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It came on so suddenly that there was no way she could have predicted it. That all-encompassing dread. Her heart pulsing like a pneumatic drill. The whole world collapsing in on her, dense and heavy like a dying star.
"Are you okay?"
The words sounded muffled, like she was hearing them from within the belly of a blue whale. She tried to respond, a strangled sob escaping her parched lips.
"I…"
She had no words for what she was experiencing. She had nothing. Only the very real fear that she was about to die.
"... let's get you out of here."
A hand grasped her own, and she let herself be pulled through a current of bodies, up an escalator. A roiling nausea set in as she ascended, the stifling heat intermingling with the scents and sounds of thousands and thousands of dogs going about their day.
"I've got you." The voice was kind yet steady. A tiny raft of comfort amidst this sea of churning chaos.
They emerged onto a bustling city street, the sudden sunlight searing her retinas as she adjusted to the outside world. The contrast with the artificial strobes of the metro station was disorientating; she had just swapped one living hell for another.
"Say something red!" The hand that led her here was gripping her wrist insistently. She couldn't comprehend what the other dog was telling her.
"What?" her own voice was barely audible between gasping breaths.
"Look around you," they said again. "I want you to look for something the colour red. Can you see something? Tell me what you see that's red."
"I…can't." She felt something wet run down her neck. She hadn't even realised she was crying.
"Okay take a deep breath with me sweetheart. In…" She closed her eyes to help her focus on the voice, and the instructions being levelled and her. The inhalation was shuddering and shaky, but she did it.
"...and out." the voice added. Her exhale was shaky too, but she was doing it. She held onto that tiny triumph.
"Nothing for red?" the voice asked expectantly.
She shook her head.
"Okay, we'll come back to red. Orange! Do you see anything that's orange?"
She opened her eyes, vision still blurry with tears. Yet through the swirling mass of bodies she spotted something in the distance.
"Y-yes!" she stuttered.
"What do you see? Describe it to me." the voice urged gently, yet insistently.
"I see an orange traffic cone." The words came out in a rush.
"Atta girl. Now yellow. And remember your deep breathing."
She became more aware of the hand on her own. The softness and warmth of the fur.
She scanned the scene before her, spotting a tiny fiat, bright like the yolk of an egg.
"I see a yellow car."
"Good. Now, green?" The hand in her own was tracing tiny circles along the base of her thumb.
She levelled her gaze upwards, spying lush rich foliage. "I see a hanging basket, with lots of green leaves."
"Beautiful, you're doing so well. Now… blue!" Now focussed in her task, she tipped her head further back. Blue was easy.
"I see blue in the sky." Her breathing was less shallow now, though the occasional hiccup broke through.
"Yea, the sky is very blue today, isn't it?" The gentle voice spoke softly, lovingly.
She exhaled, nodding her response. She watched as a lone, wispy cloud drifted overhead.
"Right, we are nearly there. What's next? Ooh indigo!"
Looking back down onto the city street, she soon found a match. Or close enough. "I see an indigo awning." Inhale. Exhale.
"Lovely. Okay, now violet."
She took more steadying breaths as she scanned the crowd. There were hundreds of dogs just going about their day. No one seemed to notice her, coming down from her acute bout of panic. Especially not the handsome Italian greyhound, who exited a shop armed with a massive bouquet of rich purple blooms.
"I see violet flowers!" she still felt shaky, exhaustion creeping into her bones. But couldn't help smiling as her companion wrapped an arm around her. Gently, cautiously.
"Well done." The other dog coached her through a few more deep breaths, using a handkerchief to gently blot away the last of the tears. "Let's get you a drink."
"But I haven't done red yet." Her voice was like a whisper, yet the sensitive ears of her companion picked it up.
"Oh?" The dog turned to face her, smiling. "Say something red, Lila."
And at that moment, the rest of the world faded to monochrome. Lila exhaled.
"You."