Metanoia.「skephalo」

18 | Nightmares.

A puddle of thick and bright red liquid layered the floor, drenching the clothes of the breathless little boy who was slumped on the ground.

The strong smell caused by the blood dripping down Zak's throat and cheek filled his nostrils unbulkfully, suffocating his sharp and fast breathes.

'He's back, he's coming, he's back, he's coming, he's back.'

Fast steps approached the only present door in that small, bright white bathroom, increasing the boy's breathing and shivering.

'Please, please, please.'

Two loud bangs made the door swing open, slamming violently against the wall on the side.

Zak crumpled on himself protecting his head with his arms and bringing his legs against his chest while, blood drenching his hair and clothes.
Frantically repeating the same phrases, or 'I'm sorry' and 'Please', he could feel his body shiver violently.
The unknown entity who stood still on the entrance of the bathroom stared with disgust and anger the little boy, approaching him with a growing grin.

'No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.'

Seconds later, Zak found himself without the protection of his arms which got pulled away from his wrists, and left without air in his lungs because of his heavy weight on his body. Hands wrapped around his neck after a strained cry for help from the little boy, now left without any capacity to breathe.

'I can't breathe, I can't breathe, I can't breathe.'

He fought against the two hands desperately digging into them with his nails, while salty tears blended with the blood on the floor. At every movement he did, he would firmly clench on his throat even more.

'Please.'

All Zak could do was squeezing his eyes unable to look at his, and incapable of moving anything due the weakness caused by the lack of oxygen, his body was left without energy.

"You don't deserve to live."

The boy's arms fell on the sides and his watery eyes rolled back.

"You were just a mistake, let me erase you once for all."

Gasping sharply in search of air, Zak awoke and found himself on his dorm's bedroom floor, with his face wet from his tears and sweat, as well as the rest of his shivering body.
He desperately looked around him panting heavily while grasping the blanket that fell with him, and still not able to regain control over his breathing, he crumpled on himself covering his ears, feeling new tears flowing down his cheeks.

"Please," he wheezed, digging his nails into his skull. "make it stop."

Zak passed the whole night like that.
Nightmares over nightmares.
Panic attacks over panic attacks.
Nothing helped him.

"Make it stop..." repeated in a shaky whisper, closing his eyes.

After an interminable minute of panic and struggles, he was finally able to breathe normally, so he removed his hands away from his face, letting his arms fall on the floor while staring blankly at a indefinite point in front of him.  
A few moments later, after partially recovering from the panic attack, Zak weakly forced himself up in a sitting position leaning his back against the bed, reaching then his phone on the nightstand.
He turned the screen towards him, wich got bright.