Just Breathe

Chapter 3

Emma pulled up to her house and turned off the car, taking in the silence. She savored the silence, taking in deep breaths. "Run Emma Run!" the voice screamed to her. Emma jumped, looking around. She felt her breathing pick up, her heart thumping against her ribs. Its not real, she told herself.

She gripped the steering wheel in an attempt to stop her hands from shaking, clenching her eyes shut. She felt a tear roll down her cheek, as the panic refused to fade away. Her phone rang, slicing through the silence. She jumped startled at the noise which left the sound of her own pulse in her ears. She sniffed, using the back of her hand to wipe the tears away. She fished around in her bag until she finally found her phone.

'Hey whats up?' it was a text from Stiles. Emma smiled, forgetting the previously troubling thoughts as she read the message.

'Not much. U?' she responded quickly, anxious to talk to someone.

'Homework. I saw you at practice' Stiles texted back, Emma smirking as she thought of her response.

'Yeah. Your team looks really good' Emma texted back. She wasn't used to texting people and honestly it was a nice change to have someone to talk to.

'Did you enjoy the part where I kept the bench warm?" she could practically hear the sarcasm in his voice. Emma laughed quietly to herself, typing back.

'It was the best play of practice' she was enjoying their playful banter.

'Hey I have a few homework questions want to Skype?' Stiles asked, Emma's heart fluttering. Was it to soon to call it a crush?

'Sure hold on. Call me in 10' she told him, slipping her phone in her pocket. She got out of the car, shutting the door before walking up to the house. She reached the front door, searching for her keys in her bag.

"Gotch'ya" she muttered, feeling the touch of cool metal against her fingers. She pulled them out, clicking them into the door before entering her house. The cold air conditioning hit her in a wave. It was late fall and her aunt refused to turn on the heat not to mention turn off the air conditioning. Emma shivered as she looked around because that wasn't the only thing cold about her house. Everything was fake. No pictures, no memories, no trinkets. Just dark wood and modern furniture some interior designer picked out.

"Aunt Karen?" Emma called once the door was shut. Her voice rang through the house, echoing back to her. Emma sighed disappointedly and walked up to her room. She threw her bag on the bed and collapsed into her desk chair. She pulled her laptop out, opening it. Still a couple minutes before Stiles was supposed to call, she thought, drumming her fingers on her desk.

An email popped up in the corner of her screen. It was from one of her only friends who lived in her old town. 'How are you doing?' it read. Emma read the message, bringing the horrific memories back. She didn't even realize she had started shaking again. She closed her eyes, whispering to herself that everything was okay but the feeling of danger surrounded her as she sat in the silence.

Her phone rang, a strangled scream escaping her lips. She closed her eyes, pressing her hand to her forehead in relief. She looked down, a message from Lydia containing the party details. Emma held her hand to her chest and tried to slow her breathing, along with her rapid heart rate. She glanced up at the screen as her computer rang. jedistiles popped up on the screen. A short laugh escaped her as she answered.

"Hey" he answered, freezing as he saw her face. He noticed the streaks on her face and the sound of uneven breaths. "You okay?" he asked slowly, concerned. Emma nodded, wiping her face to make sure all the tears were gone. "You sure Em?" Stiles asked again, his instincts telling him she was lying.