6) Claustrophobia, Contest Submission Thread

[Existence: DENIED]

Thread for submitting all drabbles under the theme 'Claustrophobia' .

[CrazygurlMadness]

This is one of my favourites.

Captive (337 words)
Zelda tried to rationalize. There was no point in being afraid. Just because it was a tiny space and there were no means of escape in sight didn’t mean she wouldn’t make it out alive.
Something like panic went up and down her spine, alerting her every nerve that maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea.
It had started out just fine. Things like these always do, don’t they? Zelda reckoned she had been as wise as anyone, and if things had gone terribly unplanned, it was entirely without her consent, and she definitely was not to blame.
Uncertainly, she brought a hand up against the hard warm wall in front of her. She wished she could see a faint bit more, if only to stop the whirling inside her head, perhaps to anchor herself to something real.
As it were, though, things seemed to be getting gradually worse. She was rather certain that her legs would give out from the sheer stress of her situation. Was there really no way to get away from here?
And then the wall spoke. “Your hands are cold.”
She harrumphed. Why, the nerve of the damned… She flattened herself against the hard stones behind her and tried to steady her breath. Unfortunately, she didn’t feel there was enough air in the world to fill her lungs --and the space she was in didn’t allow for very ample breathing. She was trapped.
Suddenly the space started shrinking. Panic made her heart thump wildly in her chest. Oh dear Nayru, there was no way out, was there? No way to escape?
The two blocks at her sides moved and enclosed her. She was too stunned, her legs too weak, to fight back.
And suddenly, she was crushed. She was doomed. Her heart beat wildly, and then her lips were under assault. She had indeed lost.
The wall moved away from her lips and she saw him smirk. “Got you. You’re it.”
She was never playing Kiss Tag with Link ever again.

[SirJoshizzle]

Category: Claustrophobia
Setting: AU--present-time Hyrule
Point of View: Zelda
Tense: Present
Word Count: 737

Seven Minutes in Heaven
SirJoshizzle

"Your draw, Zelda."

Malon holds out the top hat filled with pieces of paper with the names of all the guys in the room participating in the game.

How did I end up like this? I didn't even want to go to this party; Malon dragged me over here. And then she somehow talked me into playing this stupid game, Seven Minutes in Heaven.

"...I pass," I shake my head.

"That's no fun!" Ruto protests. "Go on, pick a name! It's not like there's any ugly guys here!"

I raise a careless eyebrow at her.

"Just do it," Nabooru presses me. "What's stopping you?"

I can't say that. I'd look so stupid!

"...Fine!" I cry out exasperatedly, shoving my hand into the papers. I randomly pull a paper out and unfold it, and I freeze at the sight of the name that's written on it.

'Link A..

I look up at Link, who's conversing with his friends, laughing about what happened the other day at water polo practice.

Link Avalon has to be the finest man at Hyrule High. He's got it all and more: smarts, a top-notch athlete, a killer body, good with children... Simply put--every girl's wet dream.

I feel Ruto lean into me, reading the paper, and she starts laughing hysterically. "WOW, Zelda totally hit jackpot! Link, get over here!"

Link turns away from his friend Sheik and stares blankly at Ruto with raised eyebrows and questioning eyes. "Huh?"

Goddesses he's so adorable like that.

"You know Zelda, right?" Malon smiles at him.

He looks over to me, and I immediately blush furiously. "Oh yeah," he smirks. "Why?"

"Time to get to know each other a little better!" Nabooru grabs his hand and pulls him off the ground, and Malon and Ruto do the same to me.

"Huh! Wha--" Link stammers, obviously confused.

"Stop! M-Malon!" I yell, but Link and I are mercilessly thrown into the closet, the jackets hanging off the beam breaking our falls.

"Have fun!" The three girls laugh, and they close the door before either of us can say anything, and the last sound we hear is the clicking sound of the door's lock.

...

"Zelda?" I hear Link whisper my name.

"H-h-huh?" I look up. I can faintly see him through the darkness.

"Why are you breathing all hard?" He asks me.

Oh no, have I been doing that the whole three minutes we've been in here in silence? I didn't even know I was breathing audibly.

"O-oh," I chuckle nervously. "H-h-have I?"

"For the past almost four minutes," he laughs. "What's wrong?"

"...N-n-nothing," I shake my head. "I-I'm fine."

I just hear him chuckle. "You lie."

Darn, he's good. But then again, now that I listen, I am breathing rather loudly... No, I'm hyperventilating.

"Okay..." I swallow slightly. "T-to be honest... I-I'm claus-claustrophobic..."

Even though I can't see anything, I can feel his eyes on me. He must think I'm a little baby or something. Even Ruto, Malon and Nabooru--my best friends--looked at me all funny for a day or two when I told them. I don't get it; what's so wrong with being afraid of small spaces, anyway?

I feel him take a seat next to me on the box I'm sitting on. Then he gently places his hand on mine... Gods, his hand is soft.

"...Does this help?" He asks. His closeness allows me to see the faint details of his face; even in the dark, his blue eyes shine brilliantly.

"...Y-yeah," my heart races, but not from the feeling of the walls slowly closing in.

"...Would this help a little bit more?" He asks again before he does it--he presses his lips against mine.

My heartbeat hastens tenfold and my eyes widen so much I'm afraid they might fall out or something. He just slowly tries to open my mouth with his lips as I softly moan into his mouth.

...

"Sorry for doing that to you, Zelda."

I smile sheepishly at Malon as I sit next to her on the sofa, sipping my lemon-lime soda.

"I know how you're claustrophobic and everything," she goes on.

"Oh," I smile. "I'm not anymore."

"You're not!?" Malon's eyes go wide. "Since when?"

I just giggle to myself as I glance at Link, who's standing across the room with his friends. He looks over to me, and smirks charmingly.

"A few minutes ago."

[Angel Zelda]

Zelink Theme #6: Claustrophobia
Title: Inside a Closet
Words: 124

“Tell me why,” Zelda was saying to Link through gritted teeth, “out of all the places to hide from the guards, you picked a closet?!”

“Hey, it’s the nearest hiding place!” Link told her, looking sheepish.

“But why a closet?” Zelda whined.

“You have a phobia of closets?” Link teased.

Zelda felt a light blush creep on her face. “Well--well, do you realize what small space there is in here?”

It was now Link’s turn to blush as he realized that Zelda had a point. The closet was rather cramped, and Link and Zelda were standing closer together than what they considered usual.

“Um...you wanna find another hiding place?” Link asked nervously.

“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day!” Zelda breathed.

[Cuccopower]

Title: Evelator Crush
Theme: Claustrophobia
Italic: Zelda's POV
Text between /'s is Zelda's Thoughts.
---
''You are sure about this thing?''

''I am.''

''Really?''

''Link, this is an evelator. It is safe like heaven.''

''Okay then. One more thing to say.''

''What is is?''

''Im claustrophobic.'' Link whispered to her.

''Nice joke.'' Zelda pushed Link in the evelator, then walking next to her.

xxx

''It wasn't a joke.''

And Zelda noticed it really was not. Link's voice was like ''IMSOSCAR-UHD!'' and ''AAAHAHAAHHSHXXXKKHHH''.

''Here's the deal. If we didn't make it out of here in 5 minutes, you can kiss me. Okay?'' /The chance is 0.0001 this evelator would crash. No worrie/ CAAA-RAAZZHHH.

xxx

''Nice evelator.''

''Fine, you won. You can kiss me now.''

I looked to him. Waiting for the doomed moment. KADOOM. DOOOOOOM.

But he didn't kiss me.

''That I have a crush on you doesn't mean i have to kiss you cause of a stupid evelator.''

/He was actually right. Why the hell he's supposed to kiss me?/

''You actually have the chance right now, you know.''

''I know. I'm rather supposed to do it at Valentines Day tomorrow.''

''Good point.''

We were rescued 20 seconds later. And i don't know why, but i was looking forward to the 14th.

--

Do i have to count the words too? Cause i hate that work. >_>

[LZ Angel]

Word count: 460

Zelda whimpered as she wrapped her arms around her knees. She was terrified of being stuck in small enclosed spaces – a fear she was sure Ganondorf knew and was purposefully exploiting as he kept her locked in this prison as his trap for Link.

She sniffed, and a small tear fell down her pale cheek. She hoped that Link would come soon – Ganondorf had said he would let her out of this prison once Link arrived. Of course, she would still be stuck in that awful crystal thing when Link did arrive, but that was better than the door-less prison she was currently stuck in.

Link. She turned her thoughts to him as she tried to escape the suffering blackness around her. She hoped that Link would come soon, but at the same time, she didn’t want him to come. She was frightened that Ganondorf would hurt him, and possibly even kill him. She honestly cared about the young Hero of Time. One might say that she was in love with the dashing Hylian, but she refused to admit it. He was just a dear friend – someone who had been helping her fight Ganondorf.

Yeah right. She could barely fool herself anymore. He was so much more than her friend, and she prayed that he cared for her too. When she was travelling around in disguise, he often asked her for news of the Princess, his expression eager and hopeful each time. She would always answer that she did not know where Princess Zelda was, but she was sure she was safe. Zelda hated the way his eyes would lower whenever she said that, and the sad look on his face. It hurt her to lie to him, but it was necessary.

When she revealed herself to him in the Temple of Time, the look of joy and relief on his face nearly had her in tears. Then when realisation kicked in and his expression changed...when he looked hurt and betrayed.....that had terrified her.

His anger had created a tension between them so great that she almost felt suffocated by it. It was like the crushing blackness around her now, but worse because that time had been her fault. She had hurt him by hiding, hurt him by not telling him she was safe, and hurt him by not trusting him with her secret. And her punishment was to be trapped in this black prison.

Yet, even when she was thinking of Link being upset with her, the prison around her seemed less threatening and less suffocating. Even when he was mad with her and not physically there, he still protected her. The mere thought of him gave her the strength to fight her fears.

Thank you, my beloved Hero.


(AN: Again, disjointed ending, but you should all be used to those by now )

[Alantie]

Theme: Claustrophobia
Words: 438
Title: Locked Inside

Thoughts and feelings that were not her own surged through her awareness as she resided in a body that was not hers. When her eyes opened they were not her azure sky eyes, nor did they gaze out upon familiar sights she had known since childhood. She felt as if she were chocking, drowning inside this body and at first all she could do was shriek. It was not right; she did not belong here. Midna’s body knew it too and tried to expel her- it took all her strength of will and gentle magic to calm her host, to make her accept her presence. It would not have worked if the two did not have so much in common to begin with, but even so, it frightened her. She was being strangled, loosing herself inside another person.

But she forced her panic and natural urge to rebel against the foreign vessel making her soul rest peacefully. She should not disturb her friend’s spirit with her own thoughts and worries; she must be calm and not do anything that would go against Midna’s nature. It was wrong enough that she was here in the first place without the Twili’s permission, she should not make it worse by causing more of a disruption than she already had.

Eventually the lines blurred as she became more comfortable, allowing her mind to rest and merge more fully with Midna’s, allowing herself to simply watch as events unfolded. She felt she had succeeded; she had healed and protected Midna, giving her the ability to roam through Hyrule’s sunlight without fear of what it might do to her. All was well.

Until she realized that she was disturbing Midna’s emotions with her own, she was affecting her friend with her presence. At first she didn’t know what was happening; her soul would tremble unexpectedly causing confusion to cloud the Twili’s emotions and send her heart racing. She could not understand why at first, could not pinpoint where the unfamiliar feelings were coming from or what was causing them. Then she met the feral, beautiful sapphire eyes of the Hero, and she knew. In her own body, her soul could not understand, could not see or acknowledge the strange shiver of recognition, the feeling of familiarity when their gazes locked. It had taken this confining body that was not her own to make her see the truth.

She was in love with Link. But shut up in inside Midna’s body, she was closed away from him. It would have to wait, until she was free from the claustrophobia and back in her own body.