When Words Run Out of Time

I'm at school when it happens. Literally just minding my own business and all of a sudden I get this tingly feeling all over my body. At first, I think I'm imagining it. Maybe it's growing pains, or my entire body fell asleep. While I'm walking, which doesn't make much sense, but this is the best explanation I have right now.

The subtle tingles persist for a while, before getting more intense. Less subtle. Then they start feeling like pinpricks. It actually kind of hurts. When I start feeling dizzy, I duck into the bathroom and lock myself in a stall, putting down the toilet lid so I can sit on it.

What is happening?

I place my feet flat on the ground, press my hands to my knees and try to breathe. I squeeze my eyes shut when I notice them going blurry. I think I feel something tickling my arm, so I brush it off.

When I brush my arm, it looks like flakes of myself are being brushed away and dissolving into thin air. I stare at the flakes. I want to think it's my skin shedding, but I wasn't even brushing my bare arm, it was my sleeve. These are... pieces of me. I brush harder, but it doesn't stop. Each fleck dissolves, vanishing into the air like they were never there at all. This has never happened before. I choke on the breath I was trying to catch. For a second, I sound like a hyperventilating walrus. Is this what asthma attacks feel like?

I suddenly feel trapped. The walls are too close, the ceiling too low. Why are the stalls so small? Why does it smell so bad? I gag, but nothing comes up. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans, but it doesn't help. I swallow hard, but it feels like my throat's closing. My head is pounding, each beat like a hammer against my skull. I lean my head against the back wall, desperate for some relief, but the cold tile just makes it worse. Why is it so cold in here? I shiver. My vision is swimming, and I can't get a clear picture of anything. Does this mean I'm hallucinating? My breaths are coming too fast, too shallow. I can't stop them. I try to suck in air, but it feels like it's not even reaching my lungs. Am I dying?

"Are you... are you ok?" I suddenly hear a voice coming from another stall and, just my luck, I recognize it as none other than Juno's. I can't tell if I should be relieved or more anxious now that he's here. I struggle to my feet and stumble out of the stall, trying to seem like I'm ok.

"Yep," I wheeze. "I'm fine."

When I see Juno, I notice that he's also staggering. Weird.

"Are YOU ok?" I ask, raising an eyebrow.

"Still trying to figure that out myself, actually," He replies. He holds out his arm and brushes it, showing how it flakes. Just like mine did.

"You too?" I show him my arm flaking, too.

Juno knits his eyebrows together, thinking. I can feel my legs getting shaky. He leans against the wall, and I'm tempted to sit on the floor but most public bathroom floors are absolutely disgusting, which unfortunately includes this one.

"Do you think this is connected to..." He pauses, glancing at his dissolving skin. "抖阴社区r?"

"I don't know, maybe... this doesn't seem like a plot change, and even if it was, they don't seem like the kind of person to change it to... whatever the hell this is," I say, sighing. "What the hell is going on?" I mutter, trying to steady myself. It's getting worse—whatever this is, it's spreading. My skin flakes away like dust. How am I still standing? How am I still here? My thoughts are a mess, a jumble of panic and disbelief.

Juno's face is pale, and not just because he has albinism. His usual calm demeanor is replaced by the same fear I feel. He stands with his back against the wall, but I can see the tension in his posture. He's trying to hold it together, but even he's struggling. I don't know if that makes me feel better or worse.

"I mean..." Juno rubs the back of his neck, the tension in his voice clearer now. "We could be in the process of being discarded, but that doesn't make sense. We've been... used for stories recently. But discarded characters, they don't disappear—they just fade out, leave this part of the mind. They don't dissolve." His eyes flicker to my arm again, then back to his.

I sigh.

"I think we should go talk to Samiyah," I say, trying to sound certain.

But a little voice in the back of my head won't shut up.

What if she has no idea what's happening to us?

What if none of us do?

you don't even wanna know how much I agonized over this 

hope you enjoyed regardless tho <333

I'd appreciate it if u comment tho cuz if nobody does imma end up gaslighting myself into thinking the views are from me 🤡 

I also just like getting comments

aight thanks ilysm byeeeee <333

-JJZ