Tyrant (Lazaretto Sequel)

sixteen

April 30, 2094

CAMILA

I felt entrapped. I felt myself losing consciousness by the second. Everything was going black while the moon quivered in my watery eyes as Lauren's hands gripped tighter around my throat. My efforts to break free had long passed. Instead, I held her forearms as she tried to end me. Her fingernails dug into me, leaving rows of crescent shaped valleys in my skin. The veins in her arms were bulging with rage, and I could feel the full weight of her on top of my body as she made it near impossible for me to move. Her breathing was ragged as I lied like a stone underneath her, feeling myself getting colder as the life was slowly draining out of me.

As I took the last breath I would ever take, I opened my eyes fully to see a pair of neon ones staring into mine. I tried to decipher what was hiding behind the glowing irises, but all I could see was hatred. Her sweat-covered face was starting to become blurry, and the grip I had on her forearms was loosening. I tried to say something, but nothing came out. I thought back to when I first saw Lauren, when I had really seen her for the first time.

It was one day in the facility, no day in particular. She had woken me up per usual, and I had went on about my day. I was working in the library when she and her friend Luca walked in. They were talking about Lauren's apparent date from the night before. I had finished putting the books away, and I was sitting on the floor trying not to focus on their conversation, but it wasn't working. I pulled my knees to my chest and gazed down at my book to make it seem like I wasn't eavesdropping on their conversation.

"How was it?" Luca asked.

"It was fine," Lauren shrugged.

"Just fine? Where did you all go?"

"I took her to a restaurant downtown and then to a movie...just a typical date."

"Why?"

"She's a typical girl."

"Ouch, that's harsh, Lauren. What did she ever do to you besides not getting you laid?" Luca nudged her in the ribs playfully as he laughed, and I felt my face heat up at the accusation.

"It's not about that for me, Luca." Lauren started walking down another aisle of books, and the stout boy followed.

"You're Lauren Jauregui. You could have anyone in this city you wanted!"

Lauren shook her head. "That's not what I want. I don't want someone to like me for my last name...I want someone who's not ashamed to have it." Lauren picked a book up off the shelf, and I felt myself shift uncomfortably because they were in the aisle right in front of me. Luca slapped her on the shoulder as a smile crept onto his face.

"You are such a sap, you know that? Do you have that girl's number from last night? I'm pretty sure I saw her looking at me, too. Maybe she just got confused."

Lauren shook her head with a grin as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and held it in front of Luca's face as he quickly typed the girl's number into his device.

"Thanks, Laur, I owe you one. You sure you're okay with this? I mean, if you still like her—"

"No, it's okay," she interrupted. "I have someone else in mind, anyway."

If my heart wasn't beating as fast a hummingbird could fly, I could have sworn she turned her head to look at me for a split second. I quickly returned my attention back to my book in fear of getting caught and suffering a round of electrocution...though I knew the brown headed guard would've never done that to me on purpose.