Frantic fingers fumble,
searching, carelessly casting things aside.
She struggles, head swimming
lungs aching, panic rising.
And then
rescue.
A friend in need,
a friend indeed.
Relax…
inhale…
sod it… empty
Now what?
It’s a while since I entered a Trifextra challenge. This week the challenge was to write 33 words about ‘what scares you’. This was my own particular nightmare.
About Sandra
I used to cruise the French waterways with my husband four or five months a year, and wrote fiction and poetry. Now I live on the beautiful Dorset coast, enjoying the luxury of being able to have a cat, cultivating an extensive garden and getting involved in the community. I still write fiction, but only when the spirit moves me - which isn't as often as before. I love animals, F1 motor racing, French bread and my husband, though not necessarily in that order.
castelsarrasin 
I could feel this.
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Thank you for reading. I tried to comment on yours but couldn’t see how to do that easily, (or it wasn’t working). I enjoyed it though, very effective piece.
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That is a bad situation… I have experienced this. Powerful write. 🙂
-HA
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So have I -HA; I’m a lot more careful now.
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I had my first this year so well put!
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Sorry to hear that; it can be very frightening.
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Definitely a scary experience! And you’ve captured the panic so well. Nice to see you back here Sandra! 🙂
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Thanks Suzanne; Inspiration has been a bit thin on the ground through recent weeks but I’m trying to get myself back into the swing of things.
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Nothing scarier than not being able to breathe. You’ve captured the panic very well. So pleased to see your name in the challenge this weekend. I’ve missed reading your writing, Sandra. :))
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Thanks Jo-Anne! 🙂 Nice to be able to submit something, I’ve been going through a bit of a fallow period.
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The panic starts again? The spacing of the words adds to the tension.
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Thank you Steve.
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I quit in 1999. Years later I was driving to a stressful situation and found myself digging in my purse. Looking for those cigs of long ago. No wonder I smoked.
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I read other comments- inhaler for asthma. That would be more desperate.
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Hi Ann. It’s always interesting when someone gets a different take on the story and you can see where you might not have been as clear as you’d hoped. Yes, I think an asthma attack is a bit more desperate… though as an ex smoker I can identify with that craving too.
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Vivid description of panic. Nicely written.
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Thank you!
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Good write, powerful and yes I think it would be terrifying!
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Thank you!
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I lost my own breath reading this. Panic indeed! Love the pace of this. Thanks for linking up and don’t forget to come back and vote!
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Thank you!
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This really and truly would be terrifying! Excellent piece!
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Thanks Valerie. 🙂
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I think I felt a bit short of breath myself. Great work!
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Breeeeathe…! 🙂 Thank you.
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Thank goodness I’ve never had an asthma attack – it sounds absolutely terrifying. Staying calm is important, but I don’t know how you stay calm when you can’t breathe!
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Not easy, I know. 😦
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Fabulous work, love the alliteration too 🙂
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Glad you noticed that! Thanks for commenting.
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I know the panic only too well having played that scene out…shaking the spray as if it will magically fill with more ventolin ( asthma spray) .captured well 🙂
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Oh yes! Worse still is when there seems to be some in there, but it just won’t expel properly. 😦 Thanks for reading.
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Edge of my chair wonderful Sandra! Maybe her heroin, or her cigarettes? Whatever it is, you really sold it!.
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Her inhaler for asthma, actually. 😉 But it would have just about the same urgency I guess. Not to worry… xx
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Oh yeah! Haha! I just have to laugh at myself sometimes — how I miss the obvious like that! 😀
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I can relate. It is hard to do anything when you can’t breathe during an attack.
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So true.
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I could feel the panic way over here!
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Thanks for reading Kymm.
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