SAVE US

Rivers POV: Survivor

It was happening again.
Black orbs started appearing all around me as I felt my blood go cold.
I grabbed on to the closet thing I could reach. My hands grasped onto the cold metal of the fridge handle. The door propped open slightly from supporting my weight, revealing all the the "contents" inside the fridge which contained rotten milk and a few condiment bottles. A loud rumble escaped from my stomach. I
I grabbed the handle as tight as I could as to not pass out. That didn't work though and next thing I knew I was waking up a minute later on the floor.
This all may sound alarming until I tell you what led up to this moment.
It all started on a sunny morning in June...
"Yeah, I mean, I guess things could of been worse," I mumbled as I twiddled with my thumbs.
My therapist was explaining how I should be proud of far I've come. How a year ago, I didn't think I'd ever be able to live on my own and hold a job.
"You've accomplished more than you ever thought you could. Give yourself some credit for how you kept trying even though you saw no future insight."
I never considered myself as a survivor but that's how she was making me feel. I've battled my demons and so far I'm winning. I just really wish-
My train of thought was cut short by a screeching noise coming from the other side of the door.
I locked eyes with my therapist. My heart instantly went to my throat as another scream emerged from outside the room.
"Stay here," my therapist whispered as she got up from her chair and to the door.
I could tell she was trying to put on a brave face for me but I could hear the slight quiver in her voice.
"Lock the door behind me," she stated.
All I could do was nod. Usually, I don't frighten often. It takes more than a pop up in a scary movie for me to visibility flinch. This time was different. I could just feel it instantly. Something about that scream. My therapists office is at the end of a hallway at a 3 story multipurpose building. It was always filled with random people coming in and out so I was used to hearing chatter or laughs outside the door. Never had I ever heard anyone of those pass-byers make a noise like this before. Like they were helpless.
My therapist slipped out of the room and just like she told me to, I locked the door behind her. There wasn't a peep hole in the door to my dismay. I wanted to see where/why the scream happened. I had seen enough horror films to know that following the screaming noises never ends good. 'The screams multiplied before they suddenly stopped.
The silence that followed was almost more terryifing than the screaming. As if the person screaming was cut short from letting out anymore noises.
"Fuck," I mumbled as I backed away from the door.
Maybe all of this was just another client in another room having a melt down.
I let out a sigh as I plopped down back down on the chair I was in before being interrupted. I was overreacting, there could many non threatening explanations as to why someone was screaming. After all, this building had multiple therapy offices, dentist offices, a nail saloon, and a grocery store on the first level which I entered from.
My heart rate slowed and I focused on taking deep breaths in and letting them out through my nose slowly. Everything was going to be okay. My eyes wandered around the baby blue room that consisted of a desk, a few chairs, photos hanging on the wall, and a clock that reminded me of those black clocks that all teachers in my High school seemed to have.
It had been almost 5 minutes and my therapist still hadn't returned.
That would of been fine any other day but I had an appointment to get a new phone in 30 minutes since mine , accidentally, took a tumble down some cement stairs yesterday and became completely unrepairable.
"Ugh," I pushed myself off the chair and back to the door. I was going to have to investigate if I wanted this session to finish in time for me to make it to my next appointment on time.
A little voice in the back of my head told me not to open the door and just wait it out. But patience had always been a value I struggled with.
With sweaty hands, I unlocked the door and braced myself before cracking it open a bit.
The hallway was empty. Nobody in sight. The screams had ended a while ago.
I took one step out of the office.
"Here we go," I mumbled as I shut the door behind me.