I steel myself against their glares
Everyone is watching me
I can feel the crowd surge around me
Everyone is watching
Everyone can see me
I duck my head
I look at my hands
Keep walking
There are so many people now
They're pressing in from all sides
I try to move away
But I'm trapped
Loud chatter fills my ears
They're talking
They're talking about me
A little girl is singing a song
A young woman is sipping her coffee
An elderly man watched me with concern
I see my building
I ignore the stares
I bat away the hands grabbing at me
I don't know what they want
I break into a run
I've pushed someone down
This was a bad idea
I know it was
I shouldn't have come
Why are they after me?
Why are they staring?
I breathe a sigh of relief
I'm in the lobby
It's empty
The elevator doors slide open
And he's there
He's waiting for me
His eyes are understanding
He knows how to fix it
I'm clawing at my neck
I feel their stares imprinted on me
He wraps me in his arms
And whispers sweet nothings
You're safe
I'm safe
Next time I'll go with you
*Next time...