Panic Attack

• Clementine Barker, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2019

Anxiety flashed around in her large glassy eyes, like fireworks in the night sky. The teacher’s rambunctious voice echoed around the dark and sombre classroom that Cleo called her own. She inspected the sheet of paper in her hand that was titled ‘Year 9 numeracy test’. Cleo always found herself afraid when doing tests such like these. The teacher suddenly called upon her, the girls heart felt like a thousand blades were digging deep into her chest. No. no. no. Cleo thought drastically. The fearful girl picked up her paper and stuttered out “two h-h-hundred and thirty-four, err… and…. six.” The teacher glared with devilish at her, as if she just did something highly illegal. “Miss. Oliver, it is remainder six. You are a year 9 student, state it correctly.” Mrs. Morten insultingly instructed.

The classroom erupted in loud snorting giggles. Cleo who’s face had suddenly turned a deep scarlet, was gripping her pencil so firmly her knuckles went paper white. She hated her foul Maths teacher. She swiftly re-seated herself and continued her challenging assessment. Just as Cleo was on question sixteen, she started to feel a small rush of panic slowly arise. Suddenly all at once her heart felt like it skipped a beat. The old rotten walls of her classroom started to spin, and nauseousness arose inside her. The sensation was like a colossal wave of fear hit her square in the chest. Her lungs were getting filled up quickly in each minuscule gulp. Little speckled, gold stars planted themselves covering up her vision. Frightened and perplexed on what was going on, Cleo make a quick grasp for her asthma puffer. Gasping deep gulps in, she finally found her breath. Pale with shock, the girl hyperventilated. The panic seemed to wafter away slowly as if it was a boat drifting down a stream. Cleo sighed with relief that it was over, gave herself a weary smile and continued her maths assessment.