When Breath Becomes Air Novels & Stories

I took a breath. Then stepped through.

I feel the tears running down my face as I flail my arms, trying to hit him to make him let me go so I can breathe. I hear and feel this weird sensation. A strange vibration. It's so loud, somehow it's making it so I'm able to breathe. What is that? I thought as I took a giant breath in. Feeling my lungs, finally filling with air. "That's it baby... Breathe!... Breathe my love!" I hear someone say. I take another deep breath in. My lungs burning as they finally get air. I push away, my eyes feel like they're so large as I frantically look around. Trying to figure out where I am and what's going .

I relaxed my shoulders and let my breaths in and out slower than I was before. "Now become aware of your senses, what can you hear around you? What do you smell? Take notice of the small strokes of air brushing against your cheeks. Describe it for me," I inhaled expanding my diaphragm and lungs. I let the breath out and focused on the small morning breeze that softly brushed against my cheeks and ears.

The mere thought of calling Sam already made my skin crawl, and I knew Adrian could see the annoyance etched on my face. Adrian softened his expression to one of compassion and filled his eyes with concern. "No, babe, calm down," he said in a soft voice. "Breathe in," he instructed, his hands demonstrating the motion of an inhalation. I grinned but did just that, filling my lungs with breath as I moved deeply. "Uhhhhh," I breathed, my voice hardly above a whisper. Adrian's eyes didn't waver from mine, steady and reassuring. "And breathe out," he said, his hands sweeping in a fluid manner. I exhaled slowly, feeling the tension seep from me as I let go of my breath.

This time, the call is picked, and I finally realize that I can also breathe without needing any life supporting equipment. ___________

“Breathe in.” More tears spilled from her eyes, as she shook her head. She could not breathe it. Panic had stripped her off the ability to take in air into her lungs. Chase insisted. “Open your mouth, and breathe in through there. Not your nose. Come on, Mackenzie.” She shakily obeyed, and just like that, a rush of cool air rushed into her burning lungs. She gasped, and Chase urged her on, softly, “That’s it. Don’t stop.”

“Fine. Show me.” Kai moved behind me, his chest brushing my back. His hands settled lightly on my shoulders. “Breathe in slow through your nose… deep into your belly. Hold it. Then let it out even slower through your mouth. Like this.” He demonstrated, his breath warm against my ear. “Try it.” I closed my eyes and copied him. In… hold… out. It felt weird at first, but his voice stayed steady and kind. “Good. Again. Longer hold this time. You’re doing great.”

inject? My breath stuttered in my lungs and as if my sixth senses switch was flipped on at the mention of shots, I flipped open my eyes faster than lightning and sat up barrelling for air. I wanted to bolt for the door as fast as my legs could take me, but the sudden movement got me a little light-headed. I decided to take it easy and breathed deeply, my chest rising and falling rhythmically.

His breathing changes. It's subtle. Controlled. The specific small shift of a man who's registered something and is trying not to show it, almost succeeding. The "almost" is in a single breath that's not quite the working breath, not quite the steady rhythm from before. One breath with a different quality, a depth that wasn't there a moment ago. He doesn't look up. I don't look up.

-Skylar- Suddenly, the pain stopped and everything around me looked completely different. Not in the sense that I was in a new environment, the way I was seeing everything was different. It was like I had a new pair of eyes; everything was much sharper. My nose filled with the most beautiful scent, cinnamon, my nose followed the scent, landing on Aspen. I looked at him, only to see him looking at me with complete and utter shock. I tried to get out some words, wanting to ask what was wrong, but nothing came out apart from a howl. Why was I howling?