Intimate || Imagines & Unfinished Stories

001 Panic Room | Keith Powers

Unfinished Story (11 Chapters)

My foot tapped lightly against the tile of the counselor's office. I could hear hurried footsteps down the hall, my heart beat amplified itself within my ears while the lump in my throat collected all the air I breathed. I heard her purse drop and soon felt tight arms around me. I dropped my heavy head on her shoulder. The lump dissolved, my eyes began leaking.

"Let's go home."

I followed her out to our family car and laid my entire body over the backseat. I could breathe now. My heart beat returned to normal and my eyes dried up.

"What happen?"

I shook my head slowly before shutting my eyes tightly for a second before opening them.

"I froze. Mr. Lee called on me, Mom my body froze. There were so many eyes."

She nodded and sent a warming smile to me through the rear view mirror. She reach her arm behind the passenger seat and gathered my hand in her's. She squeezed it tightly before speaking.

"I got you a therapist."

I gripped her hand tightly and nodded my head. I've been through 3 therapist within 2 years. I trusted my moms intuition but I also knew myself. I've never gotten anywhere with a therapist, what makes this one any different?

"When is the first appointment?"
"It was Friday at 2:30 but when the school called I asked if the appointment could be moved up to today. It's in about 20 minutes. You hungry?"

I nodded slowly before speaking.

"Yeah. Mom I'm sorry in advance if this therapist doesn't work out."
"Don't be honey, I'll never stop trying to help you."

In that moment I could cry. My mom bends over backward to try to help me. Nothing gets to me, nothing helps. She will never stop trying but I can't be helped, at least I don't think so. My personality has been built off of this sick disorder for almost 11 years. I'm 18 now, I've accepted my fate many years ago.

I ate in silence as Mom checked in with the receptionist. The anxiety was slowly kicking in and my appetite vanished with one bite of my sandwich. I could feel the stares of roughly the six people sitting in the lobby. I wiggled my fingers to see if I had froze yet. I hadn't.

Mom waved me over to a well dressed younger black man holding open a door. I tried my best to not look at him without looking at the ground as to keep eye contact broken.

"Don't hold your head down Sky. You have everything to look forward to." Mom whispered to me quietly before playfully poking my ribs

I giggled a bit gaining a look from the male who was holding the door. My eyes quickly reverted back to the carpet before Mom steered me into a room and down on a hard leather couch.

"Afternoon ladies, I'm Keith Powers. Please call me Keith. Now, which one of you is Sky?"

I began to tap my foot as my body started to freeze. Mom grabbed my hand and soothed it.

"She is."

"I'm guessing, anxiety?"

My eyes darted to and away from him considering he was looking directly at me before he began writing.

"Mom I can't do this."

My eyes began to leak and my foot stopped its tapping. I froze again. I could still see him writing and analyzing me.

"Sky? I need you to relax."

Mr. Powers walked in front of me before squatting down and nonverbally asking Mom for my hands. She allowed and he gathered my hands in his. My eyes quickly darted to his face. He caressed the back of my hands with his thumbs before speaking.

"I'm only here to help. I need you to breathe."

I only stared at him, every couple seconds trying to squeeze his hands back. My body wouldn't move.

"You're doing great. Now keeping breathing."

He released my hands and walked back to his desk.

"I think I know what to prescribe. For her to get aquatinted with my presences we need to talk more than just in these sessions. We could try FaceTime, if she is feeling stuck or you feel that she is stuck please don't hesitate to call. Here is my business line."

Keith handed Mom a small posted note before speaking again.

"She did great today."