tw: panic attack
Caleb Covington was not a moral man, nor was he a very good one to begin with. However, twenty-five years in the company of the girl who would make even the devil himself rethink his ways slowly started to make him understand his faults. But with that understanding came his terrible need to justify everything he did, just to make himself feel better. This included stamping the boys of Sunset Curve and making Wille sign over his soul in 2000. Caleb figured that Amber loved him too much to ever judge him completely because she would be too biased in his favor to see his true self clearly.
When he found out he was wrong, it ruined every bit of morality he had started to gain.
Suddenly, the only way to keep his princess in her castle was to make sure that the ones she loved most could never leave as well. She would be his forever, and if that didn't work, he'd have to stamp her too. He'd force her into eternity by his side, sure that she would forgive him one day.
Of course, the stamp would be the last resort, only to be used if the boys did not cooperate.
And Caleb's showing up at the studio was the beginning of their last chance to save not only themselves but Amber from the horrors of the Covington's stamp.
Without a second to even interact with the magician, Amber and the band were transported to the Hollywood Ghost Club with a snap of Caleb's fingers. All four suddenly had the fanciest of clothes on, from Alex's cream suit to Amber's navy flapper dress, paired with a matching headpiece.
"Caleb, what are you doing?" the girl exclaimed, knowing that the boys only had a few minutes before Julie was expecting them at the Orpheum.
"Look, I know you boys aren't my biggest fans," the man said, ignoring the Mercer girl, "and an eternity at my club might seem... overwhelming. But, I just put you into some sweet threads, so humor me for my last pitch, okay?" The boys glowered at him as Amber's eyes started to fill with tears of shame. "Now for starters, isn't it nice that you're all here together? And believe me, everything you want- including Willie and the lovely Amber- is here! And on my stage, you don't vanish when the music stops. You get to stay and soak in the applause for as long as you want... and the connection that you feel with the audience will be like no other. I promise."
"You forget that you don't own me," Amber gritted out, teeth clenched as she tried to keep herself from strangling the man in front of her. "I don't belong to you, and I never will."
"You don't belong to me yet," Caleb corrected. "I could easily stamp you as well if the boys refuse to cooperate, remember?"
All three boys' faces paled at the thought of the girl they loved so dearly going through the same pain that they had been experiencing. However, Amber did her best to call his bluff, stepping closer to the man to try and intimidate him to the best of her five-foot-three ability. "You wouldn't dare."
"Ah, but I would," he smiled with an evil glint in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, the stamp appeared on Amber's forearm, nearly identical to the ones that tainted the skin of the boys around her. "The only difference is that yours is a stamp of a different variety. Instead of fading into nothingness- because I would never kill you, my dear- you will merely become a prisoner to eternal pain as your soul rests in the dungeons of this castle. And the only way to release yourself is to sign your soul over to me. Either way, I already own you."
"So you wouldn't kill her, but you'd torture her?" Luke exclaimed, pushing the cursed girl behind him in an attempt to protect her from the man who had already taken everything he could from his target. She threaded her fingers through those of the boy she loved as tears streamed down her face, feeling cornered by the reality of the situation. Her breathing became heavy and everything around her began to blur as she hyperventilated. Alex immediately noticed the signs and put his arms around her, whispering words of affection and reminders to breathe into her ear as Reggie took her other hand and squeezed it slightly.
Caleb watched as the girl he loved as a daughter went into a panic attack, his mask almost breaking to help the girl, but instead, he watched on cruelly. The sight was nearly unbearable for him to watch, so instead, he decided to start the show. One by one he pulled the boys from Amber's side as she received shock after shock of the stamp that was made to kill all hope she had of a happy life. The last one to join the stage was Luke, and he refused to give in, wanting to stay just a minute longer by the girl's side.
"Tell me one thing you can taste," he said, running through the oh-so-familiar motions from years past when she would get panic attacks frequently.
"The ice cream from last night at the club."
"What are two things you can smell?"
"Sandalwood- your cologne- and the pizza that the guests are eating tonight."
"Name three things you can hear."
"Your voice, Alex's drumming, and the cheers of the audience."
"What are four things you can touch?"
"Your hand, the carpet, the tassels of my dress, and the velvet of the chair I'm leaning against."
"What are five things you can see?"
"The lights from the stage, the backstage posters, Reggie playing the bass, my shoes, and your eyes."
The last words seemed to bring her back to reality as she realized something she hadn't thought of before. There was a reason why when she was visible and touched Luke he could become visible too, just as there was a reason why he could practically feel her emotions, even when they were alive. In all her research, in all the time she spent looking for a way to save everyone around her, she unknowingly was able to find a way to save herself.
Because she and Luke were soulmates.
Just as she had read in the hundreds of books used for her research if one were to complete their unfinished business, the other would also cross if they were tormented in their ghost life. Amber had figured it out, a way to save not just her but all of the boys as well. They would have to complete their unfinished business that night before she was trapped forever within the dungeons of her personal torture to live out her days until she signed her soul over to Caleb Covington.
"Luke," she gasped, mind whirring and barely able to keep up with what was happening around her. However, the boy she loved so dearly had already been swept onto the stage and was playing the guitar with sadness and anger in his eyes that she had never seen before. When brown met blue, he saw how desperate she had become, but suddenly she poofed out of sight as Alex teleported to the Orpheum. Then, Reggie disappeared.
And even though his world was falling apart at the seams, Luke knew exactly what he had to do.
It was time for Luke Patterson to stand tall and fight.
AN: this chapter is a look at the ending that i've chosen for this book, and i'm so excited for you guys to see what i have in store :)
in this chapter, i decided to address something that i personally deal with more often than i would like to admit, but something incredibly important nonetheless. for everyone who struggles with panic/anxiety attacks or panic disorder, my heart goes out to you and to everyone who has helped someone else through them. the 5-4-3-2-1 senses grounding method has helped me many times, and it was something i wanted to include in this chapter.
if you would like to learn more about panic/anxiety attacks and panic disorders or how to help someone through them, i've put some links below for informational purposes!
how to help someone through a panic/anxiety attack:
https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/anxiety-and-panic-attacks/for-friends-and-family/
https://health.usnews.com/health-care/patient-advice/slideshows/tips-to-support-someone-having-a-panic-attack
what are panic/anxiety attacks?
https://www.healthline.com/health/panic-attack-vs-anxiety-attack
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/panic-attack
what is panic disorder?
https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/panic-disorder-when-fear-overwhelms/
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/panic-attacks/symptoms-causes/syc-20376021
thank you all so so much for all the love and support, it means the world to me :)
as always...
don't forget to vote and comment!!