just gonna crack this open

Lyric winced, a defeated look on her face. She hated how badly splinters freaked her out, but it was like an intense fear that she couldn't ignore. Lyric wasn't even sure why, perhaps as a little kid, she'd had some terrible experience with a splinter that affected her for the rest of her life, some repressed memory she just couldn't recall. She could literally gash her thumb open with a knife and not flinch, but with a splinter. It felt like her entire world was crumbling down around her. Even though she knew it wasn't, she couldn't help how she handled the situation. 

Oh, I know, I'm so sorry. I don't know why splinters get to me like this. It feels like an elephant is crushing down on my chest and squeezing all the air out of my lungs! Anxiety was frustrating. On one hand, she knew it was absurd, but she couldn't get her brain to cooperate.