6

I am scared. I took my shirt off quickly. A panic insured when the shirt was half way off since I could not see what was in front of me. Nothing was in front of me. Nothing that was in any way a threat. My arms and chest were damp, but I could not tell if it is from the wet carpet, or from body sweat.

A shower would be so nice right now. If only the water was running.

Water must have been running in Uncle's room. But there was no way in hell I was going back in there. I grabbed a chair and dragged it along the wooden floor. I placed it in front of the bedroom door. That dog could try to come back. And if it got into that room, it could have it. My ankle still hurts. The dog never drew blood, so rabies and any other nasty infections could not hurt me. I wiped it down with sanitary wipes to be safe. I wiped my whole body in them to substitute for a shower.

They smell strong. For some reason it burned my skin, nothing painful but leaving red marks where the wipes rubbed against my skin. Filling half the tiny trash can beneath the sink in wipes was almost relieving.

This home is starting to feel alien. Two days ago, Uncle and I watched cheesy movies.

I just hope you are ok, Uncle.

I moved over to the couch. Sinking my back into the cushions as wind hit the large windows of the living room. I kept shuffling, unable to get comfortable. Each wind bang on the window made my head go silent. The only noises afterward would be my heartbeat.

Thump. Thump.

I would get a moment to relax. My heart would go back to normal. My fear would go away. Then the wind would bang the walls of my fortress again.

Thump. THUMP. THUMMPP.

Sweat dripped down my face. The walls shrank in. They kept getting closer to me. The sweat started flooding the floor. The glass table flew toward me. I flinched down as the roof fell upon me.

My hand ripped into the cushions. My eyes danced around the room. My pupils sting from the sweat dripping from my face.

The roof fell on me. The furniture flew around the room. The walls changed colors.

The floor flooded with salt water. The wind broke through the house. The house had gone black. Static filled my ears.

Thump! THUMP! Thump. Thump. Thum-

I felt so small. I was the size of a snake, slithering through the carpet. I lifted my right arm, stretching for the sofa. The warping threw my hand back to the carpet. It felt like thousands of needles pinching into my chest, yet the rest of my body was numb. At the same time every cell in my body pulsated. My eyes teleported, wall to floor.

Thump. Thump. Thu-.

I am having a panic attack, and it will not end until I pass out.

The shuffling of a black void echoed. One tap. I floated or I sat. It did not matter. Slowly I could see my feet as I shook in shivers. Blurring off my vision cut back to black. Stars filled the sky and grass lifted my legs up.

I felt so warm. I felt so uneasy. My legs fell upwards towards the sky as my vision blurred back to the side of my couch. My hand cramped into my chest as my body shivered on. It did not surprise me when stars flew over my head. Paranoia covered me like a blanket made of steel. Frantically, every star fell on top of me.

I got up onto the table. Every cell in my body twitches and shakes. My head had been hit by a flare, burning, and melting. I grabbed at the kitchen counter but missed since I was 15 feet away. I collapsed back to the ground to fly into the night sky.

The star flew with me toward a rocky ground. My body shifted above my head as if I were falling head first into a tree below. I must have hit a building on my fall because there was blood dripping from my nose. My vision had stopped fading. I had my back against something warm and soft. I inhaled and screamed out carbon from my lungs.

It felt like I had injected myself with caffeine. My eyes are so dry. I kept trying to calm down. My head was warm, and dry blood was all over my shirt. Not only that but it was on my carpet.

I had made it up to my room? When did I do that?

I rose to be met with familiar walls. My clock on the dresser sat bright in the dark room. It had only been 45 minutes since I was downstairs. It had felt like days. I do not remember or recall anything too clearly. I must have had a bad panic attack.

I feel so alone. Why was that so? I wish someone could have helped me, even if I only had a bloody nose. I need help.

Tears had started raining from my eyes.

I need help. Anyone. Please take me somewhere warm. Somewhere, anywhere from here. I miss you Uncle. Even if you were cruel, sometimes I miss you, I miss you.

I walked down the stairs aimlessly. Each step felt so nice on my feet, even if the rest of my body was numb. I felt so weak, so hopeless.

I hate this. I hate it here. I have no one. I am so weak. You are. You are weak. You are alone. The stairs feel so nice on my feet. I could lay here and cry. I should just lay down. I am so hungry. What time is it? It is cold and dark inside; I want to feel the sun. My shirt has blood on it. I should change. The wood floor is cold and wet. Be careful, do not slip. Who is that person on the couch? Wait.

"Uncle?"