Facing My Fears

Facing Your Fears

(Ok so I know this work isn't the best and the outcome isn't as dragged out as it should be but, I wrote this for my English class as a spooky Halloween short story (it kinda also isn't that short) and I wrote it in a day so some stuff is kinda rushed. My goal with this story was to just implement as many details as possible when it comes to emotions, characteristics, and setting. I'm a 10th grader so please don't have any high expectations. )

***

   Kai didn't even know what to pack, what do you wear on a cave outing he asked himself internally. Deciding to just bring two outfits with one being pajamas, he zipped up his bag and went out to the living room where his Grandmother was situated on the brown leather couch.

Looking at her, he internally sighs knowing that when she sits in the living room on the couch that usually meant she wanted to talk. He decided it would be better to go ahead and get it over with, so he walked over and sat down. She looked at him for a few seconds and then said 'I know you don't like talking about them and you hate it when I bring them up but I just want you to know that I'm so proud of you and I want you to try to have fun this weekend.".

Kai took in a deep breath and tried to not look like all he wanted to do was run out of the house. He knows she doesn't fully understand why he hates talking about them or even thinking their names, but he found out a long time ago that the grief will just turn to self-hatred and thoughts of why he isn't good enough and determined years ago that to save himself the best thing he could do was turn all that hatred onto them and ignore the fears that they left him with.

He looked back up when he heard her clear her throat and saw in her brown eyes that she wasn't done and that he probably wouldn't like what she said next. "Your parents would also be really proud of you, and I know that if they were here now, they would tell you just that." He was right, he didn't like what she said, he didn't like the insinuation that they didn't have a choice whether they were here or not, like his mom didn't smoke herself into an early grave and his dad didn't give up a long time ago. He just wanted to leave and that's exactly what he did, with a quiet and ingenuine thank you and a meant goodbye he walked out of the brick red house and called Racheal to come to get him wondering why exactly he felt as if when he gets back from this weekend trip he'd be different.

***

A few hours later while sitting in his best friend's car, he thought back to the conversation with his grandma and felt guilty that he stormed out the way he did without a hug or even a proper goodbye. Knowing that he can't do anything about it now he says to Racheal "Why did you even want to go to this cave anyway?" She starts jumping in excitement which causes her black hair to jump around with her and says "Supposedly some people have gone into the cave and never came out again, which is weird because there have also been people who have gone in and came right back out completely fine."

Kai takes a moment to take this in and question his friend's sanity before saying "So you heard this.. and still wanted to go into the cave?" he stares as she nods frantically and replies with an excited yep. Deciding that he needs some sleep to get through the rest of the day, he leans his head on the car door window with a sigh and watches as the world fades into black and he falls asleep.

***

He's woken up hours later by the feeling of the vehicle's stop in motion and Racheal tapping him on his arm repeatedly while saying "We're here, we're here" which he immediately puts a stop to once fully woken up by stepping out of the car and shutting the door muffling her voice. He stands for a moment and breaths in the fresh air while staring out at the green and brown of his surroundings already feeling the difference between the city that's his birthplace and the place at which is going to be his home for the next couple of days if all plans go accordingly.