Page 10 of Capturing Their Omega

Did what I saw mean anything? If yes, then what exactly does it mean?

My brain can't begin to fathom what really happened to me, and at this point, I'm too tired to think. I'm also in so much pain, and the only thing that can help me right now are my pills.

I take them out of my backpack as I head toward the steps leading outside. As I approach the exit, I spot Eric by the fountain where he usually waits for me. He can't see me yet, at least not until I step out into the sunlight.

His smile brightens my mood as he waves his hand at me, the other combing his hair backward.

I return the gesture with a shaky hand and quickly take out the bottle of my pills. My body is trembling and I'm starting to feel funny. I need these pills, well, at least one, for my afternoon dosage.

Just as I'm about to swallow one, I feel the tiny hairs on my skin rise for a second, and I can swear that I sense trouble. I don't know how, but I do. I feel the need to move, to step away maybe, but I'm too weak and tired to do so.

It's like time has slowed down and everything around me is happening in slow motion. Without turning back, I smell the scent of sweat blended with cigars and a harsh cologne. Again, I want to move, to step aside, but I don't.

At that moment, the collision occurs, prompting everything to return to its normal speed.

I gasp in terror as my bottle falls to the steps and bounces off, scattering the pills all over the place. Before I can even blink, rowdy footsteps trample upon them, and I feel my heart squash as the pills squash beneath the many feet rushing by me.

“No, no, no, no…” I drop to my knees, attempting to gather the ones that I can. “This cannot be happening right now,” I murmur to myself.

The sweaty guy who hit me didn't even stop to apologize, but at this point, he's the least of my problems.

These pills cost a fortune, and these people are just going about their regular lives, stepping upon them like spilled candies scattered across the floor.

My breath is trapped in my chest and my heart seems like it's taking a break from pumping blood. I'm devastated, confused, and in shock all at the same time. Fear has overwhelmed me, and I just want to scream.

Eric is beside me in an instant, and I can see his worry about me and his anger at the guy who had bumped into me. He squats and picks up the bottle, then locates where the lid had rolled off to as well.

No one stopped to ask what was happening to me or what I was searching for on the ground. It's like I'm down here on the ground, invisible to them all except for Eric. He knows how much these pills mean to me.

My heart is bleeding, not just for me, but for my mother as well. Now she'll have to start figuring out how to raise the money to get me more on short notice. It'll be too much for her, and she's already going through so much.

I hate being a burden to her, being the reason she sits up at night, thinking about me and how to solve my problems. It's not fair that she has to suffer through this. It really isn't.

I'm still thinking all of this, when I feel my body leave the ground as Eric whisks me into his strong arms and takes me away from the steps. He sets me on a bench in a corner.

“Hey, look at me. Look at me,” he says to me as he notices how difficult it is for me to breathe. “You're okay. You're okay. Repeat after me. Go.”

“I'm okay.” I do as he says but my breathing still hasn't normalized yet. I'm struggling.

“Take a deep breath. In through your nose, out through your mouth.” He locks eyes with me.

I do as I'm told.

“Slowly,” he says softly, his voice calm and gentle, laced with concern and affection.

I listen, following his instructions.

“Good…that's good.” He holds my hand.

I'm more calm now and my breathing is much better.

“What happened?” he inquires.

It's simple. Someone bumped into me from behind and the bottle fell out of my hand. But it's suddenly not that simple to reply. My brain plays back the scenario. I remember what I felt and what I smelled. It's almost like a part of me knew something like that was about to happen. It's like my senses were trying to warn me about getting bumped into, but my physical form was too weak to react.

What exactly is happening to me?

I've never felt the way that I did a few minutes ago, and if I'm being honest, it felt really good. I liked the tingling, the goosebumps, and the sensation. If I had moved like I wanted to, maybe this wouldn’t have happened. Now, guilt is creeping up into my heart, and I know what that will do to my mental health.

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