It’s bubbling up,
Past my stomach, past my heart,
Into my lungs, turning to tar,
Drowning me, suffocating me.

Who’s laughing at me?
Who’s looking at me?
They’re talking about me,
Aren’t they?

Their gazes are burning into my skin,
It’s burning into me.
Never have I ever
Been this uncomfortable.

I can’t move,
My instincts say “run”,
My mind says “please stop”,
My mouth says nothing.

Panic.
Am I panicking?
Has my breathing stopped?
Or am I breathing too fast?

My chest hurts,
Or maybe I can’t feel pain,
Or maybe I’m not hurting at all,
And it’s just my broken mind,
Trying to remind me that I’m human.

Am I? Human?
Yes, I am.
A broken one,
But human nonetheless...

Right?