Agoraphobic: Inside Out by Sara Secora

After enjoying fantasy novel Throne of Lies by Sara Secora, I was delighted to learn that she had now written a piece of short fiction. Agoraphobic: Inside Out is a step away from fantasy and sheds light on a substantial topic; that is agoraphobia, the fear of stepping out into public places.

Throne of Lies Sarah Secora's previous work — Sara Secora’s previous work of fiction

The story follows Kade, a twenty-eight year old man who hasn’t been able to make it past his sidewalk in eight years. We get to understand the feelings and fears he has as he attempts to push himself past the fifteenth step. Author Sara Secora does a great job opposing his fear to continue with his will to keep going, and it makes this inner conflict of Kade’s feel real.

What’s more intriguing is how Kade depicts his home environment in his mind. At times he applies mundane aspects of his house to his fear, such as the weakened hardwood floor creaking and the possible skeletons that could be underneath him as he walks toward his goal. We also get to see Kade in the sanctum of his bedroom, where he is peaceful and positive. There’s a beautiful reference to his fish that adds much context to the way Kade feels about his own condition.

At around 2000 words, this is a phenomenal piece of fiction. As an introvert, it really resonated even, though I don’t consider myself to be Agoraphobic.

Secora’s writing has also shown growth. Her descriptive writing adds layers of subtext to the actions of the character, and her word choices flow. I was already sold on her work, but this piece of writing has made me a fan.

Agoraphobic: Inside Out will be published this February for free. Be sure to follow Sara Secora’s own blog to learn more about its release. Do yourself a favour and check it out when it’s published.