CARMEN
I don’t remember opening the door, running down the hallway, or rushing down the stairs.
The urge to escape hit me all at once, overshadowing everything else. That office was closing in on me; it felt like I was back in that room, and I just needed to get out.
Out of that room. Out of those words. Out of the weight pressing down on my chest like it was trying to cave me in from the inside.
I rushed out of the office, ignoring the way the air shifted behind me, ignoring the looks I knew I was getting. It was rude. I knew that.
But still, I didn’t care.
I needed space.
I needed air.
I needed something that didn’t feel like my entire world had just been ripped apart and rearranged into something unrecognizable.
By the time I pushed out of the clubhouse, the music followed me,
