thin walls (are calling me home)

Chapter 16

A/N: i made a trailer for thin walls, which you can watch as this chapter's media! it's been ready for almost two months, but no chapter no media, soooo. i hope you like it! :)

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Lauren was running through a long corridor, darkness surrounding her to a point of blindness, the air thick and hard to breathe in. She couldn't see where she was going, but the feeling of being chased was enough to make her not once think to stop. Lauren also couldn't feel her legs, so there was no exhaustion grounding her.

Her mind was foggy and confused, thoughts of bullets and parties swirling inside her, but Lauren didn't question what was happening; running was all that mattered for now.

But was she running, really? Lauren couldn't hear her footsteps anymore.

In a blink of an eye, there was nothing more stopping her.

Lauren was falling, or maybe flying down, but there was no more running, and with no sound coming from her feet, a ringing took over her ears.

"If you don't feel like sharing the room, maybe you should wait for me to leave."

Lauren's breath caught in her throat as that voice rang through the room, or the pit, or the empty space, or wherever the hell she was. She wasn't falling anymore, but she felt just as hopeless, sitting in the dark, surrounded by nothing but her own despair.

Lauren didn't know how much time had passed, her heartbeat going through the roof and her breaths coming ragged and sharp. She drew her knees to her chest, feeling as vulnerable and small as ever, lacking the strength to go back to running.

At least now her mind was a little clearer and she knew. Lauren knew she had been running from him, but she couldn't bring herself to stand up again, feeling too defeated to even try.

"I'm pretty sure the entire family can't stand him."

And there it was, another voice echoing through the corners of her mind, making Lauren lift her head from where it had been resting on her knees. Lauren wasn't crying, but her eyes sparkled at the sound, and suddenly she was at her feet.

Or not exactly on her feet, but spreading her wings. Not running, but flying, away from everything the first voice represented, flying toward everything the second voice gave her.

Lauren saw a light in the darkness.

Her wings, of a clear, crystal green and somewhat like a dragonfly's, took her away from the bad, from the hopelessness, from the voice of a man who she once thought had ruined her life.

They took her toward the light, toward the soft white sphere of luminosity, that seemed to grow the closer Lauren got to it.

"I love you, Lo. Love you so much. Wake up soon, okay? I'll be waiting."

The sphere of light grew enough to swallow Lauren, and soon she was taken by it, her mind going blank again.

This time, Lauren couldn't help but smile.

--//--

That Wednesday, Camila's mind was full of thoughts and worries about her interview. It would be just her and the interviewer, no Shawn to support her, no Hiro to guide her.

It didn't help that the only thing taking up more space than these thoughts were those of Lauren. Yet another day had passed and the doctors hadn't taken her off the induced coma. Camila knew it was for the best, but that didn't mean that it didn't suck.