As the bus arrived, her reflection greeted her from the see-through glass doors. In silence, she stepped on, her gaze landing on the woman driving. She smiled kindly at her before walking further in, scanning the rows for an empty seat—subconsciously searching for any familiar faces.

She chose a seat three rows from the back. A quiet relief escaped her as she realized she wouldn’t have to share it with a foreign radiance. Looking out the window, she watched as the bus began to move. Thoughts flooded her head as quickly as the scenery passed by.

She took out her headphones and played loud music—loud enough for everyone to hear. The radiances around her shifted from one station to another, all gathered in one place, though destined for different worlds. Yet the music wasn’t loud enough to drown out the noise inside her head.

She closed her eyes, hoping it would sound and hurt less. But she hoped in vain. The bus reached her destination, and she stepped off—slowly, quietly—but never out of her misery.

Nearby, a lake waited. She approached it, hoping it might reveal answers hidden deep within the surface, answers only she and the water would understand. But instead, she met her reflection—the pure and raw truth that stood before her. She refused to give in, and so she ran.

She ran and ran and ran.
Lost. Scared. The only way to cope was silence—
and so she never again uttered a word.