On the Ledge of Retrograde

Chapter 8 Crazy Storms

Cammie's POV

"So how do I look," Shannon says as she walks out of her bathroom. She's wearing a red flannel and some jean capris.

"Uh...I'm not sure about the whole flannel thing." I say, "Try just a t-shirt."

"Ok." Shannon turns to her dresser picking a t-shirt out of the draw. She pulls of her flannel leaving her in just a bra. I feel my cheeks start to heat up and my whole body gets warm.

'Why am I feeling embarrassed right now. She's like my best friend I shouldn't care.'

"How 'bout now," she says turning it me with just a graphic tee on.

Forgetting my prior thoughts I reply, "Much better."

"Kk thanks for your help Cam." She walks over to me and pulls me into her arms. I always love her hugs. "If you need anything just know that my moms downstairs okay?" She pulls away setting her hands on my shoulders and looking at me with her blue eyes.

"Okay, honestly, I wish you didn't have to leave, but you need to go and make some friends. I also feel like I need to become a little more self sufficient."

"Hey, no one blames you. Don't beat yourself up about it."

'I really like it when she's so nice to me. What would no do without her. Probably not be where I am right now in terms of my mental health. She's helped me so much, and I don't think she even knows.'

"Bye Cam," she says leaving.

"Bye Shan." She blows me a kiss on the way out.

'All this kissing stuff is confusing. If I kiss her in the cheek or blow her a kiss its friendly, but if it's on the mouth then it's romantic. Ughh.'

I look around her room not knowing what to do with Shannon gone. Leaving myself just to my thoughts never ends up well at all. Most of the time I just replay the memories I can remember. While I was still at the hospital they told me that was good. Something about strengthening neuron passageways. I decide to walk over to her window and look out on the street below. I see a few cars pass, but Shannon lives in a neighbor hood so it's mostly people that use the street. I see a kid riding a bike and it gives me a strange feeling. I reach in the back of my mind trying to figure out why but I come up empty handed. That happens ever so often. Something will seem familiar, but I can never tell why, and it drives me insane. I'll sit there think about it forever. Shannon even says I have a thinking face, whatever that means. I check the window again and watch as to guys go strolling down the street holding hands. Then, they lean together and kiss each other. Now I'm really confused. I thought only girls and guys dated, but actually it makes more since if anybody could date anybody they wanted too. Love wins. See again, that's one of the sporadic memories I will have. I don't think I really understand what love is. I'll have to ask Shannon.

Then, I hear a noise outside the window and watch as water droplets land on it. I think it's raining. I look down at the street as it turns a darker shade getting saturated with water. It lightly rains for a few minutes, but then it starts to pick up and I can hear the wind whipping by the window. Now this gives me a bad feeling that I think I know. All of the sudden a memory starts playing out in my head.

              -----Flashback-----
"Quickly Cam, we need to get somewhere safe," says a blurry figure. I hear the house groaning and shaking under the attack of viscous winds outside. A window shatters beside me covering me in broken glass and I scream. The figure charges towards me and swings me over their back. The person tries to say something else to me but I can't make it out. We make it into a storm shelter and everything just seems terrifying. I hear the sound of trees snapping in half out side while also the constant downpour of rain.
"Are we gonna die," I ask the figure tears streaming down my face.
"No Cam," they say grabbing me into a hug.
Suddenly, I hear the sound of nearby house being ripped apart. Roofs pulled off like Legos, and windows shattered all at once.
"Oh no," another figure says and I scream.
--- End of Flashback ---
I jump up quickly not knowing if I'm out of the memory yet. I look around Shannon's room and calm down a little bit. Then a crash of lightning lights ups the sky followed by a loud roll of thunder.

'Oh no this can't be good, I have to tell Shannon's mom I think she's down stairs.'

I run downstairs to see Deb working on some paper working sitting at the kitchen table.

She looks over and say, "Must be some storm we're having... are you alright Cam."

Another crash of lightning can be heard and I start breaking down into hysterics; it reminding me too much of my dream.

"Oh Cammie it's okay, it's just a storm."

"Get Shan, get Shan, get Shan," is all I can reply. She's the only one that will understand what's going on. I run over and sit on the coach listening to the storm.

'We're going to die, that's what storms do. We're going to die.'

I sit there repeating that in my head forever and eventually Shan's mom comes over and sits with me.

"Com 'on Cammie breath, your going to hyperventilate and pass out."

'I don't know what that is, but it doesn't sound good. I try to get me breathing under control but I just can't seem too. My mind keeps taking me back to the memory.'

Suddenly I hear the door open and someone announce, "What's wrong?"

Shannon's POV ------------------------

"What's wrong I say slightly damp from my excursion to find my car. I look at Cam curled up in a ball on the couch and know somethings not right.

"What's wrong with her mom." I ask panicked quickly making my way over there.

"I don't know Shannon, she came down here like this and asked for you. Maybe it's the storm, but we need to get her breathing under control first or she's going to hyperventilate.

"Hey Cam," I say placing a hand on her back. She turns and looks at me with tears running down her face while also breathing heavily. "Just breath." She turns at me fully and I grab both of her hands. Her eyes look into mine, but they become dilated and I can tell she's not getting enough oxygen. Thinking quickly I take one of her hands and place it on my bare stomach under my shirt holding it there with my hand. I do the same on her stomach. "Hey look at me," I say firmly. She does and then I say, "Breath with me okay. You just have to breath Cam. It's okay I'm right here. I won't let anything hurt you." I take a deep breath in and so does she. I let it out and feel as she does the same. We repeat this for a while until she's calmed down mostly. Releasing her hands from mine I sit on the couch next to her. She wraps her arms around my stomach and buries her head in the crook of my next. "Hey Cam," I say once again running my hands up and down her back, "Tell me what happened please."

"I was up in your room when it started to rain," she says shakily taking in deep breaths in between every few words. "I started to remember a memory of mine that I had," breath, "And I thought we were going to die from a storm near our house. Then, the same noises were happening here and I thought we were going to die." She starts crying and at the end of her sentence.

"It's okay Cam, it's just a thunderstorm not all storms are that severe. Besides I'm right here and I'll make sure nothing happens to you okay? That's a promise."

She nods her head against my side and I ask if she wants to go to bed because it's getting pretty late. She says yes and we make our way up to my room. She immediately falls on my bed and curls into a ball still slightly scared at the storms outside. I change into my PJ's and throw her a sweatshirt of mine. She puts it on gratefully. I lay in bed with her and she scoots up beside me wrapping her arms around me neck.

'Just like what Jackson did earlier, but I think this feels nicer.'

I wrap my arms around her back and whisper that it's okay until we fall asleep.

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Awww did I get you in the feels, it got me and I was the one writing it. Thanks for reading and leave a comment and vote below giving your opinions on the chapter/story and what should happen next. 😃
-MW