Piper had made it to all her classes on Wednesday and Thursday. But Friday, she'd awakened feeling sick. She'd worked herself into a fit so bad that she decided to skip classes entirely.

Once the pressure was off, the nausea in her stomach felt slightly better, but she was now hit with an entirely different sick feeling.

The sick feeling of guilt.

She could almost picture Fear shaking his head in disappointment. She hadn't faced her fears. She hadn't gone and just...forced herself through it.

She'd done better for a few days, but now she was back to her same old self.

Around and around we go, she thought. I'll never get over this. Around and around. I'm right back where I started.

She pulled on her jumper and exited the apartment, speedwalking until she was out of breath and dizzy. Her heartrate was too fast, wasn't it? She didn't even know anymore.

She found herself in the park. It was the middle of the day, but it was chilly and grey out. Most people weren't out enjoying the weather, to say the least.

She stood on the shore of the lake, looking out over the water. She shivered at the memory of cold water swallowing her: covering her head, her mouth, her body.

She jumped as someone walked up behind her, dragging a boat.

She whirled around. Fear.

He put the boat in the water, holding it steady with one hand and holding the other out to her.

She hesitated, before taking his hand and stepping into the boat.