June Short Story

This is a random short story that I started last year but never ended up finishing. I finished writing it at 3 am and I started to go a different direction than what I initially had in mind. This is also very short, possibly the shortest short story I've every written, so it's less cringe to read :D. Also, this story is not written about me, it's just in first person even though I hate first person. This is me experimenting with some writing styles and descriptions that I'm going to adapt into a long term story that I'm writing.

Also, this is a trigger warning for anxiety and slight panic attacks.

I heard the thunder first. I closed my eyes and plugged my ears. I could see the flash of light from the window, fast and just as intoxicating as the thunder. I knew the incoming storm, the horrific sounds, and the destruction it made. I jumped after every creak as the cracking sound of the house worsened. I curled up under my bed, crying for the storm to stop. The rain ran and tapped against the walls and windows. I soon lost myself into oblivion.

I slowly opened my eyes and winced at the incoming brightness of the sun and sky. I could smell the sweet and floral scents lingering in the air. I could feel a rush of wind passing through my hair and fingers. The grass tickled my knees, the daisies sprinkled the field, the clouds floated in the empty air, and the sun rose above all the crowded nature. Right in the heart of the daisy field stood a sycamore tree. I was eager to climb up the sycamore tree and lay on a branch staring at the beautiful scenery forever.

I saw a woman next to the sycamore tree waving at me and motioning me to come over to her. She wore a beautiful scarlet dress with daisies printed all over the skirt. She looked so familiar. She had bright blue eyes and chocolate brown hair like me and my dad. But also a pointed nose and a warm smile like my mother. I ran towards her, and suddenly everything around me started fading away. What was happening? Why is everything leaving? I only saw darkness. I closed my eyes and ran.

I soon felt a stiff and crunchy texture rub against my feet. I opened my eyes, and I saw gleaming piles of snow. I looked down: I was wearing a dark blue parka, black snow pants, and gloves. I looked up and saw the night sky, streamed with beautiful colors. Shades of teal, violet, pink, white, and green pulsed against the sky, and the stars shone high and mighty. I remembered seeing the aurora borealis in photos, longing to see them in person. Such photos were a pale, plain, and unjust comparison. I heard my name called out as I turned around and saw the same woman from the field waving at me. She was wearing the same scarlet dress as she did before. How was she not dying of hypothermia? I walked towards her, struggling through the thick ice. My feet crunched and sunk underneath the stiff snow. Could I be any slower? The woman was running away towards a glowing light in the distance. How was she so fast? The white light started growing brighter, practically blinding me. I shielded my eyes with my arm and looked away.

I suddenly felt myself in the middle of darkness. I stood there feeling the loneliness overtake my emotions. I felt paralyzed as if all my muscles contracted at once. The emptiness of the void grew more daunting at the second as I began to fear where I was. I felt my heart begin to gallop and my lungs getting heavier, like a forty-foot wave crashing into me, blocking any airways to breathe. Every second went by as my airways felt narrower. My vessels were growing taut and white-hot, my nerves bounding higher and higher. I felt collapsed and reduced to nothing, heaving with bated breaths and screaming for focus. I felt this shadow tower above me, taunting me from afar yet solidifying inside. The darkness felt like it was cascading its way onto me as I struggled to ground myself. The time began pounding at my skull, my sight blurring to the dizziness. I could only conjure myself screaming this frustration until my throat gave out. I could only imagine myself getting mocked, ridiculed, and scrutinized. I feared so much that I imagined flying my white flag, yielding my anger, and surrendering into oblivion. I began to count and breathe, just like they tell me to. My breathing began to slow down, the pounding in my ears thumping to a halt, and I could feel stillness again.

I opened my eyes again, regaining my consciousness after the storm. I found myself in the same place as before. My knees pulled to my chest, and my head close to hitting the bottom of my bed. I groaned at the soreness of my body as I began to crawl out. I knew that falling asleep in that exact position would cramp in the morning. I walked to my window and drew the blinds. I heard the muffled sound of birds chirping and winced at the light that immediately shone through the glass. I smiled at the clear sky and drank in the content feeling of temporary peace. I knew that the sky would never stay this clear forever, but one could only hope.