Just Passing By

01: Just Like Me

A gust of blissfully cold winter air gently brushed across my skin and played with my hair as I walked. I felt my face start to sting from the chilly atmosphere as I pulled my scarf over my mouth. The soft sound of my heavy boots crunched against the fresh snow.

I turned the corner onto one of the many busy streets of the city. The sidewalks were crowded with tourists, who were all new to the overwhelming environment called New York.

Being unseen from everyone seemed more tolerable here than in most places, with everyone focusing on themselves rather than who was or wasn't around them.

It all started 3 years ago. I woke up in a daze under a tree in what looked like a park. I had no memories of why or how I got there. I asked the people near me where I was.

"Sorry to bother you, but where am I?" I questioned a middle aged man who was sitting on a bench, feeding some nearby pigeons. He seemed to not hear me. The same thing happened with the other people I tried to ask.

I reached out to tap one girl's shoulder, shocked to find that my hand passed right through her. It happened everytime I came into contact with someone.

Ever since then, I've wandered the world, observing and watching the people and cultures. Because that's all I could do, all I could do was watch.

Somehow I ended up in New York again and decided on staying.

I continued walking, enjoying the sight of new people who were exploring and taking pictures of
Times Square. I made my way downtown to my favorite spot to just sit and observe the new people. They're lives were always fascinating to me. On a daily basis I have always imagined what it would be like to be seen and to be in a family and have a mom and a dad and siblings.

I was a few yards away from the steps outside the library, my favorite spot to go people-watching.

It was a normal winter day for me. Until I bumped into someone. Wait what. Hold up a second. I bumped into someone.

A mixture of joy, confusion, and fear crossed my face. The same expression was on the face of the boy I bumped into. We stood there for a while, just looking at each other in bewilderment as the people walking by passed straight through us.

Finally, I reached my hand out to touch him, as if to make sure what happened was real. He did the same. Our hands touched, and as soon as they did, I pulled back quickly in shock.

He was just like me.