Page 92 of In This Iron Ground
“Yeah. Hey. Hey. Are you okay?”
Are you okay? The picture is revealed in its entirety.
No. He was not okay.
“Yes. Sorry. I, I don’t know what happened there.” Damien sat up. He was dizzy. His hands were trembling. His mouth was dry.
“I, I’m really sorry. I didn’t know. I should have…I’m really sorry.”
“What for?” Damien looked around. Right. “Oh, it’s okay. I have to go, though.”
“Are you sure? Damien, look, maybe sit for a while and—”
“Nah, I’m totally fine.” He locked his knees as he got up. It felt like he was falling, but he was just bending forwards to pick up his clothes.
“Are you sure? You can stay.”
“No, I’m good. Thanks, though.”
Wallet, keys, phone. Damien had everything, except whatever was making him feel the hollowness inside.
“See ya,” Damien said and stepped out. Lenard hovered at his door. Damien disappeared.
He teletransported to his room. He blinked and he was there.
Something bad was happening. Something—something bad was happening.
Damien took off his jacket. He couldn’t breathe with it on. Everything was warm and too tight. Something was suffocating him.
He took off his shoes. His sweater.
He was shivering. It was so hot in the room, but his teeth were chattering.
He crawled under the desk. God, he was pathetic. He waspathetic.
Damien curled himself into a ball. He couldn’t breathe. He was moonlight, he was the dirt, the slime, the mould that grows where you don’t want it. He was—
Pathetic. Pathetic.
His phone was in his hands. Damien tried to breathe. He could breathe. He could breathe.
Damien
Can you come over?
There was a pause, pause, pause.
Hakan
Trying to finish a project. Tomorrow?
Damien stared at the phone.
Pause. Pause. Pause.
Hakan
You okay?
