Isolation: Chapter Three: All Caught Up

[Ema]

Amarantha felt like she was thirteen again on her first trip down the mountain. Once again, she bounced in her seat on the bus, watching out the window as the trees sped by. Mother, sitting beside her, appeared to be in a staring contest with the man across the aisle. Amarantha knew Mother would win.

The bus finally came to a stop in town, and Amarantha was the first one off. Mother rushed after her, making sure to keep the girl in sight. She grabbed Amarantha's arm, pulling her away from the crowd of people pouring off the bus. "Stay close to me," she whispered in Amarantha's ear. Amarantha nodded; this had been what she was told her whole life: stay close to Mother, so she can protect you.

Shopping was simple. Mother only went to one shop generally, for food and a few basics. For clothes, there was another shop, which they would have to stop in today — Amarantha's boots were getting too small for her. They stopped there first, Mother wanting to get the process of finding the right pair out of the way. Amarantha was grateful for that; her old boots really were pinching her toes something awful.

Shoe shopping was quick, as everything tended to be when the pair came to town. Before Amarantha knew it, she had new boots on her feet and was standing in the aisle of the grocery store, watching her mother pick out flour. It was rather boring, to be completely honest, and Amarantha let her mind wander, looking about the store at the people she saw walking by.

And when she next turned back to Mother, she wasn't there.

The panic bubbled up inside Amarantha like soup in a pot. Her breath came quicker, until she was almost hyperventilating, and her head began to spin. She rushed out of the aisle in a blind panic, heading for the door. She completely forgot that Mother was likely still inside the door. The panic clouded her brain.

She truly began to hyperventilate once out in the street, leaning over with her hands on her thighs, trying to just get a breath in. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't get enough air. She was going to suffocate because she couldn't get enough air in oh god this was not how she wanted to go-

She forced herself to stand up, knowing this wasn't going to help her. She took in a shaky breath, feeling the panic bubbling up inside her again. It was then that she remembered why Mother kept such a close eye on her.

She swept her gaze around her, eyes wide, scanning her surroundings for a hint of someone who looked like they wanted to hurt her. She couldn't tell. She couldn't tell perfectly safe from murderer. The panic came back stronger, and Amarantha didn't want to throw up in the middle of the street, no matter how much she felt like she was going to.

She backed up against a wall, her hands over her face, trying to calm her breathing and her stomach. This was too much. This was why Mother kept her safe, away from people. So this wouldn't happen. Amarantha never should have come.