My Dear Laurens (Lams)

J. Laurens

"What did she look like?"

Laurens had finished describing the entirety of his escape plan to Paragraph, and now all Paragraph wanted to know was what the medic looked like.

Laurens raised a brow but began to describe her. "Uh, she had skin like mine, but she was kind of heavy-set. She's got dark brown hair that's always pulled into a bun."

Paragraph's glare never strayed from Laurens. It wasn't menacing, just suspicious. Like Paragraph was studying for a test or solving a puzzle.

"How did she talk to you? Did she sound weird when she talked?"

Laurens's lips parted to protest until he realized "weird" was a perfect assessment of the Spanish woman. "Yeah, she did sound weird. Almost like she was talking in-"

"Riddles," Paragraph said, cutting off Laurens. His eyes widened, and he stroked his chin with his hand. "I know who the medic is."

Laurens shrugged his shoulders. "I'm pretty sure we both do..."

Paragraph's jaw went slack as he glared at Laurens with malice, this time. "Are you a complete idiot? Of course, you know who she is in a way, but I know exactly who she is."

A corner of Laurens' mouth curled upward. "I know. Just seeing if I could get under your skin."

Paragraph rolled his eyes. "Ugh, anyway, the medic's name is Riddle. She used to be another prisoner in this pit, but a week before you came, she disappeared. All of us thought they killed her, but she's been alive this whole time as their medic. They probably saw her healing us, and thought they needed someone like her."

Laurens puffed a breath from his lungs. "Huh. I mean, when I talked to her, she did say something about not all prisoners being kept in the pit, but I never expected her to mean she used to be in there with you guys." Laurens shifted his gaze from his hands to Paragraph. "How you feeling?"

Paragraph narrowed his eyes and cleared his throat. "I'm fine. I'm just a little surprised."

"Okay," Laurens said, staring up at the sky for a moment as the sun began to lower itself toward the horizon. "We should tell the others when they get back."

Paragraph nodded. "Yeah, you should."

"What? You don't want to tell them with me?"

"No, I do not. It's not like I need to. I told you how I know Riddle, which is also how they would know her. There's nothing more to tell that you can't do yourself."

Laurens gathered gravel in his palms and sifted through to roll pebbles between his fingers. "I see what you mean. If I forget something, you'll help me, though, right?"

Paragraph pushed himself off the ground with his hands and peered down at Laurens. "Yeah, whatever. I wouldn't be surprised if I had to help you, considering how easily you seem to lose all logic and sense the second you open your mouth. Now, leave me alone."

Laurens chuckled, then held a hand to his forehead and drew it down in a mock salute. Paragraph turned on his heels and sat in an opposing corner from Laurens. He pulled his journal out and began to write. Laurens continued to fiddle with the small rocks he'd collected for a while until footsteps sounded above the pit. Laurens whipped his head up right as Arty and Shield dropped in front of him. Laurens nodded once at them, earning a smile from Arty and a reciprocated lift-of-a-chin from Shield. They migrated to the right of Laurens. Both kept to each other most of the time unless Riot or Relic showed up. This shift occured only a few minutes later. Laurens's eyes were attracted to a basket inside Riot's hands after she dropped down. Relic stood behind her, knowing the second everyone saw what was inside of the basket, they would be crowded immediately.