37. grief is a sword or it's nothing

                                    

                                          




BUNNY GENTLY PRESSES THE DAMP CLOTH AGAINST LOTTIE'S CHEEK. Her eyes are calm as she brushes the brunette's dark hair away from her face, revealing the damage that lies beneath it. "Don't worry, Lot", Bunny says, her voice soft and eerily calm, "I'm gonna fix you."
The attic feels alive with a haunting presence, every creak of the wooden floorboards and every whisper of the wind through the cracks in the walls amplifying the eerie silence. Dust particles float lazily in the dim light filtering through the small, grimy window, adding a surreal quality to the scene. Bunny's hands move methodically, almost robotically, as she cleans Lottie's wounds, her actions are precise and controlled despite the chaos swirling in her mind.
Bunny's shock manifests in a frightening calmness, her face a mask of stoic detachment. Her eyes, usually bright and full of life, are now hollow, reflecting only the dim light of the attic. The stillness around her is oppressive, pressing down on her shoulders, yet she remains focused, driven by an instinctual need to care for her friend. The blood-soaked cloth in her hand is heavy, the metallic scent mingling with the musty air, creating a nauseating blend that she pointedly ignores.
Lottie lies almost unresponsive, her breaths shallow and ragged. Bunny's heart aches at the sight, but her emotions are locked away, buried beneath layers of shock and disbelief. She speaks softly to Lottie, her voice a mere whisper, as if afraid to disturb the fragile equilibrium of the room. The words are meaningless, a soothing litany to keep herself grounded as much as to comfort her friend.
Every sound seems amplified—the rustle of the bandages, the soft groans escaping Lottie's lips, the distant howling of the wind outside. The attic itself feels like a living entity, watching and waiting, its shadows twisting and elongating as if reaching out to ensnare them both. The air is thick with a sense of foreboding, a palpable tension that makes each moment feel suspended in time.
As Bunny works, a haunting feeling seeps into her bones, a cold dread that she can't shake off. She feels eyes on her, unseen but ever-present, a malevolent force lurking just out of sight. The attic's dark corners seem to pulse with a life of their own, shadows writhing and shifting as if possessed by an unseen specter. Her hands tremble slightly, but she forces herself to remain steady, to keep cleaning and bandaging, her movements mechanical and precise.
In this eerie calm, Bunny feels disconnected from reality, as if she is floating in a void where only she and Lottie exist. The haunting atmosphere of the attic wraps around her like a shroud, chilling her to the core. She knows that this moment, this place will haunt her forever, a specter of fear and helplessness that she will never be able to escape.
But for now, she pushes the dread aside, focusing solely on Lottie, her hands continuing their careful ministrations. The haunting feeling remains, a constant reminder of the precariousness of their situation, but Bunny clings to her task with a fierce determination. In this chilling calm, she finds a semblance of strength, a fragile lifeline in the midst of the nightmare that surrounds them.
"We are gonna fix all of this", Bunny whispers as she looks at Lottie, before her eyes flicker to the corner of the room, where the ink-skinned creature sits, Its antlers scratching the wall behind It as It looks at the two girls.


Downstairs the team is scattered around the fireplace, as Mari stirs the soup that now holds Jackie's belt in it too. Natalie's leg bounces as she stares at the open pantry door that shows the ladders to the attic. She grits her teeth together as she lets her gaze fall to the floor again. Bunny was very clear that she wouldn't think twice about pushing her or anyone else down the ladder if they tried to come up without her permission. 
Natalie doesn't even pay attention to the argument about some blanket until Van snaps at the fighting girls, "Hey!", the redhead says, "Lottie took it from her to protect us. Don't let that be for nothing."