Dancing with Shadows ✔

Facing the Crowd

Dancing with Shadows

Chapter 16

The weight of tomorrow loomed heavily on Emma's mind as she sat by the lake, her heart sinking with each passing moment. Tomorrow, she was supposed to go back to school, and no matter how much she pleaded with her parents to let her stay home, they wouldn't budge. Their insistence that her education was important left her feeling trapped, like a bird in a cage with no way out. The thought of facing her classmates, the whispers, the stares—it all made her want to run and hide. So she did the only thing she could think of: she went to her favourite place, the lake.

No, she wasn't brave enough to run away from home for real. She knew that. Where would she go anyway? Her father's side of the family was the only one nearby, and she couldn't even imagine the chaos that would ensue if they found out she was pregnant. They were strict, and proud, and would probably try to convince her parents to make her get rid of the baby. They were all about keeping up appearances, and pregnant teenage Emma didn't fit into their perfect picture.

Her mother's family was different—caring, understanding, and accepting. But they were far away, an eight-hour flight that felt like a lifetime away from the suffocating reality she was in now.

Emma sighed, her gaze fixed on the still waters of the lake. It was peaceful here, a sharp contrast to the turmoil in her heart. The trees around the lake provided just enough shade to keep the sun from burning her skin, while still allowing her to see the wide, open sky. She used to come here all the time when she was younger, letting her imagination run wild as she danced, chased butterflies, and watched the birds. It had been her escape, a place where she could forget the world and just be.

A faint smile crossed her lips at the memory, but it didn't last long. The simplicity of those days was gone, replaced by the heavy responsibility of the life growing inside her. She wasn't just dealing with her health anymore; in a few months, she would be responsible for another life too. And she still had to go to school on top of that. How was that supposed to work?

The more she thought about it, the more her anxiety grew. Her heart started racing, her breathing became shallow, and she felt the familiar tightening in her chest. She knew what was happening—another panic attack. She had been having them ever since she hit the three-month mark in her pregnancy. The doctor said it was related to the baby, but no one could tell her exactly why it was happening like this.

Emma lay back on the grass, staring up at the baby blue sky as she tried to calm herself. She took deep breaths, focusing on the steady rise and fall of her chest until her heart began to slow down. When the panic finally subsided, she placed her hand on her growing stomach, rubbing it gently.

"Are you causing these when mommy gets upset because you're scared or worried?" she whispered, her voice soft as she looked down at her stomach. Suddenly, she gasped, a mix of pain and surprise shooting through her as she felt the baby move. At four months, it was a little earlier than she had expected, but then again, this baby wasn't completely human. That thought lingered in her mind, filling her with unease. Would she get sick because her baby wasn't human?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps behind her. She sat up too fast, and her vision swam with black dots as she held her head. When the dizziness subsided and she turned around, she was relieved to see it was just her dad.

"Gosh, Dad! You scared the crap out of me," she mumbled, still holding her head.

"You scared us too. Why did you run off like that? We were all worried. Please say something next time," he said, his voice gentle. He hadn't shouted since he found out about her panic attacks.