Exhale

By SMYGO4EVA

It all was dark, too dark; it was so pitch black for her.

Sakura felt her heart pounding a mile a minute, her hands shook, and she tasted blood in her mouth. She knelt to the ground, her breathing shaky. She couldn't move, she couldn't talk, and she couldn't talk, let alone say anything.

She saw red splotches in her vision, she could hear voices, whispers, murmurs, screaming, and laughter.

Is it, is happening again? Is it happening? Am I, am I gone?

Am I in the Holy Grail? Where am I? Am I-Am I going to die?

Who's there, what's going on?

Someone, someone, somebody, anybody, he-help! Help! Hel-

"Sakura!"

"Sakura!" A familiar voice brought her back to reality, back from the brink.

Sakura let out a sharp breath, and her vision cleared, focusing on the woman kneeling in front of her.

"Sakura, are you alright? You're safe, everything is alright, you're safe here." Rider whispered, her voice soothing and calming. She always asked this, always said these words.

"Do you know where you are, Sakura?" Rider asked, her hands on the girl's shoulders.

Sakura blinked and looked around. "Y-yes, I'm in my room, our room, and you're here."

Rider nodded. "That's right, I'm here. Are you sure you are alright? You can tell me."

She knew what Sakura endured such horrific things, what made her feel that any second her very life was in danger. She knew that she was prone to panic attacks, long after the worst was over.

Sakura breathed in, and then breathed out, slowly. Her body eased, slowly, and her heartbeat was back to normal. The noises were gone, and she could only hear the birdsong just outside their home.

Sakura looked up, meeting Rider's eyes, and she nodded. "Yes, yes I'm alright." One of her hands settled on Rider's face, the lightest touch possible. "I know that now, thank you."

Rider nodded back, smiling softly, relief flooding in her eyes. "I'm glad." She leaned in and kissed Sakura on the cheek, who in turn hugged her, gently and assuredly.

Sakura was out of the darkness, she was safe, loved, and in Rider's arms.