Fleeting Concepts, Strung Together

◇Concealed. 19/05/18

Stand alone, no fandom
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Pure, unbridled panic fluttered against my ribs. Heat worked it way up before locking around my throat, choking me while I hid behind a happy-giddy grin. I pulled my whole face into polite smile as I came up to the counter to order. Sweat beaded down my back before pooling around the weight against the small of my back, stuffed under my belt. Look ahead, I told myself, don't worry about how many people are around. There was people behind me, they know, they know, they can see it. I felt it move, it tilted to the right sending a wave of chills up my spine. Someone's looking, they can see it.

But they couldn't, I knew they can't, my sweater flowed just right around the curve of my back. I'm just over-reacting. Beside me, Dad talked to the cashier and holy frick everyone is looking at me, let's go let's go, we gotta leave right now. Don't look around, don't look suspicious. It's fine. It's fine, no ones looking. Smile at the friendly cashier, who is moving incredibly slow. C'mon hurry we need to go before someone notices-

Suddenly I was very, very aware the ground was shaking. Or it was my knees. Either way, standing became hard. Harder than breathing was at the moment. The unfamiliar weight under my shirt pressed around my lungs tightening at every exhale. I couldn't stop think about it, feeling it cling to my too-warm skin. My heart leaped into my throat as someone rushed by behind me, it pounded in my ears. I was sure everyone could hear the rapid tha-thunp, tha-thump, tha-thump because it was all that I could hear.

Finally I was handed a bag and I quickly let go from where I was nervously fiddling with my zipper. Hugging the large bag to my chest I followed behind Dad, so close I could touch his jacket and nearly stepped on his heels. Each step wiggled the heat on my back slightly down. Keep walking, keep walking. Are my steps too quick? Too far apart? Shit they are, slow down- that guy's looking. He knows. Shoot people can tell I'm stressing and they know.

I hugged the warm bag tighter, the trembling in my legs snaked up to my fingers. Almost there. Smile, smile nicely and sneak in between the crowd- yes! I darted around Dad and walked beside him as we entered the hall. Almost casually, I reached to close my hand around the offending object resting under my belt. No one was behind us while we walked up to ramp.

"See? Nothing to it."

Dad's reassurance made me smile and I looked down to the candy-bag of twizzlers before hugging it to my chest beside the warm pop-corn.

~Fin~