Safely, behind walls, I fall apart. I sink to the floor, with the door locked behind me. I am breathing heavily. My heart is beating rapidly. Snot drips from the tip of my nose as I dig the heel of my palms into my eyes, forcing the tears back. I am shaking. I look into the mirror. My emotions are a tangle of thread, unspooling inside me. I am untethered. I watch myself come completely undone.
I force my breathing to slow; clean my face. I push back my hair with trembling hands. I make myself stand back up. I throw a smile in the mirror. A frown. A smile. My eyes well up. One more steady breath.
I am not okay.
I am not okay.
I am not okay.
But when I leave the bathroom, no one can tell, and that's the important thing.
YOU ARE READING
Not me. (2023)
Short Storyso, I've been struggling for a long time now, and I never told anyone about it. I've never opened up. but I met someone who understands how I feel, and I'm beginning to feel again. I don't know how to do it, but I finally feel I can fight. I've been...
