"Anxiety in its Purest Form. (In this chapter for sure!)"

[Author Notes at the End.]

Chapters: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4 current]...

59 ÷ 31 = 0

Chapter 4: March 11th

INVENTORY: SHOPPING BASKET, CASH, SHIRT, PANTS
Balance: 23 USD

Hisham rehearses the conversation in his mind.

“I want these vegetables. These fruits. This piece of meat.” He would bring the groceries out of the shopping basket. He would give the payment before the cashier speaks. He would say: “I don’t have change, is it okay?“

Hisham brings back his attention to the line.

He looks at the cashier. It’s still too far.

Time to rehearse again.

The line progresses forward. Hisham looks at the cashier. It’s still too far. Only one person moved.

Hisham continues to rehearse.

He looks at the cashier. This time it’s too close.

Hisham remembers the last time he went to a grocery shop this crowded. The tiniest wave of nausea hits him.

It’s noisy. It’s stressful. It’s suffocating!

Hisham can’t understand how he used to go to these places as a child, no problem. Did the world change around him? Is it he who has changed?

It's his turn now. The cashier is too close. Let’s rehearse one last time.

“Ummm… Can I help you?”

Oh no. Hisham raises his hands in reflex. “Oh, yeah I w- want th- these…”

Hisham stutters.

Again.

Hisham chuckles, scratching his cheeks. This time he has an excuse.

"That'll be..."

As his hand goes down to pay, he almost blanks out as he notices the bandages his sister forced on him.

Hisham starts to explain the injury. He smiles bitterly and cuts himself out. The cashier doesn't look interested.

He hands money to the cashier. He swipes the goods from her hand, and swifts away from there.

When will he ever get used to this?

Hisham returns home. Grocery Store Mission: Success!

Should someone tell him? He forgot to take the change.

To Be Continued...

Go to Chapter 5... [TBA]

Author Notes

This was my favorite chapter to write so far. This chapter could be read by itself, but it's an important chapter of the story. Hisham is really bad in crowded places, and he's the type to rehearse conversations in his mind.

If you're a normal person, let me tell you: I based this chapter on myself! Sometimes I feel like Hisham when I go to crowded places, just not that extreme. I'm sure a lot of people deal with that. It's easier to look normal than to actually be normal, right?

Hisham now only has $23 left, and the month isn't halfway yet. Though he'll probably won't need to buy anything for a while.

What do you think?

I started to think the cover image for these posts isn't catchy enough. Though it'll be harder to create a new one for every chapter, so I'm still hesitant about changing it. What do you think?

Any sort of feedback on this story and my other fictional worlds will help!

The next chapter will be going back to the protagonist's "job," I hope to enjoy writing it as much as I did this one. For now, I leave you with the hope to meet in another story.

Salam (Peace)