won't you take me by the hand

[3rs]

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[jonboy]

The feeling was like nothing else, he felt almost suffocated in his own skin. The panic was so intense, he forgot to breathe and almost passed out from it, head spinning as the world melted and writhed around him. He screamed in horror as it finally came over him. He felt the scarecrow, the one he put his clothes on back in the summer, crawl up his leg and shred at him. He tried to get away but he couldn't move with his father holding him so he pushed away and fought free, hitting against the wall.

His eyes were so dilated, they looked black. "The s-scarecrow. It followed me!"

[npcish]

"Shh, Jonathan. It's all right. Fight it. You don't have to give in to fear." He spoke calmly, but then when he tackled Jonathan again, he used all his strength, not wanting to risk being fought off again. He had grabbed the solution that should manage to flush out his system a little and he stabbed the needle into his neck on the other side, injecting him quickly. "It's all right, son. I've got you. You are safe."

[jonboy]

"It's in my skin now. It's too late. I can't get it out." Jonathan stuttered over his words like he did as a boy, inflicted with too much fear that he couldn't control how he spoke. All that hard work seemed futile as he stared up at the ceiling, his eyes wet with tears as he felt his skin crawl and move, his heart racing faster than it ever had. And it felt good. It felt horrible and terrifying but so damn good. He smiled at nothing and started to laugh. "I'm alive."

[npcish]

"You do? That's good, son. Keep talking to me." His voice was soothing, at least he hoped as much, glad to see that Jonathan was at least not appearing to have any extreme averse reaction right now, no seizure or anything like that. Of course there were physical signs anyway, but his focus was his mental state. "How do you feel?"

[jonboy]

"Good. Better. I'm okay, dad. Promise." His heart was beating so fast and he couldn't see properly, everything in the room was distorted and his father was rotting. Like a corpse. He didn't know what else to do but smile and pretend it was okay. It would get better, eventually, whenever the flushing fully kicked in but right now, not so much.

He pulled away from his dad and sat on the floor, smiling at nothing in particular. "I feel less scared." A lie but a smart lie. "Even if my heart races."

[npcish]

"Good. Good. I will make it better for you son. I promise." He felt Jonathan's pulse, pressing his lips together. This was too close a call. He'd have to find a way to speed up his process. "Rest now."