There is something strange about loneliness.It creeps up quietly, gives no warning, and leaves a chill when it goes. It’s not the word itself that frightens—it’s the understanding of what it means. It warps the mind and heart, plunging like a knife into every pore. To be lonely is to be present yet apart, to watch life unfold beyond your reach no matter how hard you try to hold on. It is a terrible thing, loneliness—once unleashed, it never stops. Shadows move all around you,

In a rain-soaked city, two strangers find a connection.

I sat in bed yesterday, phone plugged into an illuminated power socket. Layers of blankets covered my legs, cocooning them in a soon-to-be prison that would cause half my body to embrace sleep. A pillow rested on my lap, fluffed up with feathers that sometimes escaped and rooted in my hair. The bright screen flashed with language and story while my mind numbed out the reality of monotony. The warm night air crept in around me as I left my box behind to march into a story on m