Aura of Anxiety

“Hello, I’m Jeff.” Those surrounding me in the room responded with a dull hello. “I’m Jeff-” I nervously repeated “-and I have anxiety and an unbelievable story.”

There were 10 people other than myself in the room. We all sat in chairs in a circle. Everyone remained silent. There was a cough and I proceeded. “I’m here because people think I’m crazy, and uh, people think I’m crazy because they don’t believe me when I say I have a gift."

“What kind of gift?” Someone in the room challenged me, I think his name is Terry.

“I possess the ability to feel someone’s aura and tell what they’re thinking.” A humiliating laugh filled the room and it became self-evident that no one believed me.

“So how does that work,” said a challenging female voice.

“Well, all I have to do is be around someone and I can vaguely feel someone’s aura or vibrations. If I touch someone I can get a greater feeling of their vibrations through direct contact. I can then tell any emotion they are feeling and from that information, I can infer what the person is thinking.”

“Now it’s apparent why you’re here, but what does that have anything to with your social anxiety?” This voice replied with a laugh of disbelief and came from the person to my left.

“I do not have social anxiety. I have anxiety, yes, but not social anxiety.”

“Okay, this kid is full of it. Can we move on? Obviously, he’s here for a reason. Probably the same reasons we’re all here for.”

“I’m not crazy!” I didn’t say it out loud at all, just firm. I was getting tired of people calling me crazy only because they couldn’t believe me. The only person to ever believe me is my mother. I should’ve listened to her advice before I go here, but here I am. “When too many people get into the same room, maybe twenty or more, I can feel their vibes at the same time. When I sense them all at the same time I get bad vibes and an anxiety attack.”

“You're full of it kid! That's why you’re here.”

“This is hopeless,” I said as I got out of my chair. I walked towards the window in frustration. I watched the rain as I sensed everyone's vibrations. Everyone in this place, this mental hospital I don’t belong in, thinks I’m crazy. All except for one kid that's younger than me. I think he’s, 17 or so. No matter his age, he was the only one to believe me. He even had a gift of his own. What it is I will never be able to tell.

I continued staring out the window watching the universe cry and its tears trickle down the window. The universe cries because it believes in me when no one else does. The universe believes in everyone and teaches so much. It taught my mother and my mother taught me.

She told me, “When the universe gives you a gift you cannot tell many people. If you do, no one will believe you. People will think you’re crazy or possessed and try to have you killed.” She was right. Mother was always right.

Everyone’s aura in the room was calm. All calm, except for one schizophrenic kid who was arguing with the staff, but besides that, calm. The kid making a fuss grew louder and his vibes grew stronger. More staff came into the room to try and calm him down. He demonstrated his frustration by hitting the staff that was arguing with him.

The kid started fighting, creating a huge fuss between him and the staff that rushed into the room. The people having group in the room stood up from their seats and worried amongst themselves.

When the kid was dragged out the room kicking and screaming, I was in the corner gasping for air, curled up in the fetal position. My mother always said what I have is a gift. I’m starting to think of it as a curse.