The world spun as I fought to breathe. Music pounded in my ears, people around me blurred, and I knew that this wasn’t the alcohol. I felt as I was being dunked under water, my lungs begging to breathe, as I clawed for air. I felt the walls start to close in on me and my breath start to quicken. I needed to get out of here. I ran into the bathroom and locked the door.
“You know, you’re never going to get rid of me,” said a voice behind me. I turned around to see her. Her brown, silky, hair matched mine, her brown eyes looking into my mind. She leaned against the bathroom wall with her midnight black leggings and tight leather jacket.

“Please, just leave me alone. I don’t want to do this right now. Not here,” I begged.

“Don’t talk to me that way,” she said firmly, “Remember, I control you.”

Just ignore her and she’ll go away. I turned towards the mirror and splashed cold water on my face. My heart pounded in my chest, and I felt like it was going to explode any moment. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I looked up in the mirror. My eyes were red, tear stained, and my mascara smudged under my eyes. She was right behind me, observing me, her eyes almost mocking me.

“You can’t ignore me sweetheart, we’ve been through this already.”

I looked away as I felt her starting to move closer to me.

“Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

I felt her warm breath on my face. Her bright red lips whispered in my ear, “Don’t even try. You are nothing.”

Tears gathered in my eyes as I turned away.

“Stop,” I whispered.

“Excuse me?”

“I said stop,” I said firmer. She grabbed my arm, her nails digging into my skin. I walked backwards, my back against the wall. She came closer and closer to me until I collapsed onto the floor.

“NEVER defy me again,” she told me as she squatted down in front of me. My heart pounded in my chest, fear eating me inside. I closed my eyes as tears slid down my face. I felt her stare at me, savoring my pain.

Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

“Ivy, you okay in there?” a familiar voice, a voice I recognized, my best friend Olive’s voice, called out to me.

“Say yes,” she told me. My body shook in fear.

“Ivy?” Olive asked.

“Say yes,” she said again, gripping her nails into my skin. I started to sob.

“SAY YES!” she yelled, as I curled onto the bathroom floor my tears streaming down my face. I hugged my body as the cold floor comforted me. Words became jumbles as I lost sight of reality.

Ivy. Yes. Fear. Okay. Listen. Ivy. Yes. Fear. Listen. IVY. YES. FEAR. LISTEN!

“No!” I wailed as I pounded the wall.

“What?” She yelled.

“Ivy, I’m coming in,” said Olive.

“What do you think you’re doing? I control you! I control you!” she screamed. The door unlocked as Olive walked in. I squeezed my eyes shut as I felt warm arms wrap around me, unlike the cold floor. Water blurred my vision as we sat in silence, the sound of my sobs filled the room. For the first time since I was in the bathroom, I felt safe. I slowly opened my eyes, and saw that she was gone, the only people that were in the bathroom were Olive and me. I stared out the window at the stars during the night, and I knew that she would be back, stronger, but so would I.