HEARING DAMAGE
TEEN NOLA - CHAPTER FORTY !

AFTER LINGERING BACK SO as to not let on she had been privy to the raw emotion shared between Misty and Ben, she had stepped inside the cabin only to find Shauna had gone out once again. She was quickly reassured by Taissa that the brunette was just out in the meat shed which allowed the Rilke girl's shoulders to fall in relief.

           Like the others, she soon gathered round the fire, welcoming the heat while also engaging in the prayer circle led by Lottie. If was definitely a sense of comfort for them all. The sun had officially set when the cabin's door creaked open with a shove and in walked Shauna, who halted in place briefly at the sight of everyone staring up at her. She struggled to fight off the urge to roll her eyes as she all but slammed the door shut and walked past them all, heading straight for the kitchen just as the group wordlessly disbanded.

As they all rose to their feet, each now moving about the cabin, taking care of whatever needed taking care of, they all paid little attention to the grieving brunette, choosing to leave her be until she was ready. It wouldn't bode well for them to approach Shauna without first letting her deal with her traumatic loss in her own. They owed her that much.

Misty began to hum a little tune, the melodic tone filling the silence that had fallen over the cabin. It didn't seem to bother anyone so they left it alone.

Well, almost anyone, that is.

Shauna suddenly spun slowly on her heel, her gaze trained upon the blonde who remained none the wiser as she tidied up by the cabin door. Shauna's voice was tough as it traveled up her throat and out her lips as she lowly questioned, "Why are you singing that?"

The sound of her voice caused almost everyone to stop what they were doing to glance back and forth between the pair. Misty, whose humming had now ceased, looked confused at Shauna's line of questioning.

She barely had a moment to conjure up an answer before Shauna then snapped, "Where did you hear that song?"

            Misty's eyes darted around the room, hoping someone might jump in and calm Shauna, who just appeared to be becoming more and more agitated with each passing second. When it looked like no one would save her, she eventually weakly shrugged her shoulders, stuttering out, "I don't know, I.. I think that Crystal was singing it."

            The blonde had barely finished her feeble explanation before Shauna rushed forward, taking massive steps towards her, before her fingers clenched into a fist, recoiled back to build momentum then swung forward, slamming her fist into Misty's face.

            The group all jumped into action as gasps of shock at Shauna's sudden outburst of anger. Van and Akilah rushed to grab at Shauna's arms, trying their best to hold them down as Nola dashed in front of her ex-girlfriend, hoping to calm her down. Shauna managed to slip her hand free from Akilah's hold, swinging it wildly around as she tried to use her weight of break free. Her hand naturally clenched into a fist as it moved about, rushing through the air and colliding with Nola's nose.

            Pain overwhelmed her face instantly. It felt like her nose had been broken from the sheer force Shauna had hit her with. She  didn't have time to deal with the plan as Shauna continued to struggle for freedom. She paid Nola no mind and instead screeched like a banshee over at Misty. "You killed my fucking baby!"

            Her teeth were bared as she glared over at the blonde. She was red in the face as her anger continued to rage inside her, building up like a fire that threatened to consume her whole.

            "Shauna, stop! Misty did everything she could!" Natalie insisted as she shuffled in front of the wounded blonde as she tried to reason with Shauna.

            The Shipman girl refused to listen. She didn't want to hear their lies, their tricks. She knows what happened, what she saw. "No, shut up! You all fucking ate my baby!" Shauna yelled again while continuing to thrash about in Van and Akilah's ever tightening hold. "I saw you! You were covered in blood!"

            "Shauna, stop it!" Taissa cried. Horror etched into the features of her face as she listened to Shauna's wild accusations. "You're acting insane."

            Nola stood off to the side, nursing her aching nose that gushed out blood as she watched Shauna suddenly lean down towards Van's hand that held her. The redhead let out a pained cried. "Ow, god, she fucking bit me!" She yelled out, ripping her hand away from Shauna's mouth, effectively letting the girl go free.

            Before Shauna could charge forward, she was stopped as Lottie appeared before her, standing in her way with an unreadable expression on her face. There was a pause as everyone tried their best to take in what was happening. In a matter of seconds, Shauna had injured three different girls, leaving them all in different states of pain. Now she stood staring up at Lottie as her anger continued to dance in her eyes.

            Then it happened. Thump!

            Shauna had swung her arm back and slammed her fist into Lottie's face much like she had done to Nola, though much more violent. The Matthews girl remained silent though her face already ached. Slowly she turned her head back towards Shauna, carding her fingers through her hair and swiping it from her face. All the while, blood dripped from her nose, smeared down past her lips.

            "Travis, take Javi to the bedroom." She calmly instructed, now joining her hands together behind her back, interlocking her fingers.

            The rest of the group watched with bated breath, not knowing what was to come next. Their bodies remained locked up tightly as they constantly darted their eyes back and forth between the two girls, as though they were observing a tennis match. A bloody, violent tennis match. The door to the bedroom softly clicked shut, letting them all know that Travis had gotten Javi away.

            "Lot?" Van questioned worriedly.

            "Shauna, I know there's a lot of pain right now, but let it out." Lottie urged the grieving mother. She knew that until Shauna released her anger and set it free, it would fester up inside of the girl, tearing her apart on the inside.

Lottie send a small nod Van and Akilah's way, letting them know it was okay to part from Shauna's side. With her permission, both girls slowly back away, though their eyes remained full of fear as the reality of what Lottie planned to do set in.

"Shauna, we need you. Let it out—"

Shauna didn't hesitate to crash her fist into Lottie's face once again. The cabin's inhabitants grew breathless as their eyes widened and their hearts began pounding in their chests, violently banging against their ribcage. Barely a second had passed before she hit her again, then again and again, continuously driving her knuckles into the tender flesh of Lottie's face.

Before long, she had Lottie thrown on the ground with a loud and heavy bang. The tip of her boot connected hard with the now cowering girls abdomen, slamming into it again and again. It was as though Shauna wanted Lottie to feel the agonising pain she felt. Throughout it all, Lottie remained quiet, biting her tongue and only letting out soft gasps as a new injury was brought upon her aching body.

Soon, jamming her foot into Lottie's stomach and back didn't suffice for Shauna. She quickly found herself ripping Lottie away from curling in on herself, laying her out flat across the wooden floorboards before straddling the brunette. The group could only stare on in stomach churning horror as Shauna began using both her fists to punch Lottie. The flesh of Lottie's face began to swell, becoming bloody and cracked as the bone beneath was broken. Her eyes quickly became near impossible to see as they scrunched together tighter and tighter with each blow that was delved upon her face, caving in the sockets.

The desperate, aggressive cries from Shauna reverberated off the walls that surrounded them, echoing in their ears and making their skin vibrate. With each breath they managed to take, another was taken from Lottie. Shauna refused to relent, now slamming both clenched fists down on Lottie's head causing it to collide hard with the floor, sending thunderous cracks through the room.

            Crash! Bang! Whack!

Orange and red embers sparked in the air, casting a horrible glow across the mangled face of Lottie Matthews. Hues of purple and blue already began to form as the skin on her face continued to break and peel open, revealing bright red flesh beneath. Blood ran from her mouth, from her nose. From anywhere that Shauna had hit.

The grieving Shipman girl refused to relinquish. It seemed like she wouldn't stop until Lottie was dead. Finally, after what seemed like a suffocatingly long time, Shauna appeared to finally be done with her brutal assault on Lottie. Her fist met Lottie's face one last time before she lulled to the side, her body falling to the floor in exhaustion.

After beginning to catch her breath, the Shipman girl moved to sit up, reaching out to hold onto Lottie's arm as she did. She loomed over the girl who she had beaten to a pulp, no remorse whatsoever present upon her face. There was nothing from Lottie. Not a wheeze or a gasp or even a groan of pain. Not even a breath. Her chest lay completely still, unmoving and vacant of oxygen.

             "Lottie." Shauna called out. Fear that she had beaten Lottie to death grew within the group when the Matthews girl remained totally still. Through gritted teeth, Shauna uttered again, "Lottie."

            After far too much time, Lottie finally let out a small gasp as blood and spit bubbled from her mouth and trailed down the sides of her battered face. Knowing that Lottie had lived allowed Shauna to roll her eyes as she rose to her feet, making her way out of the cabin and into the freezing air.

            The very second the door clicked shut, the group rushed forward, falling to their knees next to Lottie, though oblivious on what they could actually do for her in that moment. Anywhere they could touch her was bruised and bloodied. Her entire body was awash with injury.

            Nola swallowed hard past the horrible lump that formed in her throat. Her stomach grew uneasy with each glance in Lottie's direction. Knowing there was truly nothing she could do for the brunette, Nola slowly stumbled her way across the room until she reached the door. A hand gripped at her sleeve just as she grabbed the handle. Her gaze flew up in a hurry causing her to meet the terrified eyes of Natalie. It was an unspoken understanding. Natalie was afraid Shauna would exact the very same level of violence to Nola if given the chance but with a nod from Nola, the blonde released her hold and allowed her to step outside.

           The air nipped at her skin though she welcomed the chill. Her entire body had grown so very hot as her blood pumped with each slam of Shauna's fist upon Lottie's face. The door closed softly behind her as her eyes landed upon a crouched down Shauna, whose bloody and bruised hands were shoved into the pure white snow, icing her self inflicted injury.

           Shauna had heard the door close but refused to look up. Instead she kept her gaze locked upon her own trembling hands as she tugged them free from the snow and clenched them tight, willing them to quell their shake.

            "Shauna..." Nola had no idea what to say, no idea what to do. She wasn't even sure why she had spoken but at least she was given a response. The familiar sound of her voice caused the brunette to glance up and over at her, a crazed glint present in her gaze leaving Nola breathless.

            For the first time since it had happened, Shauna took notice of the crimson that stained across the lower half of Nola's face and the slight bruise that already began to form. She didn't utter an apology or even really express regret but she could acknowledge she'd done it.

            The two girls stayed quiet as they remained outside, listening to the faint sounds of the girls inside struggling to lift Lottie's deadweight body from the floor without causing her more hurt. All the while, Nola shuffled forward in the snow, kicking up clumps of the ice as she moved before falling to her knees and then to her back. She lay flat against the snow, her arms and legs spread out wide as though ready to make a snow angel. She was tired of everything and was getting it the point where she truly didn't know if she could do it anymore. Perhaps Ben had been right. Was it even worth it to keep fighting?

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            ONLY A FEW DAYS had passed since Shauna had beaten Lottie to a pulp. The groups dynamics since then had grown odd, their heads now turned to a new individual for guidance. Nola. To say she had been thrown off by their sudden stares and questions would be understatement. They were like sheep begging to be herded, desperate for some form of guidance in the wake of Lottie's recent incapacitation.

            She could understand why they had turned to her. She'd been the closest to the Wilderness up until that point but she also just didn't have much to offer them. Initially, that is. It appeared that once Lottie had been benched for the foreseeable future, Nola regained some favour in the Wilderness's eyes. Her ability to hear more than just what sat around her came back in full swing. Everything she'd heard since the very beginning came back so strongly, it felt like she was being pushed, her chest being thumped, sending her back across the floor with each shove. It had been so long since her ears had been assaulted by the incessant whirring of machinery that when it first hit her, she let out a cry of pain drawing the attention of the group who had seen her clap her hands over her ears and grimace.

It hurt like a bitch all over again though did give the rest an excuse to look to her. Nola couldn't help but feel...happy. Despite the pain she felt each time something new came rushing back and the fact that it seemed like Lottie's face had to be nearly destroyed for this to happen, she couldn't help it. She was practically elated to be looked to, to be listened to. It felt a reward for all that she had dealt with since the plane first began to shake.

Just days ago she wondered if there was any point going on and it seemed like she'd been an answer.

Thankfully as each day went by, something came back and she was able to properly hear the sound of Lottie's heartbeat which grew stronger with every passing day, meaning she was getting better just extremely slowly. She knew it was wrong, to enjoy the leadership she had gained but with everything that had happened from Shauna losing the baby to her pummelling Lottie, Nola found herself not really caring since it provided a much needed distraction.

            During a prayer circle which she had taken over until Lottie returned, the idea to place both Mari and Misty in charge of taking care of Lottie came to her which quickly went into effect. It wasn't long after the two came down from the attic, that she found herself shuffling toward the ladder.

            The sight of a curled in on herself Lottie was the first thing Nola saw, then it was her swollen and bruised face as she inched closer. "Lottie, sweetie?" She softly called out. She slowly lowered herself to the floor, folded her legs beneath her as she peered down at the girl. "Can you hear me?"

             If Lottie could hear her, she didn't give any indication. Nola breathed out a sigh before halfheartedly smiling. "I'm taking care of things for you. It's all gonna be okay, you're gonna be okay, I just know it."

            She sounded so dumb, she knew that. But she didn't care. She didn't want Lottie to die. She couldn't lose another friend, she just couldn't. Jackie's death had really messed her up and now that she and Lottie had grown closer, losing her would break Nola. They needed her.

           There was a sudden clatter of feet against the steps coming up the ladder causing Nola to tear her eyes away from Lottie and glance back at the entrance to the attic. Shauna's head appeared at the entrance, her big brown eyes wide as she stared over at the toe girls.

            "Hey." Nola greeted before returning her eyes to Lottie.

            The Shipman girl finished climbing inside the attic, gripping tightly to a blanket she had brought with her. "I brought this for Lottie." She explained to the back of Nola's head, gesturing to the thick blanket in her hand.

            Nola looked at her once again. "That's great. She needs all the heat she can get up here. She'll heal faster that way." Her voice sounded a little snippy as she spoke. She couldn't help it. Shauna had needed to grieve, to let it out and Lottie had allowed her to use her body as a vessel for her rage. But beating Lottie to near death certainly hadn't been necessary.

           She accepted the blanket Shauna held out, briefly peering up at her with a tight-lipped smile. "Thanks."

           The blanket was sprawled open right away, flourishing in the air before settling down atop Lottie's body. Once Nola made sure it was tucked in around the edges of the brunette's body, she reached up and gently brushed back the hair that had fallen across Lottie's face, trying her best to avoid catching one of her nails on the many gashes that littered across the swollen expanse.

           "Are you coming back down?" Shauna somewhat nervously questioned, twiddling her thumbs awkwardly in front of her. She was glad that Nola was looking down at Lottie and didn't have to witness her childlike behaviour.

           "Yeah, I'll be down soon. I'm just gonna make sure she's comfortable first." She expected to hear the patter of Shauna's feet heading for the ladder but that didn't come. She quickly turned her head to see Shauna staring expectantly at her, a look on her face that said 'I'll wait for you.' Nola sighed. "Go, Shauna. I'm right behind you."

            Shauna appeared hesitant. She didn't want to walk away despite Nola giving her the okay to do so, but she reluctantly chose to trust Nola's words and believe she would soon follow her down. "Okay." She quietly muttered before making her way down the ladder, not before glancing over at Nola once before descending.

           Nola remained in the attic by Lottie's side for another short while, occasionally talking to the girl and receiving nothing in return. It wasn't long however before a gasp of shock escaped her lips once she heard an earth shattering scream from downstairs.

           "Fuck!" She exclaimed as she rushed to her feet and headed for the ladder, practically falling down to the floor below to get down faster. She was in the living room in an instant, looking on as Taissa and Van tried to calm down a scared Mari. "What's going on? Mari, what's wrong?"

           Mari's bottom lip trembled as she pointed towards the kitchen. "T-they were there. You heard it." She uttered to Taissa, feeling terrified. Nothing was there, nobody stood in the kitchen.

          Van's shoulders fell as she heavily sighed. "It's the hunger, Mari. It's just the hunger."

           Ever since they had run out of bear meat, they had been forced to resort to boiling one of Jackie's belts, hoping they'd be pure leather and therefore providing with even the smallest amount of protein. It wasn't that surprising that people were beginning to hallucinate.

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             AFTER THE DELICIOUS MEAL that was a hot broth made of the leather of one of Jackie's belt, that Mari had so aptly referred to as 'belt soup' they had all settled down in front of the fire, urging the warmth to lull their starving bodies into a slumber. Misty had headed back up the stairs to spoon feed Lottie and had finally made a return, capturing the attention of the group.

             Akilah quickly repositioned her weight to her elbows as she sat up and asked after Lottie out of concern. "Hey, how's Lottie doing?"

            "She's, um..." Misty began weakly. Her voice was thin as she tried to stop herself from letting a small sob bubble up within her chest. She sniffed back her emotions then fixed her glasses atop the bridge of her nose. "She said that if...if she dies, she wants us to make use of her. To stay alive."

           There was small pause. Some felt scepticism at Misty's words, after all she had lied to them before, had drugged them even if that hadn't been her intention. She could be lying, telling them something that Lottie had never said. Others knew Lottie too well and knew that that sounded exactly like something she would say. She'd want them to survive even if it meant eating her.

            "Did she really say that?"

            "She must be really fucking sick." Melissa commented, her face contorted at even the idea of consuming the injured girl that lay above them.

            Van's head shook slightly. The features of her face grew displeased. "I can't imagine being here without her."

            "Me, either." Shauna mumbled. She looked well and truly glum at the thought of existing out there without Lottie by their side. You'd have thought that she hadn't beaten Lottie to near death and that she hadn't been the reason Lottie was offering up her body in the first place.

            From where she lay wedged tightly between Shauna and Travis, both of whom had gravitated towards her in their search for a place to sleep, Nola slowly rose up, her face painted with an expression of sincerity. "Good, cause there's no way it's happening. Lottie's tough, you guys. She's stronger than she gives herself credit for. She'll get through this cause we will help her through it."

            She refused to let them think for even a second that Lottie was a viable option for food. They weren't eating her, no fucking way! Not after all she'd done for them.

            Mari nodded in agreement. "She's right. The Wilderness won't let her die."

            Travis's shoulders shook as he shakily released a breath. "It may not want her to, but if she's starving..." he trailed off, knowing that they all knew exactly what he was thinking. He could have stopped there but he knew it needed to be said, it needed to be taken seriously. "There's no way she's gonna live."

             Natalie spoke, her voice low. "The same is true for all of us."

            Out of nowhere, Taissa sat up. "Okay. We need to find a way to stay alive." She looked determined, her face set in strength as she insisted they find another way. "And it can't be her."

            There was a contemplative silence that befell the cabin. They all attempted to wrack their brains for anything they could do, when without warning Nola chimed in again. "We have cards, right?"

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jamielee's thoughts
chapter forty, not proofread
we're getting really close to the final episode of season two lads. Nola has become the leader in Lottie's place but we all know this won't last long. also I have it that she's the original orchestrater of using the cards to choose who gets hunted. We never get a real idea of who it was so I've decided to make it nola.

I've decided to only post a chapter when I have the next one finished so until it'll be a minute before the next chapter will be up. anyway I hope you enjoyed :)