Cover and banner credit goes to @AlateSchmetterling
*****
With the last year of school looming, Hannah Woodville, hopes to keep her head down, get the grades she needs and leave for university.
It shoul...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The absence of sound was quite deafening. Even the smaller movement or flicker felt like a bang to my ears. The only sounds that played around me, was the slight buzz and flicker from the lights, and my laboured breathing.
I slowly shifted my eyes open, and I was still in the basement. Stuck sitting on the floor, with Zac next to me, leaning against the wall. I was too ashamed to say anything, not letting him bang against the door to cry for help.
"How long have we been here?" I stuttered.
"It's been about fifteen minutes." Zac replied with his head buried in the palm of his hands.
Fifteen minutes. It had felt like endless hours.
As I leaned against the wall, I lifted my legs so that my knees were close to my face, bowing my head onto my knees, I tightly shut my eyes. It felt like any sudden movement would trigger my asthma. I was stuck.
"Zac? Hannah?" A voice finally called from behind the door.
My head shot up, looking at Zac, I nodded for him to go towards the door.
"Dad?" Zac shouted stumbling to get up. "Is that you?"
"Yeah it's me. I forgot to tell you about the door. Are you guys okay?" Brian responded, trying to budge the door open.
"Hannah sweetie, are you okay?" My dads voice closely followed.
My eyes shine and mist with water at the loving and calm sound of my dad. I wanted to call out, but something within me stopped me from shouting. Zac looked at me and understood that I just simply couldn't respond.
"We're okay. Hannah is okay." Zac replied for me. "How are we going to get the door open?"
"Two options." My dad called out with a strain to his voice. "We could either wait for someone to get it opened, but it'll take time to call someone out at such short notice, or we could just break down this door right now."
Even though my thoughts and hearing were muffled, from all the tension, I heard my dads words loud and clear. Zac looked back to me, lifting his brows waiting for me to respond. I shrugged my shoulders, indicating whatever was best.
It felt like all the energy and life had been sucked from me. My limbs felt heavy, my chest felt tight, and I just needed some fresh air to lighten all this load that was weighing down on me.
"Just break it down." Zac answered for me.
I could feel the hesitation in both our dads. After a few seconds of deliberation, they agreed.
"Okay, move out the way." Brian finally answered out.
Zac made his way back to me and held out his hand, waiting for me to use it as support. He nodded reassuringly whilst also curling his lips ever so slightly, into a friendly smile.
