Livre: One Shots

[42] Breathe

PROMPT: Could you do like a panic attack one shot?

This could be triggering to some people who have anxiety so read with care.

-/-

Taylor was on one of the couches, not really doing anything. She tried reading and checking her emails, but she couldn't focus long enough to do so. Andrea, Scott, and Austin were to her right on the couch, talking about something, Taylor had no idea what.

Tree was sitting on a chair by the door, doing something on her phone. Every now and then, she'd raise her eyes and survey the room, before looking back down at her phone typing away. The scene before her soothed Taylor's heart, a little. It was only 45 minutes until her set. She'd have to start vocal warm ups soon but pushed that aside as she sipped her water.

Across from Taylor, on a similar couch, Karlie was reading on her Kindle. She gave up her heels a few minutes ago, she'd taken them off, tidily putting them on the floor next to her, lifting up her legs on the couch and tucking her long, slender legs underneath her. Her toe nails were painted bright yellow which made Taylor smile. She was wearing a pair of black skinny jeans, a red baby-doll top and a cream blazer on top, that matched her shoes. She had a big red bag, and long gold earrings. Her hair was up, and her lips were a light shade of pink today. She was curled into a ball, and she seemed absolutely lost in her book. Her fingers were absently playing with the end of her ponytail, twisting the hair and knotting it, only to let it fall and start over with a new lock of hair.

Then an abrupt interruption startled the serene environment. Her security burst through the door. "We need to move. Now."

Taylor had no idea what was happening. She suddenly was moved quickly into another dressing room, and security quickly detailed the room as her family looked bewildered. "What is going on?" Scott started.

"There were two men possibly more looking to kidnap or harm your daughter sir."

And it was in that moment that Taylor suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.

It wasn't like this hadn't happened before but, apparently they had gotten close. Too close to her dressing room. Taylor heard different details be thrown around. Rope. Ties. Knives. It frightened her.

Taylor was looking at her when she felt it happening. She tried to ignore the details as much as possible and just let her security do their job. Tree immediately was trying to contact the festival to tell them they were pulling out of their set. Taylor counted her breaths and pushed her nails in the palm of her hands, but she was okay, it was manageable. Until she heard a door slam further down the hall, men exchanging loudly in Portuguese and then a single shot. They all heard it.

Karlie flinched violently, quickly turning her head to look at her. Andrea, Austin, and Scott were discussing quietly what they should do.

And Taylor, she still wasn't breathing properly. She tried to breathe again, but she couldn't, there wasn't enough air getting through.

She tried to take deep breaths, but she couldn't open her mouth, it was shut tight. Her body wasn't listening to her, and that scared her. But not as much as what she was hearing. Those details just seemed to rattle around in her mind, never settling. The sound of her heart beating faster and faster in her chest, it all terrified Taylor.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. She was just supposed to arrive, come play a set, leave, have a quiet evening in Lisbon.

"Taylor?", Karlie's voice broke through everything.

She managed to look at her, and she was sitting upright, body bent forward, a very concerned look on her face. In the corner of her eye She saw a hand reaching out to her, and she was on the other side of the room in the blink of an eye.