It took you a while to build up the courage to uncover your eyes, your scarred hands trembling, pressed against your face so hard that once theyâre removed youâve got two large red marks on your cheeks. YouâveâMichaelâfound yourself under a desk, with no memory of how you got there, or whoâs it is, but itâs definitely a change of scenery from your bedroom. Instead of your closet or your toys the room is filled with computer monitorsâMichael!!âand technicolored wires. Computer towers surround you, making your body feel hot and sweaty- well, sweatier than it already was. Everything felt hot and thick and suffocating, you could nearly feel yourself slip back into pure panic, being dragged under by the
Your arms fling up in front of your face, defending yourself, and the movement that felt so foreign and distant from your actual self was enough to snap you back into your body. A hot fleck of bile rose in your throat, filling your lungs with thorns.
âI-Iâm sorry, please donât-!â
You fully expect a lap on the face, or more yelling, or for them to grab your arm and yank you up out of your spot. Instead a cold hand sneaks its way up onto your cheek, cupping it gently as it wipes a few of your tears away with itâs thumb.
âItâs Henry, take a deep breath Mikey. Do you think you can do that for me?â
âWhere, I donât know where I amâ Your voice felt tinny and distant, your chest burned like someone dropped a hot iron in it and it was melting your lungs. âI want to go- home, I want- to go home. Whereâs my dad.â Thereâs a quiet huff of breath, like Henry was struggling to breath too.
âWeâre in my work office, and weâre the only two in the building right now, just us. Letâs take a moment to breath, ok?â You can hear the distinct noise of glasses being flicked open, and suddenly Henry's hands are back next to your face, placing your coke bottle glasses back on. âI made you some tea and apple sauce. The teas still warm, it was for you after your shift.â Henry takes your hand and guides it to the cup of tea, the mug feels abnormally hot causing you to flinch.
The real heat was grounding, you were able to see and feel your hand move, but you could make the choice to move your hand back. Youâre in control of your hands again. Little by little, step by step.
âLetâs work on that breathing Mikey, youâre going to make yourself throw up if you keep hyperventilating like that. We were just about to set up Roxyâs party.â