It Started As a Deal

Chapter 13: I Can't Believe It

"You'll be surprised what you can live through," ~ Iago, Aladdin

***

"Imogen! Imogen!" a voice calls out to me. It sounds familiar, but I can't place it. "Imogen! Stop it! What's going on?" After what feels like hours, I come back and see Astrid's frightened face peering at mine.

"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid. I'm safe and still alive," I mutter my eyes moving around unfocused while my fingers twitched.

"Imogen, what is going on?" she asks sounding like she's going to cry.

"I have PTSD."

"What?" Astrid asks her eyes widening in shock as she blinks.

"I have PTSD. Post-traumatic stress disorder," I say trying to calm my breathing and get out of my curled up fetus state.

"I-I don't understand," she says her face scrunched up as she tries to understand what I am telling her. "How is this possible?"

"It happened two years ago," I whisper feeling it coming back to me. I can't go through that again. Not twice in one day. Astrid's already freaked out and scared as it is. I don't want to scare her away.

"Imogen. Are you okay? Your face is really pale, your movements are jittery, your eyes are unfocused, and you're sweating profusely," Astrid says coming closer to me trying to see if I'm okay.

"No I'm not. Please back away from me because with you being too close I may freak out again. I need to get out of here. My medicine is back at home, and we need to go there and get it. If I don't, I can keep freaking out and possibly pass out. You would then need to take me to a hospital, and I don't want that," I manage to wheeze out standing up with jelly legs.

"How are we going to do that? It's raining outside and neither of us can drive," Astrid asks helping me stand better by supporting some of my weight.

"I don't know. We could take a bus or ask someone to drive us. Do you know anybody who would?" I ask starting to walk towards the door.

"Yeah, but you'd have to wait here since I can't drag you around with me. Are you gonna be okay for five minutes in here?"

"I should be. Just help set me down on the ground," I say softly struggling to keep my eyes open and focus on reality.

"Okay then. I should be back quickly, but if not. . . well hopefully I will. Stay put Imogen, I'll get you help!" Astrid proclaims running out the bathroom off to God know where to get someone to drive us.

As I sit on the cold bathroom ground, I move myself to where my cheek is on the cold ground to try and cool off my face. I also practice breathing exercises that my doctor taught me to control my breathing. If I can get more oxygen to my brain, and I'll be able to focus more on my surroundings.

'You can do this Imogen! You can calm down. You've done this before. You can do this!' I think to myself trying to motivate myself. If I don't calm down, I could have an anxiety attack which could result in another attack like before when the lights went out.

". . . I don't know exactly what happened, but she said she has medicine at Kye's house. Can you drive us?" I hear Astrid ask someone as they come closer. I can hear their hurried footsteps as they reach the bathroom door.

"Of course I can," said a deep voice from outside the door.

"I'll just wait out here since it's a girls' bathroom. I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable since she doesn't know me."

"That's probably a good idea. I don't want her to freak out again," Astrid says pushing open the bathroom door. "Hey Imogen, are you- Oh my god! Why are you on the ground?" She rushes over to me falling to her knees at the ground next to me.

"I-I'm fine. Really I am. . .," I trail off struggling to keep my eyes, "Just. . . really. . . really. . . tired." I ended up muttering a bunch of unintelligible words before I stopped speaking all together.

"Imogen! Imogen! Can you try to move so I can help you out?" Astrid asks shouting in my ear. I feel myself wince at the loudness and shake my head no to her question.

"Hunter! I need you to come in and help me! I can't get Imogen up off the ground and she's not responding in words," she shouts to the guy outside in the hall. I hear the door open again and use my remaining consciousness to focus on the guy coming in to help me.

The guy Astrid called Hunter was tall and his shadow loomed over me. He had long hair that went past his shoulders and hung in dreads. His eyes were a gray blue color that made me feel like he was also observing me. Hunter's face was sculpted like s statue's with a defined nose, good cheekbones, and a sharp jawline.

On both of his wrists were six thick bracelets that added to his strange appearance. He wore a baggy shirt that had a low neckline and skin-tight black jeans. His shoes were solid black high top converse that could use a good wash, as there was dirt caked on.

This Hunter guy gave me a weird vibe, and his gaze didn't help at all. His gaze felt cold yet warm and didn't settle well with me.

"Why is she on the ground?" he asked coming over to help Astrid.

"I don't know, but she said that she was tired before she stopped speaking."

"Is she still awake? Her eyes are still open."

"Yeah I think so. She was shaking her head to my question earlier."

"Okay, move over a bit. I'll try to pick her up myself, and if I can carry her, I will. Just be prepared to help incase I can't though." I feel cold arms come behind my neck and legs as Hunter gently picked me up. He only struggled for a minute before he started walking with Astrid following behind him.

Everything we pass by is a blur as I struggle to remain awake. The minutes blend together as if everything was happening at the same time.

One minute we were in school, the next in an unfamiliar car. Then I was carried through a door; another moment I was in Kye's bed. The whole entire time I was shaking uncontrollably, sweating, and crying.

"Imogen," Astrid whispers in my ear, "where is your medicine?"

"In my bag. . . by the bean bag. . . it's in a red box with instruction," I say to her before closing my eyes.

That was the last thing I remember before blacking out.