Chapter Text
Lavender knew something was wrong. She was standing in the hallway of her old home, staring at the family picture hanging up on the wall. Her old home. The home she use to share with her parents before everything happened.
She looked away slowly. “Why am I back here?” she whispered quietly to herself. Maybe they’re still here. Her parents. She started to feel hope. “Mom?” she called out. No answer came back. “Dad?” Still nothing at all…. The house was silent. Too silent. It wasn’t supposed to be like this at all. Her parents should have been here. She hasn’t been inside this house for years now, so why was she here again now? None of this was making any sense in her head.
She started checking the kitchen and living room for them. They weren’t there. Not in the kitchen. Not in the living room either. She was starting to give up, when she heard footsteps coming from upstairs. Lavender’s head snapped up fast. “Mom?” “Dad?”
She started running upstairs as fast as she could go. Once she reached the top of the stairs, she looked around quickly but didn’t see anybody. Then she heard somebody calling her. “Lavender.” Lavender froze up completely. Then she recognized the voice almost instantly. It was her mother’s voice. “Mom!” she yelled out loudly.
The voice was coming from her parents' bedroom. Lavender ran toward the room and pushed the door open. She looked around the room quickly and desperately. Nobody was there. Her parents were gone. She turned back toward the door slowly. It was shut closed now. But she didn’t shut it herself.
She slowly started shaking. She walked over fast and tried opening the door. It was locked shut tight. She grabbed the handle and pulled on it desperately, but it wouldn’t budge no matter how hard she tried opening it. “Open please!” she shouted. Nothing happened.
Then she looked around the room again slowly. This time the room looked different somehow. Wrong somehow. She wasn’t in her parent’s bedroom anymore. She was back in her old bedroom at the lab. A small bed was bolted to the ground. A toilet sat against the wall on the other side of the room. Nothing else was there. No windows. No nothing. Just like before. Her breathing started getting faster and shakier.
“Why am I back here?” “This can’t be possible.” “I escaped already.” Then she heard footsteps again outside the room and flinched so hard her whole body jerked.
Lavender looked around quickly for somewhere to hide. The only place was under the bed. She crawled underneath it fast and squeezed her eyes shut tight, tears running down her face now.
Voices kept calling out for her over and over again, but she refused to open her eyes. She didn’t want to see them. Didn’t wanna go back. Then the voices started sounding familiar somehow. “Lav!” “Lavender Wake up!” “Hey, you’re okay!” Lavender’s eyes flew open fast.
She wasn’t in the lab anymore. When she looked around, she didn’t recognize anything around her at first. People were talking to her, but she couldn’t recognize them. Everything felt blurry and wrong in her head. Her breathing was ragged and uneven as she finally focused on the faces around her. She slowly was able to make out who they were. Caitlyn was kneeling beside her with worry all over her face. Vi was sitting on the edge of the bed, with a concerned expression. While Cassie was standing nearby looking scared out of her mind.
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Lavender looks over at the Clock on the desk. It says 2am. She then realizes, she must have had a nightmare, and Cassie must have waked up Caitlyn and Vi even tho she told her not to.
Lavender then looked over to Cassie, who was now curled up next to her. “Cassie, I told you not to wake them up” lavender says quickly, her voice still shaky. Cassie looked down “You were crying and shaking in your sleep.” “You wouldn’t wake up and I got scared” “I’m sorry”
Caitlyn glanced over at Cassie before looking back at lavender. “She did the right thing”, Caitlyn said softly “You were basically having a panic attack in your sleep” “I’m fine now” lavender said quietly
Vi glanced at lavender “Kid, that didn’t look fine. Vi said gently “Definitely must have been an intense nightmare”
Lavender looked down after hearing that. She didn’t know what to say back because it wasn’t just a nightmare. It was memories and they felt so real.
Cassie looked over at lavender “You were saying stuff too,” Cassie said quietly. Lavender looked at her confused “What?” Cassie hesitated for a moment before continuing. “You kept saying you escaped and why am I back here.”
Lavender completely froze. Caitlyn noticed the way Lavender tensed up immediately and her expression softened even more. “You don’t have to talk about it tonight,” Caitlyn said gently.” Not if you don’t want to.” Lavender quickly nodded at that; she definitely didn’t want to talk about it.
Vi glanced over at Caitlyn before looking back at lavender again. “You thirsty?” Vi asked quietly. Lavender paused before nodding slowly.
Without saying anything else, Caitlyn reached over to the desk and grabbed the glass of water carefully handing it to lavender.
“Here” Caitlyn said softly.Lavender slowly took the glass with her hands. She didn’t realize how dry her throat was until she took a sip. The water tasted so good.
Cassie stayed curled up beside’s Lavender the whole time still looking very nervous. “I really am sorry” Cassie whispered quietly after a moment. Lavender looked over at her. “You don’t gotta keep apologizing Cass” “I know you were just trying to help.” Cassie relaxed a little after hearing that.
Lavender then looked up at Caitlyn and Vi “You two can go back to bed if you want.” “I’m ok, now”
Caitlyn looks at her still a little worried. “You sure?” Lavender hesitated. She didn’t feel completely fine, but she didn’t want them to know that. She then says “I’m sure”
Caitlyn and Vi didn’t look convinced at all, but they didn’t push.
“All right,” Vi said gently. “But if you need anything, we’re right across the hallway.”
Lavender nodded and after a few minutes both Vi and Caitlyn were gone. It was just Cassie and lavender in the room. Lavender looked down at Cassie “You can go back to sleep.
“I know you’re tired.” Cassie shook her head “I’m not tired.” Lavender gave a small laugh “You’re literally falling asleep, sitting up. Cassie hesitated before saying “I just… don’t want you alone.”
Lavender shook her head “You don’t have to worry about that.” “I’m fine really” “You can go back to sleep”
Cassie hesitated then finally gave up trying to argue. “Okay” She then went back to her side of the bed, lying down against her pillows. After a few minutes, sleep took over.
Lavender looked at her and smiled. She then laid down on her own pillows. She definitely knew she wasn’t gonna be able to go back to sleep, but she still felt tired. She just wanted to sleep without thinking about everything that’s happened to her over the years.