Chapter 10: The Bathroom Refuge
The Bathroom Refuge
The door slammed shut behind her as Trina burst into the bathroom. She leaned against the sink, her breath coming in ragged gasps.
The Flashback Begins
Trina's thoughts spun out of control. She didn't want this to happen. Alex was her friend, but she knew where this was heading. A high-pitched ringing filled her ears as her head began to spin. She splashed water on her face, but the anxiety only grew stronger. Her breath quickened. This wasn't like her. What's wrong with me?
The water only awakened something buried deep. Memories flooded back, dragging her into a world she thought she'd left behind.
Memories of the Past
Trina was a little girl again, sitting on her bed, clutching a pink doll , one button eye, one normal. Her mother knelt in front of her, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Trina, look at me. Trina, please," her mother whispered.
And in a voice barely her own, Trina murmured,
"No, I don't feel this.
I don't feel this world.
I don't feel this body.
I don't feel okay.
Feels like I'm dying.
Please save me.
Please help me.
I am trapped in a case -like a body, like the walking dead.
"Please come back to me, baby girl," her mother pleaded. "Don't do this to me. Please… breathe."
Back to Reality
The memory felt too real. Her mother's tears, her childlike fear they wrapped around her like chains. The ringing in her ears faded, leaving her dizzy and hollow. Then a voice pulled her back.
Natalie stood in the doorway, smirking, throwing sharp words about Alex.
Still disoriented, Trina shoved her hard. Natalie stumbled backward, her back hitting the sink.
Confrontation
Trina bolted from the bathroom, colliding with Alex in the hallway. They nearly fell. Alex's eyes widened when he saw her face pale, shaking, and wet with tears.
Before she could explain, Natalie came running after them, crying fake tears.
"She pushed me! She's crazy!"
Alex turned to Trina, confusion hardening into anger. "Trina, what's wrong with you?"
Trina met his eyes one tear sliding down her cheek and saw him pull away.
Escape
Without another word, she ran. Down the hall, past the whispers, until she found herself in the library ,her one place of refuge. Among the rows of silent books, she sank to the floor, clutching her knees, trying to breathe, trying to quiet the storm inside her.