Three Simple Words

Chapter 1

The walls seemed to close in on him; each time he pushed back they would push back even harder, never relenting. Every breath he took hesitant and shallow, leaving his lungs gasping for more. His heart thudding visibly through his chest as he did everything, he could to catch the short-lived breath. Each second more brutal then the last.

This was not the first time Thomas had an anxiety attack but it had never been this bad before, he never was afraid he wouldn't be able to take that next breath.

He started to shake, the tremors becoming more violent and out of control than it seemed humanly possible. The world was spinning around him, laughing at him, mocking him, locking him in their circle of torment and the part that sacred him the most was that he let it happen. He didn't deserve to see the light again when all he had known was the dark, each moment of torture reminded him of why he was there and he relished in it. His sin was the reason he fell so far from the light. As if an angel was pulling him out of hell, he felt a hand pull him out of his darkness.

As he began to regain his senses, the music and lights from the party seemed brighter than ever, taunting him to succumb completely to that darkness he was so sure was inside him. He could still feel the stranger's hand on Thomas's shoulder, light and hesitant but persistent nevertheless.

Turning to his right, the light caught the eyes of a girl with gorgeous green eyes and raven black hair that cascaded down the back of her scantily clad body. Even the smile that was plastered to her face couldn't hide the concern that was etched across her features at the scene that she no doubt wished she could walk away from.

The scene in front of her would have had anyone running for the door, the bloody shape in the corner shaking as if there was an earthquake. The unnamed girl took no time in asking if he was okay or if he wanted help, instead she looked him straight in the eye and said "You can either stay here in this hell of a place or you can come home with me and we'll get you cleaned up, it's your choice".

The music still blared around them but no one seemed to have notice the guy in the corner because there always seems to be some guy in the corner, some person no one gives a shit about. Still lost in his own thoughts, Thomas shuffled out of the corner, close enough to the girl that he could vaguely smell a mixture of oranges and alcohol.

As he passed by the people he had known since kindergarten, not one person seemed to notice him, each too high to comprehend much of anything. The smell of cigarettes and drugs wafted around the unlikely pair, coating them in the stench, fogging the air around them.

When they finally got outside, Thomas fell to his knees, letting the clean air fill his lungs and refocus his mind.

"Stop being so dramatic and get in the car." The girl called out, already behind the wheel and clearly annoyed that he was not in the car yet.

"Look I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble; I think I'll just walk home but thank you." Thomas called back, hardly moving towards the girl's car.

Looking around, he realized that home was an hour drive away and his friend already took off, probably to go seduce some girl from the party. As he glanced around all he could make out was a couple of dark figures making out and lying in the grass, none of which offered a way home. The girl was still staring at him when he finally decided to trust the stranger, that her intentions were as pure as his were.

"I do need a ride actually, sorry." Thomas said, leaning through the car window. With one look it was clear the girl would give him just that.

For the first five minutes the pair was riding in silence, his blond hair flying gently in the breeze, the wind whipping past his face. "Um... I don't know your name." The girl looked directly in his eyes, her attention slipping from her driving, "Ariel."