I lay on my bedroom floor staring at the soft, cream light bulbs on my white, spinning fan. I feel like there’s a ton of lead resting on top of my throat and chest; it’s constricting me from breathing. I lay spluttering and coughing and breathless for an infinity. The only thought running through my mind is the constantly continual disastrous situations that could result from me going to school and giving my presentation. You could forget what you’re talking about, and the whole class would start laughing at you. God, please don’t happen. You could fall and trip on your way to the front of the classroom. If that were to happen, I would cry. But if you cry, then people will laugh at you and call you a baby. There’s no escaping my fears. They’re monsters; they torture me every single second of every single day.

I lay on my bedroom floor staring at the soft, cream light bulbs on my white, spinning fan. I feel like my whole world has turned upside down and is wreaking havoc on me. I breathe so fast and so heavy, but my lungs don’t want to work. Why even bother? You’re going to fail anyway! Don’t even try you’ll make a fool of yourself. My mind is mocking me. It’s a small bully that’s always in my head making me shy and timid. My eyes drench my cheeks with their heavy, sullen teardrops.

I lay on my bedroom floor staring at the soft, cream light bulbs on my white, spinning fan…