Chapter 4 - What’s In The Bag?

Chapter 4: What's in the bag?

Jason just pushed the door and entered inside but he froze mid-way.

"Naya, why do you have a gun?"

Naya's heart skipped a beat when she heard his voice. Suddenly her mouth was dry and her stomach was in a knot. Naya let out a breath from her mouth in an attempt to stop the nausea from becoming unbearable.

"Why do you have a gun, Naya?" Jason asked again. He was standing so close to her, Naya feared he would hear her pounding heart.

She pushed back her strawberry blonde hair to stop it from touching her forehead. It was difficult to come up with a believable lie when her hair was constantly entering her eyes and distracting her.

Her head pounded with tension like someone was intentionally using a hammer to hit a nail into her forehead. Naya clutched her head in an effort to stop the sudden loud sound in her head.

The gun wavered carelessly in the air as she raised her hands to hold her head, good thing the safety was still on or when she had mistakenly squeezed the trigger. she would have blown her brains out or maybe Jason's.

"I am going to go ahead and take the menacing weapon from you before you shoot yourself or worst me" Jason said and took the gun from her with ease.

Naya didn't struggle or object when he took the gun from her. Who could blame her? She was too anxious to think straight.

Jason disassembled the gun with great ease that would have earned him a crooked eyebrow if Naya wasn't busy freaking out.

"I am going to ask you once again Naya and this time around I'll like an answer. Why do you have a gun?" Jason asked in his not too happy voice.

"I...I need it...it, Jason"

Naya's voice was thick and unsteady. And even though she just showered, Naya felt sweat make circles under her armpits and a cold spider like limb race up and down her spine.

"Did someone send you after me? Are you here to kill me, Naya?" Jason asked in quick succession.

Jason didn't move a step back. He stood his gourd and for someone who thought someone he has been sleeping with was sent to kill him, he appeared too cool.

A thousand questions prowl through Jason's mind as he stood there and watched as her face turned crimson red.

"Of course not! How could you... think such a vile abominable thing about me?" Ominous thoughts squirmed at the back of Naya's mind.

"Well, answer the question then. Why do you have a gun?" Jason asked again impatiently.

Naya's lips grew thin and firm as she pointed at the door with her index finger.

"Get out Jason" she whispered

"Not until you tell why you have a gun"

Naya straightened her posture and stood upright earning her another inch. When she spoke again, her voice was even more unsteady and teary.

"Actually, it is none of your business and I need you to leave my room"

"Naya, you've got to talk to me. What is going on?" Jason was persistent.

"No, I don't have to. What I need to do is grab my suitcase and pack up my shit and leave the orphanage" Naya voice was louder now.

Jason shook his head and moved closer to her.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what is going on. And if you think you are leaving this Orphanage without giving me an explanation, then you have something else coming to you" Jason grabbed her shoulder and his hands asserted the bare minimum pressure.

"Jason, get out of my room. I am serious, you have about five seconds to leave my room before I start screaming" this time around Naya's voice was steady and loud.

"You can scream all you want but the only way I will leave your room will be on one condition; you don't leave the orphanage without coming to talk to me. Are we in agreement?" Jason used his business voice, persuasive and firm.

"Okay...Okay"

As soon as Jason left. Naya started hyperventilating. She was over the razor's edge of panic. She allowed the towel she wrapped herself to fall to the ground leaving her stark naked, she hoped it would help her breathe but she still gasped for air.

Naya glanced furtively over her shoulders like she wasn't alone in the room. Her heart hammered in her chest and adrenaline rushed through her vein.

Naya fought the urge to run but where to? Tears rushed down her cheek and it worsened her respiration.

Naya crumbled to the floor and curled up like a ball. The tightness in her throat worsened while her hands trembled. She couldn't differentiate if the fluids all over her body were tears or sweat but she couldn't get dry.

The chest pain surge through her leaving her even more breathless, Naya was sure now that she was going to die.

Jason pushed the door open once more, he was determined to ignore her request for space and get her to talk to him. He found her on the floor, struggling for breath and naked.

He was on the floor with her by mere seconds. Spasms of worry crossed his face as he gathered her into his arm.

"What is wrong Naya? Are you okay? What is going on?"

"I... can't....breathe.... another anxiety attack" she was wriggling in Jason's arm.

"You are okay.... everything is just fine...breath for me, baby....come on, slow breathe" Jason continue to sooth her hair and he whispered reassuring words to her.

"Breath sweetheart.... repeat after me. 48, 32, 90, 6, 45, 1 Come on; count with me" Jason urged her "Just count for me, sweetheart…don't think about, just keep counting"

"48, 32, 6, 45, 1" Naya counted severally and just like magic, she was able to breathe again but Jason didn't stop holding her.

"You forgot number 90 but you did a good job, see you can breathe again" Jason was kind and patient in his dealings with Naya.

"How did you know that was going to work?" She asked in a low tone.

"Because it is very difficult to remember random numbers and panic at the same time, there is only so much our brain can handle" Jason scooped her up and placed her on the bed. As he tried to leave, she held his hand tightly.

"Don't go.... don't leave me" she whispered

"I am not going anywhere, I just want to get a loose t-shirt for you to wear"

Jason opened her wardrobe and took an old large T-shirt and helped her dress her.

Naya nuzzled on his arm and slowly she returned to her normal steady self.

"Tell me what is going on?" Jason asked again.

"I am not who you think I am, Jason"