Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 33: Wake Me Up

XXXIII.

Despite having banished away my only means of survival—I wasn't ready to talk to anyone if they weren't Lauren, so curling up into a ball, I tucked my arms around my waist and closed my eyes, slipping quickly into darkness.

Lauren raced along the forest floor, heart thumping painfully in her chest and eyes on the distance. She had traversed her way around a good chunk of the state, picking and choosing the places that were the most familiar to her. Now that the girl had gathered everything she needed, she was ready to find Camila. The gentle burn in her wrists assured her that the younger brunette was still in once piece, and Lauren was far from surprised with the moxie that she possessed.

Her meagre tracking skills led Lauren back to the heart-wrenching scene of Camila's capture. There were still footprints etched into the frost, marks where knives had been thrown and spitting words exchanged. Stopping, Lauren knelt down and pressed a bare hand to the cold ground, closing her eyes and listening to the sparse sounds of the forest. A few minutes later she was moving again, following the fading footsteps.

Some voices a ways away stopped her movements, and rather than confronting whoever it was, the girl slipped behind a nearby tree and remained quiet to investigate. Before her were two figures walking shoulder to shoulder with a variety of weapons attached to their bodies. One was female, her hair tied up in a long brown ponytail, and the other was male, covered top to toe in black garb. Lauren was unable to see either faces, but could tell from the familiar way they were dressed, that this was her chance.

Following the figures through the forest, the girl moved swiftly through the trees without making a sound. Much to her satisfaction, they weren't taking their time, and neither was she. A few minutes later, the green eyed girl watched the strangers disappear into an opening in the ground, nothing but a hole covered by a large metal grate and surrounded by shrubbery.

"Where are they going?" Lauren muttered to herself, watching the hatch get covered in a web of branches and leaves as the two vanished. When they were properly out of earshot, the girl crept out from behind her tree and walked over, revealing the hatch once more. It featured a previously invisible ladder made from rope that was wound tight and plastered against the dirt wall. The burning in her wrists was strong, just looking down into the darkness filled Lauren with determination.

With a deep breath, she descended, bracing herself for some kind of ambush. None came, and instead she gathered her footing and landed swiftly in a large open room. It was empty, leading the girl to press herself against the wall and head to the nearest visible hallway.

The room was an uneven rectangle, walls and floors covered in a unique, thick banded pattern of symbols that resembled flowers on smooth cement. Small metal pockets were attached to the walls, each holding a single burning candle. It gave the room a very dark orange glow, as did the absence of any natural light.

"Hey." A voice had Lauren spinning around and grabbing at one of two thin iron bar strapped to her back. Standing behind her was a boy, a touch younger than she was with a confused look on his face. "I don't recognize you."

Lifting an eyebrow, Lauren drew the bar up before her, immediately recognizing one of her previous attackers. He had a dusty brown mop of hair on his head, and was dressed in a simple black v-neck with a pair of sweatpants cinched at the ankles. On his feet were running shoes, one with the laces electric green, the other neon pink. Through the dim lighting, the girl could see his amber eyes burning.

Frowning at the weapon, the boy stepped back "Who are you? What are you doing here?!"

"You have something that belongs to me." Lauren stepped towards him menacingly, recalling his maneuver of the electric net around Camila's body. "And I'm here to get it back."