ashes to ashes ➵ camren

9. we might be hollow but we're brave

Listen while you read - '400 Lux' by Lorde

Lauren is the last to fall asleep and the first to wake up, due to the sunlight that sneaks in through the window and practically blinds her at the break of dawn. She groans, sitting up and using her hand to block the sunlight. It takes her a few seconds to realize where she is, and once she does, she's groaning again and leaning back against the wall.

She misses her home. She wants to go back to the way things were before. And god, she misses her family more than anything. Lauren's yet to come face to face with the daunting reality of her situation. She's trying to hang onto every last ounce of hope she has left.

Once she realizes Camila and Dinah are still fast asleep, she rubs her eyes and slowly rises to her feet. She does her best to lower the ladder back down to the ground quietly, as to not disturb the girls. Even as she loses her grip and it bounces against the ground rather loudly, she glances back to find both of the girls still motionless.

Lauren carefully makes her way down to the main floor, brushing her hands off on her pants once she's at the bottom of the ladder. Her stomach growls just then, and she's hopeful there's some leftover bread in the kitchen. Before she can check, however, someone clears their throat and she's jumping, turning around to lock eyes with a stranger in a rocking chair, just a couple yards away from her.

The man has already seen her, so Lauren has no time to slip back upstairs. Before she can say anything, he's chuckling at her nervousness and shaking his head.

"You hungry?" he asks, nodding towards the plate of food he's been holding. "Come, come. I won't be able to finish all this on my own."

Unsure of what else to do, Lauren timidly takes a few steps forward and accepts an apple slice that the man offers her. Knowing he cannot be Dinah's father, Lauren assumes this man must be her grandfather. She rocks back on her heels awkwardly.

"I'm Milika's father," he explains, extending his hand towards the wooden table. Lauren sits quietly. "The kids call me Pops, though. Now tell me, who are you?"

"Lauren," she says quietly, running a hand through her hair. "I, uh, I'm Camila's cousin."

"Camila has family across the ocean?" he asks, raising a knowing eyebrow.

"Wh-what?" Lauren stammers, her eyes growing wide. God, she needs to form a better poker face. She isn't prepared for these types of situations.

"All O'dells are sensitive to sun. You've got freckles all over your cheeks," he chuckles and shakes his head. "The green eyes don't help your case, either. Most people over here have brown eyes, it's been that way for years."

When he notices Lauren taking a nervous step backwards, he waves his hand to dismiss her fears. "Don't fret, child. I couldn't do anything about it even if I wanted to. Who you are is none of my business."

"I-I... well... thank you," Lauren whispers, running a hand through her tousled hair. "I mean no harm... you know, by being here."

"That's obvious," he shakes his head. "Now tell me, how did someone like you make it all away across the ocean unscathed?"

They talk for a while. Lauren occasionally takes another slice of apple as she tells him how she ended up there, and she finds out that Dinah's grandfather had built the entire treehouse with his own two hands when her mother was just a baby.

Lauren's so captivated in conversation with the man. He's seen so much, and has an endless library of stories to tell. She's so indulged in the conversation that she doesn't even hear another set of footsteps make their way down the ladder. She jumps when Dinah clears her throat from behind them.