“S-s-sto-o-p,” I managed to stutter the one word before the edges of my vision began to dim. Thankfully, the girl helped me over to a bench before my legs gave out.

“Oh no, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you this way. Is there someone I can call?” I nodded my head, intent on telling her Luna’s name, but I couldn’t get words out. She grabbed my phone, held it in front of my face to unlock it, and then she found someone and called them.

“I’m with Mina Tucker. She’s not doing too well and needs help. I’ll stay with her until you can get here.” There was more said, but I couldn’t hear past the whooshing of my heartbeat in my ears. Everything else seemed to gray out, even from my vision. Then, I was back there. Tied and taped to that chair. My clothes were being cut from my body as tears ran rivulets down my face. At the same time, it felt as though warm arms wrapped me up and held me tight. That couldn’t be right though because I was tied to that chair. I was naked, in front of all those people. Their eyes were everywhere, their taunts about my body rang in my ears. They were the only things I could hear beyond the frantic beating of my own heart.

“Mina,” a voice called to me. I looked around, trying to find where it was coming from, but all those faces warped together and washed away only to come back and taunt me some more.

“Mina, baby, come on,” his voice called to me. That time, it was closer and the arms that wrapped around my body changed. They were tighter, stronger, and they smelled so familiar. Comfortable. Safe. “Mina, we need to get you out of here, honey, before you draw a crowd.”

“Pick her up, I’ve got the car by the road,” another voice called out. That one was familiar too.

“I’m so sorry, I was just trying to help her. I didn’t know she had these issues.” A female voice called out.

“Don’t worry about it. Thanks for calling,” he told her as my body moved. I wasn’t sure how it happened. I felt like I was floating and safe all at once, even though a part of me was still in that basement, taped to the chair. My vision started to come back to me as the scent of leather car interior assaulted my nostrils.

“Where to?” I heard Wes ask.

“Luna’s place is closest, isn’t it?”

“Obviously,” was the answer.

“Then let’s get her there first.”

By the time we got back to the apartment, I had come back around to reality. Tucker attempted to carry me into the apartment, but I refused, wanting to walk on my own two feet. It wasn’t anything against him, or being held, I needed to feel my own body moving. My feet needed to hit the pavement, take those steps, and do what was necessary to shake off the lingering feeling of being strapped to that chair again. Being trapped in that memory didn’t feel like remembering something. It didn’t feel like a dream where you knew you could get back out. It felt like I was living it all over again. That was my reality in the flashback and now I needed to force that feeling from my limbs.