The Butterfly Effect

Chapter One - 12:00am

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Copyright © Explosivewafflez 2013

There are those who have seen it, those who have lived it, and those who wake up with it. Emily Mathison stood behind door number three. It typically begins as an uneasy feeling soaring through your blood when you're awake. Your clammy hands begin to tremble, your breath becomes unsteady, but no matter how hard you try to comfort yourself nothing tears away the feeling of pure terror. When you're awake you can at least expect it-you feel it coming. When you're asleep, it's a miracle your heart doesn't stop.

Emily couldn't tell if it was sweat or tears rolling down her face. She tried to breath, but her throat constricted with the movement. She laid there gasping and coughing in the dark, fighting for the air that wouldn't come. She knew what it was by the anxiety rushing through her veins and the inability to catch her breath. It often took her a few moments to push through the blind fear to become coherent enough to form an ounce of reason. It was a panic attack, though the nocturnal ones seemed to have taken a liking to her.

They were the most terrifying there was. To burst into consciousness with nothing other than your heart pumping adrenaline, your throat failing to transfer oxygen to your lungs, and the darkness of the night as your only friend was the equivalent to waking up with a Charter bus on top of you. Petrifying.

Just breathe... just breathe... Emily squeezed her eyes shut.

Once Emily could breathe efficiently she rolled on her side and released a choked sob. She let the tears flow, but kept wiping them as they fell. It was a frustrating game she played, wanting to get rid of the pain, but also needing to be strong. It was an impossible battle she faced every waking hour. It was a battle she shouldn't have to fight, but did anyway because that was expected.

Emily blinked the tears from her eyes to glance at her alarm clock on her nightstand. In bold, red numbers it read 12:00 a.m. In six hours she'd have to go to school, and Emily didn't think she could will herself to that-not without help. She threw the blankets off of her and trudged to her bathroom where she flicked on the blinding fluorescents. Emily walked to the sink and reached for the medicine cabinet above it, refusing to acknowledge her reflection in the mirror mounted to the door of the cabinet. Emily withdrew the orange cylinder from the shelf. Across the bottle of sleeping pills read a prescription with Emily's name along with a fancy reason for it. Emily twisted the cap to reveal the candy-like tablets filling the half of the bottle.

But there are still plenty if... Emily banished the thought, plucked two pills from the bottle, closed it, and slammed it on the shelf with more force than necessary. She shut the cabinet door and turned on the sink. While cupping her palm to catch the water she used her other hand to pop the pills into her mouth. When Emily caught enough water she slurped and swallowed the pills. Emily left the bathroom and crawled beneath the safety of her bed. The clock read 12:05.

Not tonight.

Emily wished she could have kept the same resolve she had the night before, but morning came with a harsh awakening that could capture anyone's last sense of determination. The blankets were ripped from her, allowing an immediate chill to steal her warmth. Emily's eyes flew open to find a fully-dressed brunette girl with a grimace on her face.