Raya is different from the typical 17-year-old with lots of friends and a social life. She's been dealing with schizophrenia since she was young, feeling like an outsider, especially in high school where she only has two friends and a close host fam...
I woke up to the sound of my alarm reasoning in my room. I groaned loudly and threw the covers off of my body. I sat on my bed for a while, looking at nothing in particular before putting my slippers on and getting up.
I looked through my window and smiled when I saw the beautiful view I had on the beach. That was one of the best parts of living in Los Angeles.
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The sun rays shown through my window, landing on my dark skin.
In my very complicated life, these were the only things that made a smile stretch on my face. Being in my room, looking at the beach, reading or listening to music. That was all I needed to be satisfied with life and myself.
I opened the door and walked out of my room, towards the bathroom where Isaac came out from. He looked down at me and gave me a small smile before going to his room.
Isaac, the towering 6ft3 man with dreadlocks cascading in front of his eyes and an intense stare, seemed intimidating and cold at first stare. However, he really wasn't. Isaac was the nicest and cutest man I had ever met. Although when I told him that, he told me to "shut up", he still was very charming in his own way.
I got in the bathroom and the smell of Axe immediately invaded my nostrils, making me sneeze.
I put some toothpaste on my toothbrush and started brushing my teeth. As I stared at myself in the mirror, my bonnet was gone but most importantly, a shadow.
It was a black shadow but it still felt like its gaze was piercing through my soul. I started trembling and then suddenly everything around me was red and pixels invaded my sight.
Hide. They're coming for you Raya.
I dropped everything and splashed my face with water but the voices only got louder and everything around me tripled in size.
Hide before it's too late!
I felt myself falling to the ground. "Make it stop!" I yelled as the shadow got in the upper corner of the bathroom and the voices took over my mind.
"Raya? It's okay. Breathe."
A soft voice said from beside me and I recognised it as Isaac's.
"It's staring at me! Make it disappear!"
"I did. I punched it. It's gone. Calm down Ray." He said before sitting next to me and wrapping his arms around my shoulder. He pulled me to his chest and I tried focusing on his heartbeat. It was steady so, I tried to do the same.
After what felt like hours, I finally calmed down. "You feeling better now?" He asked softly.
"I think so." I answered truthfully. "Look at me." He sat in front of me and looked deeply into my eyes.
Whenever I had an episode, my eyes widened and apparently, they were filled with fear. I looked into Isaac's eyes and he nodded, reassuring me. "Your eyes seem normal." He said before helping me up.
