Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 57: Shackled Angels

LVII.

"You're welcome." Shivering, I slid further beneath the comforter as well, closing my eyes and succumbing to the fatigue. "Thank you for not getting yourself killed."

Normani informed me the following morning that a number of young fledglings had chosen to sit vigil for Jason. As one of their own, they felt a special connection with his death, and the need to deeply honour what short life he lived.

Things seemed to return back to normal, there were a few patrols running the area to ensure that no leftover life had made it out of Silent Hill prior to the destruction, but none returned back with news of so. Instead, I heard musings around the community of new life, birds and small woodland creatures finding their way back after their home had been so badly polluted.

It was good to see so much positivity through the underground, despite my small band of warriors still finding themselves rather tired from the previous night's escapade.

"This is fascinating." Ally marvelled as she started walking an ominous circle around me. I was seated on one of her stone cold tables, an old tank top from my backpack draped over my top half. When her visual prowess was activated, her dark eyes seemed to take on a characteristic I hadn't noticed before. The deep brown irises almost happened to be glowing, but in a far more angelic way than Superman or Cyclops. "I'm down to a very microscopic, cellular level, and there seems to be a foreign cell type in your body. The populations are clustered around your vital organs, scattered in among your heart tissue, lungs, kidneys and your brain. They're almost acting protective, proliferating at an abnormal rate."

"So are you basically checking me out naked?" I questioned, straying off topic with a sly grin.

Ally tilted her head up with an exasperated sigh. "My god, you've been to the edge of hell and back and you still haven't really changed. I'm not checking you out naked, I'm going further than that. I can see things that your clothing can't cover up"

"But you can see through my clothes."

"Camila!" The brunette scolded. "If you're not going to focus then we're not going to do this."

"Alright, alright." I laughed. "If you want we can just skip step one and I'll just strip for you right here."

"Okay, we're done." Ally turned around and grabbed a fresh roll of bandage off a nearby table. "Turn around so I can patch up your arm, then we can both just be on our way."

"Aw." I pouted, holding out my left limb.

"So are you going to head home soon?" The girl asked idly, about halfway through the wrapping process.

"Yeah, I was going to bring that up yesterday, but everyone was too sleepy." I shrugged. "Dinah and I talked it over briefly, and we thought maybe it would be fun if you and Normani could come home to Florida with us."

Ally turned around, a bandage dangling between her fingers. "Hm?"

"You know, now that there's no real danger here... maybe we could all go back to Miami together. I know Dinah and Normani want to stay together, and I don't really want to say goodbye to you guys. We're kind of an family now, at least with everything we've been through together."

"Oh." The brunette turned back, tending to something on the counter before her. "Yeah, um... I don't think that's going to work out."

"What? Why?" I frowned. "Do you not want to come home with me? Lauren did..."

"That's not it Camila." The girl laughed softly. "And yes, I remember you telling me about the way you two met."

"So why won't it work out?"