Iris

24 | warm ( i )

     FOR A FLEETING moment, it felt as though I were in a dream.

A blurred fog clouded the entirety of my mind, and a nerve-racking silence encased my numb senses. My actions were sluggish as I got to my feet, my body feeling as though it weren't my own as it strolled through the dimmed hallway.

Tear-stained gaze of mine remained focused on the floor beneath it, and trembling hands of mine continued to fiddle with the sleeves of the worn-out sweater that hung loosely over my body, its size two times larger than my figure.

Bitter saliva burned my throat; sharp needles seemingly accompanying it as I swallowed a sob harshly, forbidding it from brushing past my throat. My pacing heart slammed against my chest in painful thuds; its sound echoing loudly throughout the entire hallway.

My breaths faltered into short gasps as soon as I realised that the place I was trapped within looked oddly familiar, and my chest began to constrict.

The walls surrounding me closed upon me, realisation slamming into my mind with a great force. Stained tiles swayed back and forth before my gaze, my feet losing their balance on impact.

Shaky breaths escaped my trembling lips as I gazed around, taking in the familiar hallway I had previously run through so many times in my miserable attempts to escape from my fosters and their cruelty.

I stumbled a step back, my figure collapsing to the floor with a deafening thud. Silent sobs racked my fragile body, numbing fear coursing along with my blood as my mind jumped to the conclusion that my brothers must've abandoned me, leaving me at the place I had always feared the most.

My thoughts jumbled at the back of my mind, my gasps completely faltering as I lost control over my breaths. My eyes closed; my shaky hands dug deep into my thigh. I leaned my head against the wall, only for a sharp sensation of pain to creep into my limbs, splitting them apart.

Silent sobs turned into weak whimpers, screams of agony dying at the back of my throat because of how much power they required. Sweat drenched my skin, and droplets of what I, later on, recognized as blood stained my hands. My breaths got caught within my chest, my heart lurching into my throat.

Dread accompanied my heartbeats as I hesitantly glanced upwards; a strangled gasp brushed past my lips once my gaze landed on the crimson staining Claire's face. I pressed my back tighter against the shaky wall behind me, desperately seeking an escape.

Black dots clouded the entirety of my blurred vision, and a distant voice filled my strained ears as it repeatedly called for me, sounding a little closer with every eternal moment that passed. My body continued to tremble against the wall, and my hands continued to press against my abdomen.

I weakly got to my feet, only to collapse against the cold floor once more. Old, wooden tiles creaked loudly as a result of the collision, paralyzing my senses with fear. My fragile body refused to move, for the only thing it was capable of doing was shake further with every hoarse sob that escaped my burning throat.