Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 20: A Place to Come Home To

XX. 

Trigger warning: Graphic Imagery

I knew I couldn't speak for Dinah, but what we saw caused my blood to run cold.

I blinked a few times, forcing my eyes to adjust to the darkness around us as Dinah made a small noise of surprise.

Before us was a single figure, standing feet shoulder length apart and looking down. It was unquestionably Lauren, but her back was to us so I couldn't tell what she was looking at. It was eerie, the way she stood seemingly alone in an otherwise empty room.

I was seconds from calling out to her when I felt an arm wrap around my torso and pull me backwards, then a hand clamp over my mouth. I looked behind me at Dinah, whose own gaze was focused down on the floor. Confused, I followed her line of sight and almost screamed in terror.

At Lauren's feet, was the body of a human. It was clearly male, simply due to its size and mass, and in its limp left hand was a small gun. Underneath the body, was a slowly spreading pool of darkness, one of which I refused to believe was blood. There was no way.

Dinah's arms tightened and she pulled me backwards, both of us backing up so we were no longer in the doorway, but just outside of  it. I felt my pulse begin to pick up, the heat against my throat starting to recede until it was no more. Dinah had a look on her face that was a mix of shock, unease and just a hint of fear. She had always been braver than me, I wasn't surprised.

What do we do? I mouthed to her, turning around against her body.

Dinah simply shook her head, reaching up and holding a finger to her lips. She moved me so I was standing just behind her, then silently inched forward so she was looking into the room once more. With a frown, the girl straightened up and stepped out, looking around.

"She's gone." Dinah's voice was flat. "Camila, look."

Reluctantly, I moved out into the open again and looked into the room, cringing as the sight of the body prepared to register itself into my head. But there was nothing, Dinah was right. Lauren was gone, the body was gone, and even the mess that it left behind was gone. I scanned the room, my eyes landing on one of a few windows that looked out onto the city.

"W...what the fuck." I stepped back, my head spinning. "Dinah..."

"Let's get out of here." Dinah grabbed me by the arm and gave me a pull towards the stairs. "The guard is going to be back soon."

"Should we tell him about this?" I asked, my voice becoming panicky. "What would we even say?"

"We don't say anything." Dinah spun around, intensity painted on her face. "Not a thing to anyone until we figure out what happened, and where she is."

I looked back at the room, a shiver running up my spine right as it fell out of view. Descending the staircase, we gave the security guard a polite nod while he granted us a sympathetic look. After that, Dinah convinced her mother that she needed to spend the night with me, to which I readily agreed over her shoulder.

We caught a cab, heading back to the apartment in a flurry of confusion and fear. Most of the ride consisted of her trying to keep me calm, despite  While Dinah paid, I bolted out first and raced into the building, straight up to my unit before busting the door open.

"Wow." Shawn was lying lengthwise on the couch with the TV on and flicking mindlessly through the channels. "Did you not go the bathroom before you left?"

"Is Lauren here?" I asked breathlessly.

"What?" Shawn sat up, the remote falling to the floor. "No, I thought she was coming home with you."