"See not the face but only the eyes, of the poker face."
― Toba Beta
AUTHOR'S POV
A young girls sighed heavily looking at her wristwatch trying to accelerate her pace to reach her house. It was already dark. She looked around herself and checked the surrounding but didn't stopped walking.
As the girl quickened her pace, the streetlights cast elongated shadows across the empty sidewalks, creating a labyrinth of darkness and light. Her footsteps echoed in the quiet night, mingling with the distant hum of city traffic. She glanced at her wristwatch again, her anxiety palpable. It was already past nine, and she had promised her parents she'd be home well before dark.
The city, usually bustling and full of life, now seemed eerily deserted. The occasional rustle of leaves or the distant bark of a dog were the only sounds breaking the silence. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat, an unsettling reminder of her growing unease.
She had spent the last few weeks trying to forget the man who had nearly abducted her, but the trauma lingered, a constant shadow over her days. The encounter had left her shaken, her once-steady demeanour now marred by a persistent sense of dread.
Every sound at night made her jump, every shadow seemed to twist into a threat. The nights were the worst; she'd wake up drenched in sweat, the echoes of his menacing eyes still vivid in her mind. During the day, she forced herself to go through the motions of normal life, but the fear gnawed at her, a relentless presence she couldn't escape.
Despite the encroaching panic, she had made a decision. She needed to regain control over her life, to chase away the dark thoughts that clung to her like a second skin. The city, once a sanctuary, now felt like a labyrinth of potential dangers. It was clear she couldn't keep living in this cage of fear.
Her dignity was her anchor, the one thing she refused to compromise no matter how tumultuous her life became. She had sworn to herself that she would never allow anyone to diminish her self-worth or reduce her to something she wasn't. That promise was a constant reminder in her darkest moments, a line she would not cross, no matter the circumstances.
As she walked down the quiet street, the weight of her vow was both a source of strength and an added pressure. Each step felt like a declaration of her resolve, her fingers tightly gripping the strap of her bag, and her shawl pulled close around her shoulders as if to shield herself from more than just the cold.
The thought of her little brother, Yoon, brought a soft smile to her lips, a brief respite from the tension that had been a constant companion. She imagined him laughing, his face lit up with the kind of pure joy that only a child could embody. It was these fleeting moments of imagined happiness that kept her grounded, reminding her of what truly mattered amidst her struggles.
As she made her way home, she let her mind wander to memories of Yoon playing in the garden, his laughter ringing out like music. She missed those times when her biggest concern was whether Yoon would get muddy playing in the rain or if he'd eat his vegetables. Those days seemed like a distant dream now, overshadowed by the weight of recent events and the challenges she faced alone.
She sighed, her thoughts drifting to her parents. Life would have been so different if they were still around. The comfort of their presence, the shared responsibilities, and the stability they provided seemed like an unreachable comfort. Without them, the burden of navigating life's difficulties felt heavier. It was not just the physical absence that affected her, but the emotional void that their loss had left behind. The responsibilities of adulthood and the echoes of her own fears had woven a complex tapestry of loneliness and longing.
