I am Daria [18+]

eleven

I waited. I even stopped breathing. My eyes were locked on the door. Anticipating. Any second now, they'd barge through those doors. At any given moment, my life, as I had known it for the past 20 months, would be over.

Someone snapped their fingers in front of me, bringing me back to reality. "Hey, what's wrong?" Taylan questioned, concerned.

Taylan.

No, no, no, I need more time!

"Taylan," I grabbed his hand in urgency. He looked at me frantically, my tone putting him noticeably on edge. "You need to listen to me. I'm not who you think I am. This, me," I gestured to myself, "it's not me. I'm not Daria King."

His brows was knit together. He wasn't getting it. "Your name's not Daria?"

"No, it is," I clarified, "but-" I let out a sigh. I just couldn't seem to find the right words to say when it came to the truth.

I sensed them coming closer. My eyes flashed towards the door again. I needed more time.

My eyes started to water. "Taylan. . ." My hand squeezed his. "I'm so sorry," I let out just above a whisper. I'm sorry I can't tell you. I'm sorry I lied. I'm sorry I'm leaving. I'm sorry I let you fall in love with me.

"Daria what is going on? What did you mean when you said you're not who I think you are? Why are you crying?" He lifted my chin; I pulled away. "And why won't you look at me?"

They were outside the door. I kept my gaze on my lap, waiting, while Taylan kept throwing questions at me.

When the door burst open, I shut my eyes. This was it.

"Darling."

A gasp left my mouth involuntarily and my eyes shot open. A sweet scent filled my nostrils and refilled my eyes with tears.

"M-Mum?" I looked past Taylan and saw the familiar face of my mum, with tears of her own rolling down her cheeks.

She walked further into the room, her steps cautious yet deliberate. It was as if she was forcing herself to slow down. Her hands covered her mouth as she assessed me, taking in my every feature. "Oh, you changed your hair," she breathed as she reached out. I backed away, not meeting her eyes.

"Dari. . .?"

My head snapped up to Taylan, who I'd momentarily forgotten about. I hadn't even realised that he had moved from his position on the bed and was now standing aside, near the window. He had seen the whole exchange between me and my mom and looked perplexed, to say the least.

"Taylan-"

I was cut off by another presence entering the room, followed by another. My eyes widened when I saw who.

Every bit of oxygen left my body. I suddenly felt numb again. Thankfully, I was sitting. Otherwise, I'd have collapsed.

Everything felt too much and was happening too soon. I heard my name being called in a distance. It sounded like I was underwater. And it felt like it, too, because I couldn't breathe.

I didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, nor how to stop whatever was happening to me. I felt as if I was suffocating. My throat was closing up. The room was spinning. Walls were cramming in. I was shivering and sweating. Moving was out of the question, yet so was sitting still.

I was about to explode any second.

"Stop! Make it stop, make it stop. . ." I pleaded. This was complete and utter anguish.

The last thing I felt before I felt nothing at all, was something warm and safe, enveloping me in its embrace. I sighed, my muscles relaxing and breathing evened out. I couldn't pry my eyes open; whatever that was, had left me exhausted.