ERROR ERROR ERROR

Choking is Silent

Choking is silent.

I remember when I was young, still in primary school I was sat at the table by myself finishing off my dinner. My parents were a few metres away watching TV on the couches. That's when I didn't exactly chew my piece of steak properly and began to choke. I remember my body going into this sense of shock and just trying it's best to dislodge the chunk. I remember the red blood that fell from my mouth along with the spit as I tried desperately to get it out. Thankfully-I managed and survived. Funnily enough my parents had no idea till a bit of time later (like a few days or so). I bring it up a lot, and most of the time they ask me why I didn't make any noise. I started questioning myself as to why I didn't-I legit didn't try to make noise at all. But the other day I found a post by a mother who's child had choked. The main thing she said was "choking is silent". It made sense finally. "It's not like the movies where they're gripping at their throats and coughing and banging, they're just silent as if nothing's happening", it all made sense. You see when you choke, your body is focused on what's happening. You don't have time or energy to waste by banging and getting peoples attention. Coughing included. So, choking is silent.

She sits up in her messy bed, flipping her bed head to one side of her face. Her hand raced up and down her arm, red streaks painting it with the harsh brush called nails. The dark room made sure to hide the fears from others that lived in her head. The tears that trailed down her cheeks in flowing streams almost unseeable. Her throat tightened and she stuffed her face into her damp plush to muffle whatever painful sounds came out as not to alarm any members of the household.

She wanted to have someone there, but the people she lived with weren't on her list. She lived with them, she didn't want them finding out how she felt.

Music played loudly into her ears trying their best to block the noise of oncoming thoughts. But to no avail the thoughts were louder each time.

She felt like she couldn't breathe. The lump in her throat had grown to the size of what felt like a golf ball. Her tears were ones of pain.

She was choking. And like all choking, it was silent.

No one would ever know unless she survived and told them.