𝑼𝒏𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝑩𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒔: 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑼𝒔

Chapter XIII: Exhausted Gasping

After having a perfectly good day yesterday at my art exhibit, waking up not feeling well was the last thing I expected. My mother had prepared breakfast, which was a lovely gesture, but I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

"Good morning, sweetie!" She greeted warmly.

"Good morning." I replied as enthusiastic as I could.

"Where's Harper?" I asked.

"Oh, she's getting ready for work, dear." Dad answered before stuffing his mouth with two strips of bacon.

As I sat down to have breakfast with my parents. For a moment it seemed to work, and I started eating, but within a few minutes, my mind started racing. The panic attack hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell on my chair as both of my parents looked at me worriedly.

"Sweetie!! Are you okay?" Mom yelled as she rushed towards me. Dad went to the fridge to get some water before coming towards me.

I had everything I could ask for in life: a loving family, amazing friends, and a successful art career. However, the pain of Kye leaving me was still unbearable. I had tried to move on, but the memories of his absence lingered within my heart.

I could see the worry etched on my parents' faces as they tried to calm me down. Their words became soundless as all I could think about was the racing of my heart, the shallowness of my breath, and the overwhelming thoughts that seemed to be taking over everything.

I tried to focus on deep breaths, to calm myself down and make sense of what was happening to me. I could feel my mother's hand rubbing my back, a comforting gesture that used to put me to sleep as a child. But right now, it did little to ease the overwhelming sense of panic I was feeling.

Despite their comforting words and actions, I felt alone in my pain. There are times when the feelings inside us become so intense that even the people closest to us cannot understand what we are going through.

As I tried to steady my breathing, I realized how little control I had over myself. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and it made me feel vulnerable and powerless.

I sat on the cold floor, feeling overwhelmed and powerless. My mom still continues to comfort me, but her words felt hollow, unable to penetrate the wall of anxiety that was building up inside me. I felt like I was drowning in my own mind, and there was no way out. I didn't know what to do or what to say; I just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide.

Harper, after hearing all the commotion, went towards me for my aid. She rushed to my side, filling the room with her calming presence.

She knew me better than anyone else, and she could sense that I was in distress. Despite her best efforts to calm me down, I was feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of my emotions.

I could see the concern etched on her face as she tried to distract me from the thoughts that were racing through my mind. But, it felt like my mind was in overdrive, and nothing Harper said or did could snap me out of it.

I was aware that I was feeling helpless and despairing, it was like a wave of emotions had taken over my body, and I was powerless to stop it.

Despite Harper's presence, I still felt alone in my pain. The internal struggle that I faced felt like something that I had to deal with on my own, and that made me feel even more alone.

At that moment, I felt small and insignificant. It felt like the weight of the world was crushing me, making it hard to breathe, my chest tight. Tears fell from my eyes, and I could feel my entire body trembling, as if I was losing control.

My parents were there, staring at me with worry and concern. My mom rubbed my back, trying to soothe me, while my father held my hand and whispered encouraging words. Despite their support, nothing seemed to be easing the panic attack, and I became more and more anxious.

I had experienced panic attacks before, but nothing made them any less frightening. It was like I was trapped in my own mind, with no escape from the negative thoughts that raced through my mind.

Harper tried to distract me and managed to get me to take deep breaths. Although it was tough, I tried to focus on the present moment, to focus on the taste of the food, the warmth of the sun on my skin, and the sounds of my family's breaths.

As time dragged on, my mom's words of encouragement started to break through my wall of anxiety, and I slowly started to calm down. I took long, deep breaths, trying to steady my racing heart. I tried to focus on the present moment, on the taste of my breakfast, on the warmth of the sun coming through the window, on the sound the birds were making outside.

Slowly but surely, my breathing became more natural, and my heart rate started to slow down. The anxious thoughts in my head started to dim, and I started to feel a little more in control. The feeling of being overwhelmed started to fade as I finally relaxed my tensed muscles.

My dad passed me a glass of water, and his soothing touch on my back comforted me. As I sipped the water, I looked around at my parents and bestfriend, and I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

Despite all the pain and turmoil that I had been going through, they had always been there for me, supporting me through thick and thin. I realized that I could count on them, no matter what.

Looking at their faces, I could see the concern and love in their eyes. They had been through it all with me, and I knew that I would not be here without them.

As I sat there, taking deep breaths, I knew that I could conquer anything with their love and support. Every one of them had helped me in their way, and I was grateful for each and every one of them.