Anxiety's Prisoner

Just a dream?

Athena jolted up from her bed and woke up with a cold sweat. Trying to figure out what is reality from fiction. She realized that she was hyperventilating and started to panic but she knew the feeling all too well so she slowly calmed down and remembered everything she had to do as her breathing became normal. Her dream just seemed too real.

There she was in an alternate dimension. Everything she feared and worried about were being broadcasted by the birds flying over her head. She tried to cover her ears but it was no use. She was in her garden but everything was in black and white. All signs of life were decayed. The only thing that wasn't in black and white was the fish pond in their garden. The water of their fish pond was as red as blood. As she was looking around her eyes caught a tall hideous figure standing right in front of her behind some trees. It's like all her fears compiled into a giant monster. The creature was so tall that its head surpasses the height of trees and houses. It's body is skinny and looks decayed. The mouth is wide open ang you can see his jaw barely hanging from his face. It's tongue is sharp, narrow, and snake- like. Its eyes are big and round. The creature has no hair but it has long arms with sharp fingers. As she stared into it's glowing red eyes, she heard everything that triggers her anxiety. This monster contained everything that gave her dreaded panic/ anxiety attacks. Before she realized, this monster was going to slowly consume her. Its mouth was opened wide as black smoke comes out with its tongue slowly coming at her. Before the blood covered tongue reaches her face.

That's when she woke up.

Her hands were on her pill bottle. She was contemplating whether to neglect them again and just forget that she even a had a condition to begin with.

She hates the fact that she has to be reliant on medication just to keep herself "stable". She doesn't like to remind herself that there is something "wrong" with her. She has yet to accept that her condition is nothing to be ashamed of.

After a few minutes of just talking to herself she decided to not take the meds and move on with her life. She wanted to get fresh air so she headed to her beloved garden. This is were she always goes to calm down and relax. This place is what she considers her happy place. She sits on the swing that is placed there and is relieved that everything seems normal. All the beautiful flowers and plants were alive. The fish pond had clear water with all the fishes swimming around. And the birds were chirping sweet melodies. As she is bathing in the sense of relief, a voice that sends shivers done her spine suddenly calls her name. "ATHENA!", the voice of her father made its way to the garden. She immediately closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, dreading to face the person who once raised her. As she opens her eyes her breathing hitched and she feels like passing out. She is back to the place where her nightmares become a reality.

"So it wasn't a dream?".