The Only Way ✓

50. Again

Camila

"You're back." The most simplest sentences woke me from my short slumber. My eyes opened to meet the little world that belonged inside me. The orchard waving back at me, with it's limbs, covered graciously with the various shades of green. I caught sight of her, she sat calmly under the orchard, her eyes looking straight ahead.

"I'm back," I murmured to myself. I was back and I didn't even know how. 

"I don't know either," she responded to my internal question and the feeling of shock faded as fast as it had taken over my body. She could hear my thoughts. My conscience could hear everything that I thought in my head. Or as paradoxical it was, I still felt self-conscious with all my thoughts free for her to hear. The trek up the hill took longer than it had the first time I had done it. I refrained from using my vampire speed, not longing to ever come near the summit of the hill. There was this unnerving feeling in the back of my mind that told me that this visit was going to be much like the first one. 

As I reached the top, I watched as Consc, sat in her spot, not moving from her cross legged position, staring straight ahead. I followed her gaze, and stood back in awe, as she watched fragments of memories I had no recognition of. Pieces of different memories played, one after the other, and I watched them vigilantly despite the fact that the memories weren't unfolding in a coherent matter. 

"You should sit," she uttered. I gave her a quick glance but she wasn't looking my way. Assuming that she could have only spoken to me, I took a seat beside her, at arms length. 

"Sophie," I whispered as the little girl appeared in the newest fragment of a memory playing in the sky.

"Rose- Rosie," my conscience fumbled over the name and I nodded. I knew Rosie. My conscience turned away from the memories and I felt her hard stare on the side of my face. I wanted to give her my attention, but at the same time I needed to see these pieces, and salvage the ones I could make sense of. 

"Simon," I uttered, pointing to him this time as he continued to reappear in the proceeding recollections. My conscience followed my hand, her eyes returning to the sky and her stare became cemented to the sky. 

"Jay- Jayden," my conscience murmured. I stared at the human boy in the skies that were slowly shifting into a more obscure shade bringing a greater emphasis on the memories playing. Jayden was laughing his grey eyes sparkling with joy. In the background lied Rosie once again with a guy, whose face was blurred out, arm wrapped around her shoulders. 

"His eyes," I thought. Those same eyes had haunted me a long time ago, the same ones the Ryder's irises could mimic. There was something about Jayden's eyes that juggled my memory but nothing came to me. As I tried once more to think why Jayden's eyes, why his being kept bugging me, a new memory played. It was one of Niall, he lied in a bed. As it zoomed int closer on Niall, I felt something within me pulling me towards it. Something had happened, I didn't know what it was, but moments later Niall was glowing gold and the sky blinked away, ripping the panel from where the memories were being played away. The sky was decorated infinitely with the absence of color. But a light emanated beside me, bright that it burned sitting next to it. 

I got up quickly, and put a few feet between me and the light. Standing several feet away, I saw the origins of the light. It was my conscience protruding the gold light. She was glowing like Niall had been moments ago in the sky's revelation. I squinted my eyes further, trying to get a better image of her beneath the light. She sat there crying into her hands. I couldn't understand. 

"Conscience, what's going on," I said, placing a hand above my eyes. Everything around us began to fade away in the most ghastly way. The oak tree that had been sturdy and with the most gracious leaves, was wilting like a flower would when left without water. It's leaves falling and being wisp away by the strong winds that were building up. 

"Whatever, you're doing, you need to stop. Look at what you're doing. You're destroying everything," I shouted above the wind. I hoped she could hear me. But it all continued. The disaster was just getting started. Beneath me it rumbled and fear struck me. I could try to out run all of this but there was no way I could wake from this on my own. I'd be stuck here. 

"I don't know what's going on. But look around you, you're causing this. I can't control this. Please stop," I thought. My thought had taken her attention. She pulled away from her hands, her tear painted face stared at everything around her and she made it all disappear. The light emanating from her fading away. We stood there, the both of us, in the blank space, exchanging glances. 

"I- I-" She tried to speak and I walked closer to her. She sat there, wiping away her fallen tears. I sat down in front of her.

"Yeah," I motioned for her to continue.

"I remember," she said and I stood frozen in my spot. If she remembered than that meant I would remember too. But she shook her head. She had heard my thoughts.

"I remember." I scrunched my head in confusion. She was my conscience. If she had been baffled like I had been long ago, then that only meant that if she'd remember, I would too. 

"No. I'm not you." She spoke clearly, she placed a hand on my knee, "You don't exist." I saw her mouthed. I couldn't hear her anymore, not after that. My sense of hearing wasn't a faculty I had anymore. 

"No. I exist. I know I do." I retorted. She gave me a sympathetic smile and I pulled away from her. She was my conscience. Whatever had happened before had distorted her. She was mad. 

"Camila, I didn't mean like existing as in being. Camila isn't who we are. We aren't Camila," she continued to speak into my thoughts and I shook my head. No. How could my conscience think it knew more than I did. My name was Camila Reid. I was vampire. 

"Then who are we?" I questioned and she gestured for me to close my eyes. 

"No. Tell me who we are. If you're so keen in saying that we aren't who we are. Then tell me who are we." I shot at her. She sighed. She stood up and made her way towards me and I looked around me quickly. I didn't know whether to stay put or run. 

"Camila..." I watched her. But her lips hadn't move nor had it been spoken in my mind. 

"Camila..." I felt myself being shaken lightly. I felt my eye lids heavy and I let them close. Seconds later my eyes fluttered open and a face hover above my own, a foot of space between us. 

"Liam?" 

"Ke- Camila? Are you okay?" Liam took a step back and I sat up too quickly, getting slightly lighted head.

"Careful there." Liam sat down, handing me a cup of water from the bedside table. I sat up with his help, leaning back on the wooden headboard.

"Where am I?" 

"You fell asleep on the couch and I thought you'd be more comfortable on my bed," Liam uttered. I took a quick sweep of his room and I noticed the bundle of blankets that lied on the floor on my left. 

"You slept on the floor?" He looked away embarassed.

"I didn't think you'd like to see anyone beside you when you woke. It's fine I assure you. Think of it as one way to thank you for helping us." Liam took the empty glass from my hand and dashed out and back in seconds later. 

"You really didn't have to. But thank you," I said as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed willing myself to get ready to leave. 

"For what?" Liam asked as he leaned on the wall watching me.

"For waking me up." I said before I dashed out, ready to be in my room, ready to be back with Ryder. I needed to be with him. I needed to feel the feeling of certainty. 

"Camila?" Ryder said groggily. I closed the door after me and quickly made my way towards Ryder who lied in my bed under the duvet. I kicked off my shirts and joined him under the covers. 

"Is there something wrong?" Ryder asked shifting, making space for me. I snuggled up to him and sighed.

"Not anymore." I murmured into his chest. That was the end of that. He didn't pry into it and I didn't tell him. We let ourselves enjoy the peaceful slumber growing near. Knowing that soon afterward we would reveal everything else.