Why didn't Van become a conduit?
Van seemed to be one of the more devout believers as a teen. She was desperately seeking meaning to explain why she survived the fire on the plane, and the wolf attack. Plus she advocated for Tai, seeking recognition from the group because Tai was deeply connected to It (after finding the trees and Javi).
Van had a near death vision after the wolf, and also had a cave dream along with Akilah and Shauna. It's sort of suggested that the three might have seen the same thing, or at least they each saw something profound. It's clear to me why Shauna kept silent about her dream, but why wouldn't Van have sought Lottie out and explored the message of her dream? Akilah did, and became an esteemed conduit.
So why didn't Van want to be a seer, or have her experiences validated by Lottie and the group, in the same way as Akilah's were honored? Why didn't she tell Lottie about her vision from the cave?
Or why didn't she tell Lottie that she saw something after the wolf, when she wasn't really dead but not really alive either...And if she did tell Lottie about her near death experience, then why didn't Lottie try to make her a special conduit?
I realize Akilah got special attention because Travis claimed "It" told him she was more connected, and that's why Lottie saw Akilah as the next big deal... But I think if Van had explained her experiences, especially if she saw something on par with what Akilah first envisioned, then Van would have been pumped for "messages" and honored too?
And like I said, Van sought meaning for her own suffering and survival, so why not attempt to receive more messages from the wilderness? Why did she try to get the group to recognize Taissa as connected to It, but didn't advocate for herself?
Did she simply not want that kind of attention? And if Lottie knew, then why didn't she ever ask Van to drink the tea, or to huff the gas?