The Monster at My Feet novel Chapter 42

The violent retching brought tears to her eyes.

She washed her face with freezing water, walked back to her desk, and scribbled in her notebook.

[Triggered traumatic flashback. Palpitations, sense of impending doom, dissociation...]

Her hand was still shaking; the handwriting was jagged and messy.

[Saw Mom again.] As she wrote the words, she froze. Then, she aggressively crossed the line out.

She sat paralyzed on the floor for a long time. By the time she finally regulated her breathing, she realized her shirt was drenched in cold sweat.

The searing pain on her wrist finally pierced through the numbness.

The burn was deep. Even a slight brush of air made her tremble.

She couldn't help but gasp in pain, and then, she started to laugh.

Well, that hurts.

Caspian sat on the sofa, the lighting dim, half of his face submerged in shadows.

He stared down at his palms, lost in his own chaotic thoughts.

A knock sounded at the door, and a young man pushed it open.

"Finally done working?"

Dr. Simon Archer sat down on the sofa across from him, glancing at his watch.

"It's midnight. You're supposed to be asleep.

"You look slightly better. Have you noticed any changes recently?"

Caspian slowly looked up. His voice was gravelly, his tone flat.

"The new medication is working. The episodes are slightly less severe than last week. I can sleep through the night, and the self-harming compulsions have stopped."

Simon nodded, jotting the notes down.

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