Words by Annie.

Illustration by Kimberlyn Kiew.

[Content note for anxiety and panic attacks.]

Imagine for a second

Stepping onto shore

Gazing past the horizon

List of to-dos swirling

Passing as impulses from neuron to neuron

A few seconds pass

You notice

The sand shifting under your feet

Piling up into clouds

Swirling, rising with the speed of your heartbeat

Being pulled apart

Like the pull of a cotton ball

Being split in half

Wispy disorganized disorienting

The to-dos begin to spiral into

Too-much

Breath trembles and giddies

Lips flutter and stutter

A clutter at the temples – throbbing.

Like being in a hurricane and

Getting spat out

Only to be

Sucked in again.

Annie is a petite and headstrong girl, who combats her anxiety with hot cocoa, some quiet me-time and a small yet strong support circle. She finds joy in sunflower emojis, freshly baked cookies, long bus rides...and more cookies!

Kimberlyn is an animation student with a love for storytelling and strange things. She goes by the artist name of Mugumuguu on Instagram and Facebook.

In The Vortex