Uni (A Larry Stylinson Story) ✅

Choking

Louis' Point of View

I was running. Fast and far. I don't know where I was, but it wasn't New York. It wasn't even the U.S. It had to be somewhere in England.

My legs were pumping as fast as they could, but I still wasn't going quickly enough. My heart beat faster and faster, and I felt like I couldn't breathe--like I couldn't think-- because I was being chased.

By Liam.

Every time I looked back, he seemed to be getting closer. First, he was a few meters away, then just a meter, then just a few centimeters. Finally, he reached out and grabbed me, sending an intense pain through my entire body. His hands were made of poison, and I quickly collapsed, falling onto the ground in writhing pain.

He stood over my deteriorating body and looked at me with his sinister brown eyes, throwing his head back in the air and cackling. Then, he took something out of his pocket. It looked like a knife-- no, it was switch blade. He walked towards me, grabbing my back roughly with his left hand and then piercing the skin.

"Noooooooooooooo!" I screamed. "No. No. No."

"Louis! Love, wake up. You're okay!" I opened my eyes to find Harry staring at me. He kissed my head and wrapped his arms tightly around me. "It's okay. Shhhh, it's okay, Lou."

"It was Liam," I sobbed into Harry's chiseled shoulder. "He was after me. It must have been a dream but...." I paused and realized that what had happened in the dream was fiction, but the whole concept of Liam chasing me -- that was real.

Just this afternoon, I received a text from an unknown number. I had deleted Liam's number a long time ago. But I had memorized it, just in case a moment like this ever happened. I remember I was sitting in class when I got the text. My stomach instantly began to form knots, and I told myself I would wait until class was over, but I was too anxious to just leave it sitting there. So I opened it.

The message read:

"Ready to apologize for all the pain I have caused you. I understand if you never want to see me again, but in the off change you want to hear my apology, meet me tomorrow in the cafe at 3pm. -Liam."

Immediately, I wish I hadn't. My hands started shaking and I nearly dropped my phone on the ground as I panicked. Suddenly, I felt myself gasping for breath. I could hardly move or even see...

"Lou," I heard Zayn say in a muffled voice. "Louis, you okay?"

Suddenly, I felt arms hoisting me up and I noticed the light got a bit brighter. I felt myself be lowered to the ground, my back against a wall.

"I think you're having a panic attack," Zayn said. "What should I do?"

"Call Harry," I choked, tears streaming down my cheeks. I fumbled around on my lap and felt my phone. "Here."

Zayn did as instructed and seconds later, Harry -- who was taking a class in the same building -- came running down the hall. I knew it was him because I heard him yelling the entire time: "Louis, it's me, Harry. I'm here now, love."

I felt Harry's gentle hands grab me from under my arms. "Shhh," Harry cooed. "Just try to relax for me. We're relaxing. We're relaxing, love. It's just you and me." He held me in his arms and rocked me back and forth, making slow, soothing sounds that imitated the ocean. He made the sounds over and over again, rubbing my back in a circular motion as he did so.

After a few minutes, my breathing began to steady and I opened my eyes. I saw Harry's face staring back at me. His lips were curved in a smile and his green eyes were crinkled at the edges. "There he is," Harry said. "Are you alright? You gave us all a scare."