SIXTEEN

Lyra's body shook with sobs as she collapsed onto the floor, her breathing ragged and unsteady. The aftermath of her trauma fit had left her feeling drained and emotionally raw, and she couldn't help but cry. The tears flowed freely down her cheeks, and she struggled to catch her breath between each gasping sob.

As she lay there, her mind was a whirlwind of confusing and painful emotions. Memories of her past trauma flooded her mind, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and helpless. She had been triggered by something seemingly small, but it had been enough to send her into a spiral of panic and distress.

The trauma fit she had just displayed in front of Abby was still fresh on her mind and weighed heavily on her heart. Lyra stumbled to her bed and collapsed onto it, burying herself beneath its warmth and comfort. She let out a deep sigh before allowing the pain inside of her to take over, sending steady streams of tears cascading down both sides of her face.

The memories came flooding back like an unstoppable wave crashing against the shoreline; each one more powerful than the last until finally they consumed every inch of Lyra’s being.

It all started with those three brothers who seemed determined to make sure that no matter what happened, Lyra would never feel good about herself. They were relentless in their teasing and taunting, always finding new ways to make her feel inferior and small.

The words they said to her and things they did seemed to stick with her like glue, no matter how hard she tried to shake them off. It was as if they had burrowed themselves deep into the depths of her mind where she could never hope to find them or erase them from existence.

What was worse though was that everyone else around seemed oblivious to their real nature; it felt like Lyra didn’t even exist in their eyes when those they were around.

It felt like all of the pain she had been bottling up for years was finally being released. The memories came flooding back to Lyra like an unstoppable wave crashing against the shoreline; each one more powerful than the last until finally they consumed every inch of Lyra’s being.

The pain Lyra felt went far beyond what those three brothers did; it was a result of years of feeling unwanted and unseen by everyone around her. The bullying scene on TV triggered all these feelings that were buried so deeply within Lyra’s heart, and now they were overflowing in an unstoppable wave of emotion that threatened to consume every inch of her being.

Lyra lay there for what seemed like an eternity before finally managing to compose herself enough to sit up in bed and wipe away the tears that were still streaming down her face. Slowly, she began to take deep breaths, trying to focus on the present moment and not letting her mind wander back into those dark memories of the past.

Lyra felt the anger bubbling inside her as she lay in her bed, she wanted to take revenge on them for all of the pain they had caused her, but she knew that she didn’t have any power or influence over them; even if she did, there was no way for her to make them suffer like they had made her suffer.

The anger Lyra felt towards them was so intense that it almost scared her; it seemed like no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake off these feelings of hatred and vengeance. She wanted to do something, anything, to make them pay for all they had done.

****

Abby sat on the edge of the couch, staring blankly at the wall as she heard Lyra's sobs from the next room. She knew that something had triggered her friend's emotions, but she couldn't quite place what it was. Abby considered knocking on Lyra's door, but decided against it. She knew that Lyra needed space to process her emotions and cry it out.

Abby didn't know what to do. She had only known Lyra for a few weeks and didn't want to overstep any boundaries. But she also didn't want to leave Lyra alone in her room, sobbing.

After a few minutes of internal debate, Abby decided to knock on Lyra's door. There was no answer, but Abby could still hear Lyra's sobs from inside the room. Abby hesitated for a moment but then gently pushed the door open.

Lyra was lying on her bed, her face buried in her pillow. Abby approached slowly and sat down next to her. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked softly.

Lyra shook her head, but didn't look up. Abby didn't know what to say, so she just sat there quietly. After a few moments, Lyra finally spoke. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to freak out like that."

Abby could hear the pain in Lyra's voice, and she reached out to put a comforting hand on Lyra's back. "It's okay," Abby said. "You don't have to apologize."

Lyra finally lifted her head, and Abby could see the tears streaking down her face. "It's just that scene reminded me of something that happened to me," Lyra said, her voice shaking.

Abby didn't want to pry, but she also wanted to be there for Lyra. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked gently.

Lyra took a deep breath and then began to speak. "When I was in middle school, I was bullied pretty badly. It started with just a few mean comments here and there, but then it escalated. They would knock my books out of my hands, trip me in the hallways, and even force themselves on me. I felt like I couldn't escape it. It was like everywhere I turned, they were there, waiting to haunt me down."

Abby listened as Lyra spoke, her heart breaking for the pain Lyra had gone through. She could see the anger and hurt in Lyra's eyes, and she knew that this was something that had deeply affected her.

"It got so bad that I didn't want to go to school anymore," Lyra continued. "I would pretend to be sick or just skip school altogether. I didn't want to face them anymore."

Abby reached out and took Lyra's hand. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that," she said.

Lyra took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. "It's okay," she said. "I'm better now. But sometimes, like when I saw that scene in the movie, it all comes flooding back."

Abby didn't know what to say, but she knew that Lyra needed her support. "I'm here for you," she said. "Whenever you need to talk, I'm here."

Lyra gave Abby a small smile, and Abby could see the gratitude in her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "I really appreciate it."

Abby stayed with Lyra for a while longer, just talking and listening to her. She didn't know if she could take away the pain that Lyra was feeling.