Don't Touch//Reddie

[Introduction]

People with haphephobia have a fear of being touched. With haphephobia, human touch can be overpowering and even painful. In some cases, the fear is specific to only one gender, while in other cases the fear relates to all people.

Eddie Kaspbrak, age 17, had been living with this for a decent portion of his life, specifically since that summer. Yeah, the summer that everyone knows about, yet no one talks about. The summer that sent his life into a never-ending spiral of 'Nothing will get better' He had always felt as if it made him a freak, an outcast, maybe a weirdo. No, none of those seem to strike a bell.

Loser

Yeah, It had made him feel like a loser. Thought after thought would pour through his head, question after question, ringing through his ears. It didn't take a genius to understand something was wrong, sometimes you just can't put your finger on what it is. He would sit and wonder if other people felt the way he did. As if someone walking towards you seemed like a bullet traveling slowly towards you, inch by inch getting closer and closer until it hit its target. He wondered if anyone in his life knew what it was like to have never experienced comfort from a loved one's touch, a mother's hug, a friend's high five, even a pat on the back by a teacher. Then again, maybe it was only him. Maybe it was only Eddie who felt like their skin was being scorched off just from the gentle touch of someone else. Yeah, that must have been it. He must have been the only one.

He knew there was something wrong, he just didn't know what. He had asked his mother question after question, over and over again.

"Momma, is there a reason I feel this way? Is that why I can't play with the other kids?" Age 10.

"Mommy, is it normal to be scared of when people touch me?" Age 12.

"Momma, Is everyone like the bad man. Is that why I can't go outside? Is that why I feel this way?" Age 13.

"Mommy, I think there's something wrong, I looked it up on the computer and this isn't normal for someone my age" Age 15.

"Mom. What's wrong with me?" Age 17.

And every time, she would respond the same way.

"Eddie bear, you're just sick, staying at home will help you get over your sickness."

He had asked the same thing every day. And that was her answer every day.

And to this day, he believed her. He had never gone outside, made a friend, been a kid.

It had been almost ten years
two thousand five hundred forty three days.
Sixty one thousand thirty two hours
Three million, six hundred sixty one thousand, nine hundred twenty minutes
Two hundred nineteen million, seven hundred fifteen, two hundred seconds

Since the first time he asked what was wrong with him.

And he was finally going to get an answer.