Triple Point

Chapter 36: Past Nightmares

Content Warning (see in-line comments for details)

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Eight years ago

May 15, 25 AE

San Francisco, California

No matter how hard she tried, Camilla couldn't get herself to stop fidgeting with her nails. Every time she forced herself to still her hands, opting instead to clutch onto her small box of prized possessions in her lap, her mind would begin to wander, and it would only be a matter of time before she found herself picking incessantly at her nails again.

Normally, her bad habit wouldn't be a problem, but her situation was far from normal. Because in a few minutes, she would be back at home, where she would be under her mom's watchful eyes. And Camilla didn't want to give her one more flaw to point out, not when her mom had too much ammunition over her as it was.

Camilla finally forced herself to clench her hands into firm fists as if she was preparing to throw a punch, just as she had learned from the Academy. In fact, she learned a lot from the school, and while it hurt her to think that she was never going back, she knew it was for the best.

Her being there had only wasted the Academy's time and resources, and all the government funding and the public's taxes that kept them in operation. It made sense why they had to let her go, and she couldn't blame them for their decision. The only person she could blame was herself.

Besides, every day she was there, seeing the courtyard where her classmates once played around in, or the mess hall where they shared their stories of home, only made Camilla wonder why they all had to die while she got to live.

Camilla was startled from her thoughts by the feeling of the Academy's vehicle slowing down, and she couldn't help but glance out the window. The surroundings were familiar, but they only gave Camilla a sense of dread instead of comfort.

She wasn't ready to go home, not by a long shot. Instead, she wanted to hold onto her imaginary sense of freedom for a few moments longer, but she knew it was impossible. She would never be ready, just as she would never truly be free, and it was probably better if she got this over with sooner rather than later.

It wasn't long before the car pulled up in front of her house, its bright and cheerful exterior a stark contrast to the apprehension that Camilla felt. And when the driver opened Camilla's door, Camilla was suddenly filled with the urge to simply run away. But as tempting as it was, she knew she could never do such a thing. What could she do out in the real world all on her own? She couldn't survive by herself, she knew that. The only place she had left was the foreboding house that stood before her.

As Camilla slowly walked up the stairs to the front door, an Academy representative following close behind, she shoved her daydreams of running away from her mind in favor of planning out her next move. While Camilla had the key to the house, her mom didn't like it when people came over and she didn't look absolutely flawless. Even though she should have known Camilla was coming home that day and around that time, there was no guarantee that her hair and makeup were as touched-up as she'd like, and she'd be furious at Camilla if she was seen looking anything less than perfect.

In contrast, if Camilla rang the doorbell, her mom would chastise her for forgetting that she had the key to her own house, and that her absentmindedness made her busy mom drop everything she was doing just to answer the door.

Either way, Camilla would get scolded. In that case, Camilla opted for the doorbell, since making her mom answer the door would at least give Camilla a few extra seconds to brace herself for the inevitable.