Apocalyptic Culture (Camren/Norminah)

XXIII

Listen while you read:
Sawyer Fredricks - Take It All

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Dinah woke to her neck hurting and tried stretching her arms only to have them crash on the top of trunk. It was then that she remembered the events of last night and pushed the trunk open startling a sleeping Ian. Dinah ran out and over to the car Ally was in. She noticed that a rear light wasn't kicked out and panicked. The Californian picked up a crow bar that was on the floor and began prying the trunk open. Once she heard it open she quickly looked inside only to find it empty. Lauren, Normani, and the others joined the Polynesian sharing a confused look as they looked into the trunk.

"D-did they not radio us?" Janel asked.

"I think we all dozed off." Camila answered rubbing her tired eyes.

"No, no, no. They gotta be around here somewhere." Lauren said panicked as she got to the front of the group and searched the trunk.

Dinah furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and looked around, "Where could they have gone?"

"You think FoL got them?" Ian whispered to Janel.

"No, Michael was an escapee. They'd desperately want to take him back to luminary. They couldn't have known where we went." Janel said crossing her arms.

Lauren was now searching deep inside the trunk and noticed a large tear in the back. She pushed it and it crashed into something plush like. Confused, Lauren pushed harder trying to move whatever it was out of the way.

"Hey, do you mind? I'm trying to sleep." Lauren heard from the other side.

"What the-" The Floridian furrowed her eyebrows in confusion and got out the trunk before walking over to the back seat of the car to see Calum laying in the back seat while Ally and Lucy were reclined in the front seats.

A calming wave washed over the group and Lauren opened the driver side of the door to hold Ally in a warm embrace. The short Texan woke up startled, but then smiled upon seeing Lauren. Her smile faded and was the replaced with a look of fear.

"Oh my God did we die?" Ally asked frightened turning to see a groggy Lucy.

"No, if we did they'd let us sleep." Lucy yawned looking up at her friends who stood at her door with smiles on their faces.

Dinah chuckled, "Why would you think you died?"

"Lauren never hugs me. I thought she still hated me."

Lauren looked at the small woman and cupped her face, "I don't hate you, Ally. I was so worried last night and even more when we didn't find you guys in the trunk. I could never hate you." Lauren said sincerely.

Ally held Lauren's hand that was on her cheek and smiled, "Thank you, Lauren, but yeah we couldn't take out a rear light without drawing attention and Lucy was hyperventilating. She took out a knife she had in her boot and started cutting through the fabric. She managed to get through into the car and we just slept in here once the coast was clear."

"You didn't wake us?" Normani asked.

"We didn't want to bother. I called you guys on the radio, but heard nothing so I walked out and seen you were all fast asleep." Ally said.

Calum yawned and sat up as he put on his glasses, "What's for breakfast?" He smiled.

"I can take a group to look for berries." Normani suggested.

"Yeah, I'll take another group for hunting." Ally added.

"I'll stay and make a fire." Lauren said rubbing her eyes.