PTSD

Chapter 13 : Date

Chapter 13

A few days later...   

Riker POV

The mystery girl from instagram kept asking me if I would go out with her. I kind of didn't want to. But she just kept asking and asking and asking. So I said ok.

I told Mark about it and he said it was fine. The restaurant we were meeting up at was close enough that I could walk.

I put on some blue skinny jeans, converse, and a nice shirt. I wanted to look nice, but I didn't have a lot of options for clothes. 

I was meeting her for dinner, so I was waiting for it to finally be time to leave. And I was super anxious. 

"Nervous?" Mark asked.

"Yeah."

"Come sit."

I went over and sat down next to him on the couch. 

"Why are you so nervous?" He asked.

"I've just never really been on a date before..."

"I'm sure it'll go great. And if it doesn't, that's ok too."

I sighed. I'm so stressed. 

"It's getting close to 6:30. You should go," Mark said.

"Ok," I said, standing up.

"Good luck on your date," Ross said, hugging me.

"Thanks."

I left and started walking down the road. It was dark out, so that made me a bit anxious, but it's only about a 5-10 minute walk to get to the restaurant.

I finally could see the restaurant. When I got to the parking lot, I stopped and looked around. I'm supposed to meet her in the parking lot so we can go inside together.

My phone dinged, so I took it out. It was a message from her, saying to come over to the red car.

I still don't even know her name.

I looked around the parking lot and spotted a red car near the back. I walked over. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to go to the driver's side or passenger's side. So I went to the driver's side.

The door opened, but it wasn't the instagram girl. It was dad.

He grabbed the front of my shirt and yanked me towards him.

"You scream, you die," he growled.

My heart started racing. He got out of the car, dragged me around to the passenger's side, and shoved me in. He slammed the door and got back in. 

I was fully having a panic attack. Dad locked the doors and started driving. 

I was so scared of having to deal with him again that I felt a flashback coming on. And I didn't even try to stop it. I didn't want to. He deserves to hear me screaming. It's his fault.

I started screaming. I knew I wasn't really back at home, but the flashback was making me feel like I was. And dad was hitting me.

"Knock it off! Shut up!"

I got shoved hard, which brought me back out of the flashback. Dad shoved me again really hard and I hit my head on the car window.

"Please let me go! I need my anxiety medication! I can't calm down!" I screamed.

"I said to shut up!"

He shoved me again and I hit the door hard. 

"You need to let me go!"

"Riker, one more word, and I swear I'll-"

"I can't breathe!"

I was starting to feel really dizzy. My fingers felt like they were going numb. And my vision was getting blurry.

"I c-can't b-breathe! You n-need t-to help m-me!"

Dad slammed on the breaks, which made my seatbelt lock up. It hurt my chest.

He pulled over on the side of the road and then just stared at me.

"What is going on?" He asked, annoyed.

"C-can't b-breathe!"

"Riker, I can hear you breathing."

"P-please help!"

I wasn't intentionally trying to freak out, but I think maybe it's a good thing that it's happening. Hopefully he won't like it.

"Stop crying."

"I c-can't!"

He put his hand over my mouth tight, forcing me to breathe through my nose. But it just freaked me out even more because it was even harder to breathe.

I grabbed his hand and tried to pry it off my mouth, but he wouldn't let me. So I started struggling against him.

He wouldn't take his hand off my mouth. I was getting really dizzy again and my vision was fading. And next thing I knew, everything was black.

Later...

Ross POV

"When is Riker getting back from his date?" I asked, flopping down next to Mark on the couch.

"I don't know. Probably soon," he said.

I took out my phone so I could try to see Riker's location to see if he was on his way home yet.

"Where did he say he was having his date?" I asked.

"The Italian restaurant right down the road."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"He's like 30 miles away."

"What are you talking about?"

I handed my phone to him. He looked super concerned.

"Why would he be 30 miles away?" I asked.

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out," he said, getting up.

"Can I come?"

"Ross, it could be dangerous."

"So? I've been in dangerous situations before! Wait. Do you think this has to do with our dad?"

"I don't know. But that's what I'm leaning towards."

"Please can I come? If Riker's in trouble, I can help! He'll be so scared!"

"Ross-"

"Please!? You need to let me!"

He sighed, staring at me.

"I promise I'll be good. I'll do whatever you tell me to do."

"Fine."

"Let me go get Riker's anxiety medicine in case he needs it!"

"Good thinking."

I ran upstairs and got Riker's medicine. I got my shoes on and grabbed a hoodie. And then I followed Mark outside to his car.

"What if it is our old dad? And what if he has Riker? What do we do?"

"I don't know. We'll figure it out when we get to him."