Verbatim [h.s]

Prologue

// Welcome to my first book, I hope you enjoy!\\

18. The age at which you wait most of your teen years for. To be able to legally drink and go out. Not that it ever stopped us drinking growing up but now is the time to go mad. Being born in August means I'm the last one out of the group which makes my birthday the biggest, messiest night out planned this year.

And it has certainly lived up to that. I've drunk more than anything I thought possible. How every drink now tastes like pop, scares me. I've lost track of how many I've consumed or how much money I've spent. That's tomorrows worry. But for now, my only concern is the lack of oxygen I'm getting in this damn misty club. Sweaty bodies everywhere and I'm stuck smack right in the middle.

My heartbeat is pounding so fast I can feel it in my fingers, my hands begin to tremble as for a second I sober up only enough to recognise this awful feeling. My stomach churns as the need to be sick overwhelms my body. I need to get out of here.

"I'm going to get some air." I scream into my best friends' hair, by her ear in hopes she can hear me over the raving music. She turns, smiles and nods but carries on dancing. I don't think she heard me.

Rolling my eyes, I turn and push my way through the crowds as the anxious unsettling feeling only increases. I can see the bright red sign with EXIT written across it. The only thing in the way is this huge crowd, that doesn't seem to want to part like the red sea. With my head down, I use my arms to barge through people, roughly making sure I head in the direction of the exit.

Many people push me back, stand on my toes, I stand on theirs, pulling my arm to get me out their way but I continue. Within two more steps and I'm at the back door, the anxiety is at its peak and I know I'm about to pass out from how fast my heart is beating if I don't get outside.

I try pushing the door open but it's heavy. Too heavy. Is it locked? The thought alone sends me into a spiral as the tears threaten to spill. Fuck I need to get out now. Turning my back, I shove it against the door, my feet planted in order to push the door wide open. I don't know if it was my sheer strength or a blessing in disguise, but the door flies open leaving me to tumble backwards.

It's pitch-black outside, the only light coming from two yellow lamp posts highlighting the alleyway. But I'm left with no time to look around because before I know it, there's a loud bang. One that, if you were inside the club, you wouldn't be able to hear. But in the silence of the alleyway, it pierces my ears. Then I feel it. The agonising pain. My shoulder jolts backwards as my body follows, my hands instantly reach up to my right shoulders gripping onto it. I expect to hit the floor with a thud but somehow, I don't. Someone grabs me but I can't see them, my eyes are shut tightly as I scream in pain.

My eyes soon fly open when a calloused hand covers my mouth, stopping the air coming in and my screams from coming out. I can't see much through the tears, but a figure of darkness led over me, holding me up. He seems to be looking away from me and shouting something. But its muffled. My body is overcome with pain and from the lack of oxygen, my panic attack is in full force. Every inch of my body is suffering and it's too much. The last thing I hear is a deep voice.

"I got you, love."

And with that, everything went dark. Everything was silent.

The repetitive beeping is what woke me up, with a groan and moan I fluttered my eyelids open to instantly close them again. White lights everywhere. Have I died? Is this heaven? Not that I believe in anything that would suggest such a place but maybe I was wrong. Moving my head side to side, my neck sore from obviously being led funny on it. Fuck, what happened to me?