Apocalyptic Culture (Camren/Norminah)

VIII

Listen while you read:
Ava - Famy

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The sun beginning to rise as the girls we now close to the mountains. The cool air hitting their skin causing goosebumps to rise. Empty roads were the only thing for miles. From their view they could see the smoke from the now put out fire. Normani lowered her yellow bandana as her brown eyes lingered on the dark smoke rising.

"You think we should go back for our weapons?" Normani asked as she halted her horse. The other two stopped as well and turned around to see the smoke.

Dinah lowered her white bandana, "No, the fire most likely attracted creos and now even more becuase of all that smoke."

"What do you think caused it?"

Dinah sighed, "Maybe they left the stove on."

"Or they started it and hoped we'd burn." Normani said not so quietly causing Dinah to eye her.

"I doubt that, Mani, they fed us and gave us a place to stay."

"Doesn't change anything though. We were still prisoners who they didn't fully trust." Dinah ignored her friend's remark and continued on the journey. Normani and Lauren glanced at one another before following behind the Polynesian.

In that moment, Dinah began thinking of the possibility of Dylan's group setting the fire. After all they were still unsure if Dinah, Normani, and Lauren were part of FoL. If Dylan's group was that skeptical about wether or not they were part of that horrible group then they might have started the fire. Louis and Dylan were the only ones who didn't seem so fond of the girls stay. After that night of sharing stories maybe they went paranoid and thought the girls would do something to betray them.

Dinah had to shake these thoughts because there was no way Liam, Lily, and Cole could have let that happen. They were comfortable with their stay from the start. Dinah needed to have some faith in the first group if people that they had run into.

After riding for a few hours, they all came to a stop in the Yosemite mountains near the water fall. The three of them filled their canteens and allowed the horses to drink as well. Dinah sat on a rock resting for a few minutes as the mist of the water fall moistened her skin. Normani was petting the horses as she looked around for Lauren, who she later found drinking straight from the stream. The Texan smiled as her friend was now taking their general worry of her health into action by staying hydrated.

Lauren then stood up and wiped her face dry and began walking out of the stream carefully stepping on the wet rocks. When she was almost out Lauren misplaced her footing and slipped causing a splash and catching the attention of her two friends.

"Lauren!" Normani yelled running to the stream as Dinah hopped off the rock she was sitting on to attend her friend.

Normani was the first to arrive and smiled seeing Lauren sitting in the water while Dinah arrived, standing next to her.

"Are you okay?" The Californian giggled.

Lauren sighed and looked around at the water flowing pass her. Then with a scoop of water she splashed the two women who stood in front of her. Normani gasped as Dinah shrieked followed by soft giggles.

One thing that surprised both women was that Lauren was smiling and giggled. They spurred the moment and jumped in the water with Lauren and began splashing each other full of laughs and smiles. Lauren stood up and began splashing both her friends that were now attacking her with the cool liquid.

Suddenly the sound of the horses in a panic caused them all to stop and run to check on the animals. As they neared Lauren's horse they seen a short blonde haired woman with brown roots digging into the bag that was on the horse.