My Favorite Camren One-Shots (Part 2)

Locked Up

Lauren stood frozen in front of the building where she spent five years being deprived of life. Even though the day she longed for has finally arrived, it seemed like a strong force kept pulling her back inside, insisting she belonged there. She shook her head and grasped both straps of her worn black backpack that contained a meager amount of her belongings. With a heavy sigh she hesitantly took her first step away from prison.

Having walked a mile from the source of her wretchedness, Lauren’s mind was relentlessly consumed with disturbing thoughts. She is finally free, but does it even matter considering her current situation? She clenched her jaw. Will it change anything? Can she restore the relationships she lost in those years? Will she ever be happy again? Would anyone still accept her despite her past? Because even her own family along with her ‘friends’ had abandoned her a long time ago. Freedom, in her case, is just another form of punishment. Being in the cell sucked the life out of her, she was certain of it. It turned her into a hollow human being; her days were meaningless and her existence serving no purpose at all. The real Lauren was gone and was replaced with someone else she hardly recognized.

What now? The mocking question echoed in her mind.

“I don’t know,” she muttered. The rasp of her voice somehow brought her back into reality. She found herself meandering through the unfamiliar highway with only a few vehicles passing by. She was lost, heck she didn’t have any clue where she was. But dusk was approaching fast; soon it’ll be dark and she needed a place to spend the night. Having realized this, she doubled her normal pace with no exact destination in mind. She continued to walk for hours until her sore feet brought her to a place she expected the least.

Past ten… Lauren assumed that was the time when she arrived at the beach. A faint smile tugged on her lips. There she was again – guessing. Her favorite pastime inside the cell soon developed into a habit, an obsession. Now it was her confidante, following her wherever she went. She trusted no one and doubted everything. That was how things were in her world and she embraced it with open arms.

*****

Lauren carefully scanned the vast area, pleased that it was deserted. This place was hers, for now. She marched closer to the shore and sat on the fine Miami sand, dropping her bag beside her in the process.  The sand was cool like she expected, unfortunately, the salty breeze brushing her dark locks was as cold as her soul. Seeking for relief, she clutched her knees closer to her chest and was met by the warmth her body emitted. She would’ve maintained her cozy position a little longer if her stomach didn’t grumbled in protest. The embarrassing sound made her flush. She had almost forgotten how hungry she was.

Unzipping her bag, she groped for the sandwich and bottled water Gayle gave her earlier when she was released. Gayle was their warden. She was tough, like her exterior: stood about 5’10, muscular, dirty blonde hair tied in a neat bun, and had a booming voice that could scare away all fowls in an entire forest. But for some odd reasons, she was kind and amiable to Lauren.

“Maybe because I was too quiet and reserved for my age and had this mysterious aura, or maybe it was my eyes that spawned her unusual attention,” Lauren mused. Gayle did mention once that her eyes changed colors; from green to grey and vice versa. Whatever it was, she never had the courage to ask. She kept all speculations to herself. Either way, she was grateful for the warden’s benevolence.

Lauren licked her bottom lip savoring the last bite of her sandwich. It was delicious and somehow reminded her of the ones her mother made during their family picnics. The unwelcomed recollection made her wince. She had tons of happy memories but they cannot be remembered without her feeling nostalgic or depressed. What have I done to deserve this? She felt a lump form in her throat.