It was a lonely, dark night, and the moon seemed dimmer than usual. Casting barely any light on this shadowed world.
Every corner I turned felt eerie – not because of the locals wandering about, but because of the heavy darkness pressing in, pulling me deeper into the unknown. I had no idea where I was going. Being in an unfamiliar place had my nerves wound tight, trapping me in a situation I didn't know how to solve.
The deafening stillness of the night gnawed at my mind, and I felt as if I might go mad. I tried shaking the negative thoughts off my shoulders, telling myself that clearing my head was the first step to figuring out my next move.
When I finally calmed, I could see my surroundings for what they were – a strange haunting beauty. I wanted to stay there, to take it in… even though I knew there was a cost. I was glad I had made it out, barely. Doubts about my survival had been hell to endure and no one should ever go through what I had gone through.
My plan to escape had worked, but now I was adrift, with no idea of where I was… or even which country I had ended up in. The thought that I was somewhere unknown, where no one knew me and no one was searching for me, cut deep into my heart.
It had been over three years. I was twenty-four now.
I had no way out. No friends. No family. My coworkers likely assumed I'd either quit or been fired. The worst part of all was the crushing knowledge that I was truly alone in this world and I guessed I'd just have to get used to it.