Work Text:
“Wait this is uh- You are all um. Oh, my god-“
My heart stops as I watch the axe swing into the head of this man, this stranger. Blood gushes everywhere, and the wet sound it makes disturbs me to my very core.
He thumps to the ground and I stare at the now deceased man and the person who did it, my girlfriend, standing there. I hear screaming from all around me, everyone else is just as panicked as I am.
“Lottie what did you do?” Natalie sounds downright hysterical and I don’t blame her, I’m nearing the same level. We were so close to home, so close to freedom. My heart battles itself as I decide whether to be furious with the love of my life or mourn the fact that I’ll probably never see home again.
There’s movement around me, some of my teammates decide to chase the other two strangers, while others like me are doing their best to collect themselves. I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to think.
Lottie is crouched down by him, her fingers drawing and painting patterns in some sort of dark substance that I assume is the man’s blood. Those fingers that intertwined with mine, that held me during some of my roughest nights.
She looks up at me and I flinch, I’ve always felt a bit intimidated by her, but right now is the first time I’ve ever felt genuine fear. She stares at me, and for the first time in a while I begin to wonder just how unwell she really is.
“Lottie, what the fuck did you do?” My voice shakes as I speak, and I take a shaky step towards her. I’ll be brave, this is Lottie, my Lottie, she’d never hurt me. She must have a reason for doing this.
The blood is smeared across her face, my lip is trembling but I’m determined not to cry. “They don’t belong.” Her voice sounds so hopeful and it breaks my heart, I know she believes strongly that what she did was right.
I’ve always supported her, and it’s killing me to know that for once I won’t be able to. I simply stare at her, the words I’m searching for unable to be found. I hear Melissa scream out beside me but I don’t move, I can’t move.
Lottie doesn’t look away from me, her face only growing more intense as she stares at me. “It doesn’t want them here.” Her voice is calm and level, and I want so badly to believe her, but I’m shaking and I feel sick and I know she’s wrong.
Gen grabs my hand and drags me to Melissa, I guess she got shot? Gen and Mari are instructing me to do something, but I don’t look away from Lottie as she continues to paint her face with the blood. I stifle a sob and turn to Melissa.
“You’ll see. You’ll see. I promise, you’ll see.” Lottie’s voice is soft and gentle, the same voice she used to speak to me with when I would rest my head in her lap. Mari shoves me and I snap back into focus.
Melissa’s arm is tightly gripping mine, I try to pull the arrow but that just makes Melissa scream even more. “It must be barbed, the more we pull the more it hurts.” I chew on my lip annoyed as I stare at Gen waiting for further instructions.
“Can I help?” Lottie approaching from behind startles me, and the gentle note in her voice makes me shut my eyes tight, a single tear streaming down my cheek. Oh my love, I want so badly to hold her tight and just listen to what she has to say, to believe her unconditionally.
“Haven’t you done enough?” Gen snaps, and it takes everything in me not to rush to Lottie’s defence, but even I know she’s in the wrong for this. “Those strangers, they were going to ruin everything.” Lottie’s eyes seek mine, but I don’t meet hers, I can’t. I feel torn in so many different directions.
I feel a hand grasp mine, and I instinctively know it’s hers. I want to pull away, to scream and run, but I can’t. Even if I wanted to, the idea of me, Veta Scott, running away from Lottie Matthews is unfathomable. “Lottie…” My mouth hangs open as I desperately try to find the words she needs.
“You understand Vera, don’t you?” Her voice is so hopeful, she cups my cheek and I can feel the wetness from his blood. I know Gen and Mari are judging me, they think I’m stupid and blind to Lottie’s faults. I close my eyes and think, really think about all of it. My cousin Ben is gone, Lottie is all I have left.
“Of course I do, Angel.” I hope the others understand, if I don’t have Lottie I have nobody. The smile on her face is enough to make up for whatever judgment or criticism I’ll face. I have faith in her, my Angel Girl.