelief, wiping stew from her cheek. "What? This is bullshit! She attacked me!" She jabbed a finger toward Shauna, who only smirked, unfazed by the punishment.

The Scatorccio girl wasn't backing down. "Keep going, Mar, I'll make it two weeks."

Mari let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "Oh, you know what?" She snarled, yanking off her makeshift robe and tossing it onto the ground. "Fuck this. Screw all of you. I'm out of here."

With that, she stormed off into the pitch-black forest.

"Mari." Nola called, but there was no stopping her. The others hesitated, watching her disappear into the shadows.

Natalie sighed. She waved off everyone's concern over Mari. "Let her go. Don't let her ruin the rest of the night."

Shauna turned, already making her way toward her hut. Nola quickly followed, catching up to her just as they stepped into the dimness of the shelter.

"Shauna, what the hell was that?" She hissed, voice low but sharp. Her expression alone carried her frustration. "Why are you rising to her level? You're better than this."

The brunette spun around, eyes blazing. "So, you're siding with that bitch?"

"I'm siding with whatever stops this fucking mutiny. This shit has to stop!" Nola's voice spiked in volume before she reeled herself back in, returning to a hushed, urgent tone. "Mari's a dick. You give her exactly what she wants when you react."

Shauna rolled her eyes. "Well, maybe if she just fucking shut up once in a while, I wouldn't have to stop myself from punching her fucking face in!"

"You want my opinion?" The Rilke girl asked rhetorically. She didn't give Shauna the chance to snippily respond before she continued. "I think that the next time you feel like hurting Mar, you come to me. Yell at me, scream, throw things. Hit me if you have to—"

Shauna cut her off, her expression twisting in disbelief. "I'm not fucking hitting you." She looked outraged at even the suggestion.

Nola's voice softened. She was quick to point out, "It wouldn't be the first time, Shauna. But I can handle it. I'd rather you aim your anger towards me than go after Mari and her big mouth."

Shauna's fury dimmed. Something in her hardened stance melted just slightly. She appreciated Nola's attempts to soothe her piled up emotions. She took a step forward, closing the space between them, and without thinking, grabbed Nola by the back of the neck, pulling her into a rough kiss.

Nola chuckled against her lips. "Not what I had in mind but I'm not complaining."

Shauna's hands slid downward, fingers teasing the button of Nola's cut-off jeans, that she had made by cutting the length off an actual pair of jeans. "Take these off." She ordered, her lips falling into the curve of her girlfriend's neck.

Nola's eyes widened in alarm. "Shauna, we can't. Everyone is right over there."

Shauna's smirk was nothing short of wicked. "We'll just have to keep quiet then, won't we?" She popped the button, meeting Nola's gaze with a glint of mischief. "You can do that, right?"

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THE FIRELIGHT FLICKERED AGAINST the gathered faces, its glow casting wavering shadows across their weary expressions. The air was thick with the mingling scents of burnt wood, damp earth, and the remnants of their solstice feast. A hush settled over the group as Lottie stepped forward, her eyes gleaming with emotion in the dim light.

When she spoke, her voice was soft but carried the weight of reverence. "On this... shortest night of the year, we gather to honor three souls who have slipped into the darkness that lasts forever."

A solemn silence followed her words. The fire crackled. A distant wind stirred the trees, rustling through the branches like unseen fingers. "We celebrate their sacrifice. We grieve their loss. And we rejoice in the knowledge that they're still here with us."

The group, still digesting the remnants of their meal, listened with quiet reverence. Mari was still absent after having stormed off into the woods, her frustration still echoing in their minds. Shauna and Nola had emerged from Shauna's hut halfway through the feast, their flushed faces mostly hidden by the cloak of night, though their sudden reappearance hadn't gone unnoticed. Still, no one had dared to comment.

Now, gathered in the clearing, they prepared for the ritual. In many of their hands, five makeshift lanterns swayed in the faint evening breeze—fragile creations of paper, the pages torn from their schoolbooks, bound together with careful hands.

One by one, the flames were passed along, the lanterns catching light as they were carefully ignited by the person next to them. The warm glow illuminated their fingers, their faces, making their eyes glisten with reflected fire.

Once lit, they were then released. The lanterns drifted upward, carried by the breeze, their golden glow climbing past the tops of the trees, joining the stars in the endless black of the night. The group watched in reverence, their faces upturned, the firelight flickering in their wide, solemn eyes.

As the lanterns floated higher, Lottie continued, her voice unwavering. "We know that they are, because we can still hear them. Because we can still feel them. Because they haven't gone. They've just returned to a place that waits for all of us."

Lottie took a steadying breath before she spoke again. "We call to Javi,"

The name sent a fresh ripple of grief through the group. Nola, standing close to Travis, instinctively turned her gaze toward him—only to find him already looking at her. His expression was tight, his lips pressed together, but his eyes carried a sadness too deep to name. Without hesitation, she reached down, her fingers seeking his. Travis gripped her hand in return. They shared a sad smile.

Lottie's voice rose again. "Now with the Wilderness, to watch over us."

The group echoed in unison, their voices steady, almost prayerful. "Watch over us."

Lottie pressed forward. "We call to Jackie,"

A beat of silence. A wind stirred the trees, rustling through the clearing. "Now with the Wilderness, guide us."

Again, the chant followed. "Guide us."

Then, Lottie's voice softened, the next name carrying a weight that settled like a stone in their chests. "We call to the child."

The moment the words left her lips, Shauna's expression darkened. Her body tensed, her jaw clenching tight. No one spoke, no one moved—until Shauna suddenly turned on her heel and walked away. She didn't run. She didn't make a sound. She simply left.

Nola caught the movement out of the corner of her eye and watched Shauna disappear into the night, her form swallowed by the shadows of the camp.

Another beat of silence. Then Lottie continued. "Now with the Wilderness. Deliver us."

The voices echoed in unison for the last time. "Deliver us."

All was well. Until—The noise erupted. A cacophony of unnatural screeches, warped baby cries, and guttural animal sounds exploded inside Nola's ears. It was a wretched, ear-splitting thing—like a hundred voices screaming at once, overlapping, distorting, rising in a crescendo of something raw and primal.

She recoiled, her breath hitching in panic. Her hands flew to her ears, pressing hard in a desperate attempt to muffle the unbearable sound. It did nothing. The shrieks still burrowed into her skull, wrapping around her mind like barbed wire.

"What the fuck?" She cried out, her voice barely audible over the noise.

Then suddenly everyone heard it. The entire group went rigid, their heads snapping upward, eyes darting across the pitch-black sky. Their breathing quickened. Heartbeats thundered in their chests. The fire crackled, the wind stirred, but beyond that, something unseen—something there—was making itself known.

The sound lingered for a few unbearable moments, filling the vast emptiness of the forest, seeping into their bones. Then, just as quickly as it began, it was gone. Silence fell like a hammer. Only the quiet crackling of the fire remained, the flames licking hungrily at the wood.

Lottie stood frozen, her wide eyes locked onto Travis. Her breath trembled as she spoke, barely above a whisper. "Travis, is that what you heard?"

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author's thoughts.
chapter forty seven, not proofread
this chapter is so unbelievably long but episode one is finally done. We had a little bit of everything. Shauna and Nola getting busy, Nola saying she can hear Ben in the woods despite Natalie's insistence he's dead and that horrible sound they all heard. Anyway I hope you enjoyed :)