↳ 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐄𝐑 ー 𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐘

𝐗𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈 ー 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧

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With fumbling fingers, Sierra stares down at her hands resting in her lap. The small room silent apart from the ticking of the clock on the neutral wall behind her. If she didn't despise silence so much she'd throw it in the trash.

"They um..." Voice wavering. "Theyー they held me down. I begged them to stop, but they didn't... They didn't listen. Even when I had the chance to move Iー I couldn't."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Small. Helpless. I'd never felt so vulnerable before."

"Not having Kaden by your side made you feel frightened?" She nods, blinking away her tears. "It's okay to feel that way. You said he felt scared too, so you weren't alone."

"Yeah." She sniffs. "It made me realise how serious it was. They weren't just enemies who wanted to leave us with a couple scratches. They wanted to make us suffer."

"How have you and Kaden been coping since our last session?"

"We haven't. He's been shutting me and Hope out. He'll only speak to Grayson. I think he does it so we don't worry. Grayson's used to all of this, he doesn't even need therapy, he can handle his brother's problems on top of his own."

The brunette detects a hint of jealousy in her tone but nods regardless. "Have they supported you? How?"

"They give me space when I ask them to. For once it isn't hard for Kaden to back away, I can tell he's punishing himself for what happened. I want to tell him he's not to blame but most days I can't even speak. Not even a word."

"Don't worry about him for now, focus on yourself first. You've been through a lot, Sierra. Right now you're exhausted, physically and mentally. Remember what I told you, you are the priority. You can't help your family if you haven't allowed yourself to heal first."

She wipes her eyes.

"Kaden will always be there. Right now he might be distant, but he will always be a part of you. Let him keep space between the two of you. Let him lay his problems on his brother, they know each other better than they know themselves. The positive thing is that he's talking to someone, because bottling these negative feelings up inside will only bring more harm. Grayson is there for him. I am here for you. Talk to me, tell me how I can help you."

"I don't feel like myself anymore." Hot tears slip down her cheeks. "I'm scared all of the time. I can't eat or sleep because every time I close my eyes I can feel the chains digging into my wrists."

"You feel like you're still trapped. That's normal, that's your body's way of coping, as strange as it may sound. You were put through horrible torment. They restrained you because they knew you'd fight, and they knew you wouldn't stop. You wore those chains for a long period of time. Your body became used to them. Now that you're free, your mind is playing tricks on you, making you believe you're still in danger even though you're far from it."

Her head turns.

"Say it." She sits back in her chair. "Just like last time. Say it out loud." Sierra shakes her head, a painful lump forming in her throat. "The first stage of moving on is acceptance. You accepted what happened to you, you accepted that you are not to blame. Now you need to admit it out loud, train your brain to acknowledge it."