Anthropophobia

"Oh, right, the two of you are living with Dorran right?" Shia asked as the boys walked on further ahead. One of them determined to prove that he can walk faster than the other with the bags on him.

"Yes." Carlotta said with a grin, "We have been sleeping in the same room for the past two days. Right?"

Kaia nodded her head, though there was a hint of guilt in her expression.

"Kaia! Could you come here for a minute?" Max called from in front of them. He and Dorran seem to be discussing something while looking into her bag.

She looked at Carlotta who nodded her head and ran to the two talking in hushed tones while still looking into her bag.

Noticing Kaia's earlier expression, Shia whispered to Carlotta, "How are her nightmares?"

"They are still as bad as ever." She whispered back. "It's a wonder if she can even sleep through the hour."

"Why is that happening?" Shia asked, "I thought she would be better now. After her last break down."

"It's been two days since my life was threatened." Carlotta said, "She was also helping Max in making that video. Kaia is the type that gets things done, then worry about the consequences."

"I know." Shia said, "That doesn't mean that I don't feel worried for her. With the way her mind is, the after-effects tend to come back a hundredfold more severe than it would to other people."

"I'm doing what I can." Carlotta sighed, "Every time she wakes up in a fit of panic, I reassure her that I am there. She has to hold onto my hand otherwise she can't sleep. Sleeping alone in a room is also a big no."

They watched as Kaia took out a tablet from her bag and began fiddling with it, the boys leaned in, clearly intrigued by whatever is happening there.

Shia and Carlotta stopped walking as they neared them. Turning to face her, Shia placed her hands on her shoulders, "I know you are doing what you can but you won't be able to do that forever."

"I know." She answered, "But I want to do what I can for her. If I was in her shoes, I would have survived as long as she has. So I want to help her in whatever way is possible for me."

"That is a very kind sentiment, Caitlyn. But, again, you will not be able to do this forever."

"What do you suggest I do then?" She asked, putting her hands into her pocket.

"Maybe we should suggest therapy to Kaia," Shia suggested, pursing her lips when she saw Carlotta's expression.

"You want her to go and talk to people she doesn't know about the problems she is having?" Carlotta asked, "She doesn't even tell me what is going on in her mind and you think she will tell them?"

"Cait-"

"Also, she will have to talk to adults. Besides your parents and Faith's ones, who of them has ever shown that they actually care about her and her well-being?" Carlotta continued, trying not to raise her voice as they watched Kaia still conversing with the boys.

"I understand why you are protective of her. I really do." Shia tried again, "As you know, my parents are doctors of sorts and I know a thing or two about these things like the human brain and psyche. Sleep of thirty minutes at intervals is not healthy. It messes with a human's brain exponentially and can cause so many problems."

Carlotta sighed, "I know. I was barely able to concentrate when they asked me about my class and section today. But … I don't want to put Kaia through something she will be uncomfortable with. Remember yesterday at the store?"

"That's right." Shia bit the inner corner of her mouth as she tried to think of what to do. "Yesterday was a disaster."

With Faith's mother, they all went to the store just to buy some clothes. But they forget two things. One, it is that time to go shopping for school supplies so there are more people than there usually is. Second, to keep an eye on Kaia.

She still jumps a little when she sees her reflection on the mirrors, forgetting that it is her. Her old house's mirrors are all thrown out and she avoids mirrors in Dorran's house, so she hasn't seen her face in a while.

Not only that, she runs away from people any chance she gets. Though not all. Those she runs away from, she always has a frightened and, a little, repulsed expression on her face.

She is also a little jumpy around Faith, though she recovers instantly when she recognizes her. They thought that it would be best if they could go outside and get some supplies for school.

Carlotta has money she stored away from her parents, hush money so that she would complain or whine in the interviews she has to attend with them.

She didn't want to use their money but Aliya said something that changed her opinion.

"Wouldn't it be amazing if you used their money to make yourself live a life of comfort and luxury?" She said once at lunch in Dorran's backyard. They were talking about her parents and she just threw that line in.

"I agree." Ran said through a mouth full of food. "Imagine the one they wanted dead living comfortably because of them. Oh, remember the money they were trying to pay to those people?"

"Yeah?"

"I have drawn out all the money. I'll give it to you later." He said with a grin.

"Ran, please. Don't talk with your mouth open," Dor begged, hoping he could appear poise in front of Carlotta but that doesn't seem to be possible now.

But what they said ring a bell in her head. So when Faith suggested going on a shopping trip for the new school year with her mother, she agreed instantly.

Kaia reluctantly agreed after seeing how excited everyone looked for the trip but she wasn't entirely looking forward to it.

That feeling was not for lack of money, she had money stored away. But meeting new people isn't something is she looking forward to. Though, what could go wrong?

So many things went wrong that day for her. She forgot how scary people can be, all their stares seemed to have something malicious hidden underneath.

The more she panicked, the more their faces morphed and the more frightened she became. She lost the others in no time with all the people that crowd around the mall.

They seemed to surround her as she tried to make her escape but she only kept bumping into more of them. She couldn't understand why she felt so overwhelmed when she was alright before.

Even when her father left her alone there, she was better then than she is now. She tried to steady her breathing but that has never worked before, why would it work now?

Her stomach churned as she forced herself to make her way through the masses of the people, attempting to keep a straight face while her mind wondered.

She began to worry about them when she couldn't see them after a while. What if something happened to them? What if something very bad happened?

Maybe Caitlyn's parents found her? Or someone else is trying to kill Shia. Why is everyone looking at me like that?

She pushed her way through the crowd, feeling the people bump into her. This made every inch of her skin crawl and bile rose to her throat but she swallowed it back down.

After a lot of searching, she spotted Carlotta and Shia at a store with the others. Relief washed over her as she ran to them.

They are safe. They are safe. I just have to get to them.

But she bumped into a man and fell backwards from the impact. The whole store seemed to freeze as the man bent down to help her up.

"Are you ok?" He asked, voice soft.

She nodded her head and saw Max notice her. He turned to tell the others when she saw a hand in front of her. This simple gesture made her body tense up.

Reluctantly, she looked up at the man and saw a pair of brilliant blue eyes staring back at her from the moulds of flesh. Blond wisps of hair covered a bit of his eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as her hand flew to her mouth.

He's dead. He's supposed to be dead. Why is he here?

Bile rose to her throat again as she watched him in fear, unable to move her body.

"Kaia?" Max's voice broke through her fear and she quickly ran to him, finding the strength her legs didn't have.

He caught her with open arms and glared at the man while Kaia trembled in his arms. Quickly, he took her to the store the others were in.

She looked behind and saw that the man had black hair, not blond.