Phonophobia [RE-WRITTEN & EDITED] 📗

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Having your brain tied to a certain fear sucks, believe me, because there are times when you have to face some scary things and while your body is busy triggering the 'fight or flight' response, your brain starts glitching and you forget that you have to breathe and try to remain awake so that the fear doesn't consume you.

Yeah, it totally sucks.

I try to ball my palms into fists but they feel numb to the touch. The loud ringtone coming from Payne's phone didn't sound like music to me. It sounded like people screaming at me. Lashing out their frustrations and pain towards me. It sounded like them. All of them.

He silences his phone and slips it into his pocket without paying attention to me. Good, I wish he would just turn around and leave so he wouldn't see the way I was shaking like a leaf.

My heart was pounding so hard in my chest that it felt as if I was having a heart seizure. A low whimper escapes my lips as I stagger two steps back, my hand fisting the shirt I wore. I was hot. I could feel every pore in my body leaking with sweat right now. The noise wasn't here but I could still hear it echoing in my head.

"Baybi?"

I feel dizzy and my feet can't hold me up anymore. My chest hurts. I feel like I'm going crazy.

"Abigai!"

"Baybi! Get over here!"

I feel nauseous.

"I need everything back the way it was before midnight or I swear by every god that exists I will make you regret being alive!"

"Abigail, breathe!"

I feel like I'm losing control.

It's them.

It's him. He's coming for me.

"Try not to dig into your skin. It'll only help in the worst way."

The words of my therapist suddenly come to my mind. Ex-therapist.

"Recognize that you're having an attack, get a hold of the situation, and stand firm on it. Make yourself realize that you're not in danger."

I'm not...I'm not in danger. I'm free now.

"After that try to close your eyes and take very deep breaths."

Close my eyes and breathe.

"Breathe using the 4,2,6 technique. Inhale through your nose for 4 seconds, hold for 2 seconds, and then exhale through your mouth for 6 seconds. Do it carefully and remember, you're not in danger."

4,2,6. Breathe in. Breathe out.

"Everything will be okay Abigail. We can help heal you if you open up and let us help, just take deep breaths. Everything will be okay."

I slowly blink my eyes open, my head turning and I struggle to stand on my feet but then I feel myself being cradled into a warm soft body, the familiar scent of peaches lingering in Gabi's dress as she hugs me tight.

I felt tears running down my face and my body was still shaking even under Gabi's motherly hold. My hands slowly wrap around her as I recover slowly.

I didn't look up. I couldn't, knowing all those eyes would stare back at me in pity.

I just stared at Gabi's black flowered white dress until a voice broke the thick silence.

A deep, yet alluring voice asked.

"Is she okay?"

I froze momentarily, completely forgetting about him.

He had to witness this. My God, Baybi Abigail Todaro! You never fail to freak out everyone you come across, do you?