Camila's Secret ... (Age regression story)

Think I Might Need Some Help...

*Flashback to while Camila was at the hospital*

Lauren paced back and forth in Demi's bathroom, her heart racing inside of her chest. The small girl did her best to catch her breath as she shook her clammy, trembling hands, trying to regain any feeling she could in them. Tears cascaded down the green-eyed girl's face and she shook her head, clutching her hands over her ears, resisting the urge to scream at the top of her lungs.

 When a twisted shadow figure appeared in the mirror in front of Lauren, she lost all self-control, screaming as her fist made contact with the cold, glass mirror... shattering it into shards and waking Ally and Demi. Lauren fell to the floor and curled into a ball as she sobbed uncontrollably. 

Ally and Demi rushed into the bathroom after being startled awake by the sound of shattering glass and screaming. Ally scooped the hysterical girl up in her arms and, noticing the shattered glass everywhere, carried her out of the room and into the downstairs living room. 

Ally sat down on the couch with the sobbing little girl in her arms. Demi sat next to her, holding Lauren's left hand in both of hers, looking at her injuries. Demi sighed sadly as she looked at the cuts on Lauren's hand, checking her skin for glass before balling up her small fist and kissing it. 

"Lauren, baby girl..." Ally cooed, rocking the crying girl. Lauren buried her face in her mama's shirt and hyperventilated. 

"Can you get her medicine, babe?" Ally asked. Demi left to get Lauren's medicine before returning shortly after, handing the pill to Ally. The girls were interrupted by the front door opening. 

"What's going on?" Dinah questioned her friends as she and Mani walked through the door, Mani carrying Camie, whose arms were bandaged up. Dinah and Mani were both saddened by Lauren's distressed cries as they walked over. Mani got Camie situated on the moon chair while Dinah walked up to the couple. 

"Can I try with her?" Dinah offered. Ally nodded and allowed her taller friend to pick up the crying girl from her lap. Dinah allowed Lauren to wrap herself around her as she swayed side to side. 

"Hey, sweetheart, it's DJ... you're safe, hun." Lauren cried a little softer. "Can you breathe with me, darling? You'll feel better..." Dinah proposed. Lauded hiccuped, but she nodded. "Okay..." Dinah whispered, taking a seat in the rocking recliner. 

She positioned Lauren on her lap so she was comfortable and felt secure. "Okay, Laur, hun... breathe with me. In, out. In, out. In, out..." Dinah instructed, relieved when the small girl began to copy her. "That's it, sweet girl," Dinah cooed, rocking Lauren in the chair as she finished calming down. Running her fingers through the now calm girl's hair, Dinah put her to sleep, seeing as it was still early in the morning. 

"Dinah, you're a saint," Ally admitted. 

Dinah chuckled, "Girl, please." Dinah laid Lauren down with Camie and watched as the pair snuggled up to one another in their sleep. 

"Aww," the girls cooed, watching the other two sleep. 

"So... what happened with Mila?" Demi asked, looking over to Dinah and Normani as they all took seats on the couch, leaving the littles to sleep. 

Both of the girls sighed sadly, looking at their friends, "It was a suicide attempt... she's been having really bad flashbacks and nightmares about Shawn ever since we've been home. She couldn't tell what was and wasn't happening anymore, thought it was still happening, and she absolutely mutilated her wrists. It was awful, you guys. I'm so worried about her. Everywhere she looks, it just takes her back. I don't know how to help her..." Dinah cried into Mani's side. Normani rubbed the Polynesian girl's back to comfort her. 

Demi gave it some thought, "What if... we moved?" Dinah sniffled and she and Normani shared a thoughtful, yet hopeful, look. "I think that's worth trying; what do you think?" Mani asked Dinah, who nodded, wiping her eyes. "Yeah," she said with a small smile. 

Ally grabbed her Macbook and sat down in the middle of everyone. The girls all spent the next few hours looking at, saving, and putting down on houses, hoping to hear something back by the end of the day. 

At some point, Camie started to stir in her sleep. To keep her from waking Lauren, Normani picked her up and carried her over to the loveseat, laying down with her wrapping her up in her embrace. "Shhh, mama's here..." Normani cooed to the whimpering girl in her arms. 

As Camie sat up screaming and sobbing like she had all too many times before, her Mama comforted her as best she could while the other girls shared a look. "We have to move..." Dinah said sadly as she walked over to help Normani calm Camie down, everyone nodded in agreement. Moving was no longer an option.