The Fear Takes Hold: A Short Story

The Fear Takes Hold You only have to be eighteen to be sent to prison. That thought scurried through my brain as I stood in the entrance of that terrifying place. “This could be me,” I thought to myself. The door smashed shut behind me, so loud I jumped. The room was pale white and as cold as death. Stale was the air that surrounded me. I walked in and was petrified, frozen in place by the panic that tried to overtake me. I knew the moment was coming upon me. It was the moment I would look her in the eye. I faltered and I was starting to shake. I was ready to crumble as I told myself I couldn’t do it. I began to turn and retreat back to the door, when suddenly, I heard her voice. The unmistakable voice that I knew without a doubt belonged …show more content…
It’s the unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that something is dangerous, a threat, or likely to cause pain. In my case, it was all three. Prison is more than a dangerous place, it’s hostile. When I first entered the small meeting room, I cautiously glanced around as I watched the inmates in orange. I wondered what had brought them here. Was it drugs, robbery, assault or could it even be murder? Standing in that place felt like an out of body experience. I knew I would be safe, right? If that was true, then why had I become so crippled with fear? I knew I was standing there and I knew it was real. I could feel the inmate’s stares, the chill of hatred radiating off of most of them. Even though I knew that it was truly happening, I couldn’t be there. It wasn’t right. The moment almost broke me to the core of my being as I realized that prison is more than just dangerous. Prison is a whole different world. It created a new meaning to the word …show more content…
Her words had become mumbles as she began to weep. I continued to stand in place out of fear. I knew I should hug her, console her or do something to make her feel better, but in that moment, all I could do was stand there like a stiff board and stare. Once my mind caught up to my spiraling emotions, I grabbed her attention and just looked at her. As we exchanged that look, something unspoken happened. I drew strength from her as I believe she drew strength from me. Two people, both experiencing fear, drew strength from each other. That instant I knew why I had come to see her. It wasn’t for my benefit, but for hers. I then became aware of why fear had surrounded me so much. I was meant to lend her my strength and it was my job to overcome the fear to do