Time for Andy’s weekly prompt. I’m not telling you what to do, but really, why aren’t you participating in this challenge?
Prompt: Awkward Silence
Word count: 181
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The evening felt weird.
Neither the party vibe nor flowing alcohol penetrated the darkness choking her. She felt awkward and out-of-place, an island in a sea of smiling, happy people.
“You okay, Kels?”
The hand on her shoulder felt too heavy, too intrusive. She trembled, sweat breaking out over her brow as Dave gave a playful squeeze. Memories surfaced, flashing by like a horror reel before her eyes. Rough hands, rasping stubble, stretching invasion, frantic sobs, and then a silence that seemed to settle like a fog over her. Nothing lifted it, and being out made it worse.
Her skin crawled as she thought about those hands that held her helpless; her mind spun in desperate circles. Panic darkened the edges of her vision, the din of the party dropping to a low roar as she sank beneath the surface.
“Kelsey?” Dave’s concerned voice came from a distance.
“I…” Her head cleared just a little as she drew in a shaky breath. “I will be.”
Maybe if she said it often enough, loud enough, she’d start to believe it.