My chest tightened, air becoming impossible to find. My heartbeat slammed against my ribs, too erratic, so painful, and wrong. My lungs refused to work properly, it's suffocating, drowning in nothingness.
There's a voice, a muffled one somewhere far, calling my name. I sense a firm grip on my shoulder, it's Master. Then… "Rackie. Look at me," a voice cut through the chaos. So clear, it's steady, unshaken. I blinked rapidly, my vision tunneling back. The walls reappeared. The man slowly vanished in front of me. I saw Dr. Veracious' face fill the screen of the phone. His expression was calm, but his eyes held something deeper, understanding. "What you see, what you heard earlier, isn't real," he said, his voice unwavering. "No one is shooting anyone. You are safe."
I shook my head. I wasn't safe, no one is safe. My breath hitched, and my body is still trembling violently.
