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New York, Mia
In the eerie darkness that surrounded me, my world was spinning out of control. I clung desperately to the sink, feeling as though it was the only anchor keeping me from being swept away by the storm that raged within my own mind.
“Help me… Help me…” I whispered, my voice trembling, barely audible. My body convulsed, trembling as if caught in the grip of a fierce, unseen tempest. The memories surged forth, a relentless tide threatening to drown me.
My breath came in ragged, shallow gasps as I was transported back in time. The memories were vivid, stark, and painful. “Please, Dad, leave me alone,” I begged, my words trembling, as if they held the weight of a thousand sorrows.
In the darkness, the room felt suffocating, and I saw a vivid image of my father, his presence like a looming shadow in my mind’s eye. I could feel his cruel grip, his fingers tangling in my hair, as he thrust me into the foreboding, pitch-black room. The darkness was impenetrable, filled with unseen horrors.
My skin prickled as I felt the scuttling of roaches, their tiny legs crawling up my trembling limbs. The sensation was all too real, and I shuddered, wiping my hand frantically on my legs as if to rid myself of the phantom insects. The room, wherever it was, closed in on me, a place of torment and terror.
In my mind’s eye, I saw myself, a child, my younger self. I was frail, vulnerable, and defenseless, trapped in a nightmarish world of memories. Tears streamed down my face, their salty trails cutting through the grime and the anguish.
“Please stop… please stop…” I whispered, my words a desperate plea, a mantra in the darkness. But the echoes of the past showed no mercy, the memories playing out like a relentless film reel, unbidden and unending.
My father’s voice pierced the darkness, harsh and unforgiving. He was shouting, the sounds reverberating in my mind, each word a cruel strike. The walls of that wretched room seemed to close in, the confines of the past gripping me in a vice-like hold.
I felt myself being shoved, the sharp impact of the wall against my body causing me to cry out in pain. The sensation was both vivid and surreal, as if I were reliving a nightmare that knew no end. My father’s rage was a violent storm, and I was caught in its path, helpless and defenseless.
As the blows continued, I could feel the pain surging through my body, each impact leaving a physical and emotional scar. The darkness seemed to seep into my very being, and I grew increasingly weak and disoriented.
My limbs, once trembling with fear, grew heavy, and a numbing coldness washed over me. I felt the room spin, and the boundaries between past and present blurred. The sensations were real, but they were from a time long gone, a painful chapter of my life that I had hoped to forget.
The darkness clung to me like a shroud, and I felt a profound sense of isolation. The past had its grip on me, refusing to let go, and I could feel my body go limp as the memories continued to replay, each frame etched in the recesses of my mind.
As the overwhelming darkness pressed in around me, a sense of dread began to take hold. I could feel myself getting dizzy, the world spinning in disorienting, terrifying patterns. Panic coursed through my veins, and I was consumed by fear. The shadows that enveloped me felt suffocating, as if they had a life of their own.
In the midst of this engulfing darkness, I sensed something, a sinister presence, brushing against my throat. The feeling was constricting, as if a rope or some unseen force was closing in, tightening its grip. The air grew thin, and I couldn’t breathe. The fear that I might be choked by this unknown entity intensified my trembling.
“Help me…” I whispered, my voice barely a murmur in the oppressive blackness. It was as if my words were swallowed by the void, and there was no one there to hear me. I felt utterly alone, lost in a nightmarish labyrinth of my own making.
Thirst clawed at my throat, a desperate need for water, but I couldn’t see where to find it in this all-encompassing darkness. My helplessness mounted, and I yearned for rescue, for someone to come and guide me out of this terrifying abyss.
The distant echo of voices reached my ears, faint and indistinct, like distant whispers. They offered no comfort, as they seemed impossibly far away, as if they couldn’t reach me in this place of dread. I strained to listen, to make out any semblance of help, but the voices remained elusive.NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
A chilling sensation crawled up my feet, causing a scream to escape my lips. I was seized by terror, unable to comprehend the source of this disturbance in the black void. What was it? My mind raced, conjuring images of creatures lurking in the darkness, threatening to encroach on my fragile sanctuary.
Then, from the corner of this nightmarish abyss, I saw eyes. They gleamed with an eerie, malevolent light, fixated on me with an unsettling intensity. Another scream tore from my throat as my heart pounded in my chest. What were those eyes? Were they the eyes of a malevolent creature, a rat, or something more sinister?
I was now trembling uncontrollably, my body drenched in cold sweat. The fear had consumed me, and the darkness pressed in on all sides, relentless in its suffocating grip. The sensation of helplessness and isolation was overwhelming, and I felt trapped within the depths of my own terror.
The darkness seemed to feed my fear, amplifying it until it felt insurmountable. It was a fear that reminded me of the haunting memories I had tried to bury deep within me, memories of a time when darkness and terror were my constant companions.
I had a visceral reaction to this encroaching darkness, an aversion as strong as the one I held for hospitals, a place that had been associated with the physical and emotional pain inflicted by my father. The hospital was where he would take me when his violent outbursts became too much, where he would lie to protect himself and where others would believe his deceit.
The darkness around me mirrored the darkness of those memories, and I couldn’t escape the feeling that I was being drawn back into that traumatic past. It was as if my surroundings had become a physical manifestation of my deepest fears, where helplessness and pain held me captive.
I wanted to escape, to break free from the darkness, but it clung to me, inescapable and suffocating. I hated it, just as I hated the hospital, for the pain it represented, for the darkness it embodied.
In the depths of my fear and despair, I clung to the hope that somehow, somewhere, a sliver of light would pierce the darkness and guide me back to safety.
In the suffocating darkness, when all hope seemed to have abandoned me, a sudden, miraculous change occurred. The oppressive blackness that had gripped me for so long was shattered as the lights burst forth, banishing the shadows. I blinked in astonishment, as if I had been thrust from a nightmare into a world of clarity.
And then, as if in a dream, I felt warm, familiar hands encircle me. They wrapped around me with a reassuring embrace, offering comfort and safety in the midst of chaos. “It’s alright. I’m here. I’m here,” a voice whispered, a lifeline thrown to a drowning soul.
As my eyes slowly opened, my vision began to clear. There before me, in the gentle glow of the light, stood Kieran. He was finally here, and the sight of him was like a beacon in the darkness. I didn’t hesitate for a moment. With a mixture of relief, gratitude, and love, I threw my arms around him, pulling him close in a tight, desperate hug.