Intrusive

i

I walked down the forested path, my notebook in hand as I made my way towards the creek.

My thoughts were racing, heart pounding as my feet absorbed the shock of the rugged path. I was hardly able to breathe, my chest tight to the point where I was afraid I wouldn't last much longer.

Sweat was dripping down my face, the entirety of me unable to subside the wave of heat and fear that threatened to overtake me. I was panting heavily, my voice echoing around me as the dissonance reached my ears. I was unable to keep calm, lusting for the shelter and comfort of a place I would rather call home.

But, with all I had just explained to you, I was only able to walk.

You see, I struggle with a thing that I like to call "intrusive thoughts." This is where I am constantly bombarded with the pain and agony of reflection and speculation that I would rather dispel, pushing them away to a place where they meant nothing to me.

I continue to trip down the path, the sound of a sudden deafening silence causing my chest to heave with alarm. I choked, clawing at my skin until it turned raw. I turned to look over my shoulder, the left and then the right, as I hunted for the demon that caused these speculations.

On the way to the creek, there is an abandoned clearing that acts as though it tests my patience. It assesses my situation, giving me a distressing solitude as it waits for me to make the next move. It's as though my brain continues to play mind-games, causing me to shudder with a fear I can hardly swallow.

I ceased in the center of the clearing, feeling as though time had stopped. It was as if the world had stopped to look at me, sensing me as I distraughtly wandered through a land that once only knew peace. I stood there uncomfortably, waiting for their imperceptible eyes to pass me by.

I stood in silence for what felt like an eternity.