My 500 Words: A Writing Challenge - Day 3

Broken people are all around. Have you ever taken a second to look at their face? They say the eyes are the window to the soul, and I believe that is true in many cases. Eyes can tell the story of sorrow, pain, loss, confusion...the list could go on and on.

I looked at someone. Their eyes were wide, not from excitement. I think from searching. Searching for some common ground. Searching for anything that would connect them to something or someone else. The more they talked, the more lost they seemed. Shoulders slumped forward. They were talking, but not really talking with anyone. More so talking at someone. Using words to fill a chasm, the hollow empty space more evident by the silence.

The minutes seemed like a century. Confusion dictated their every move. They could not remember simple things, tripping and tangling over words. Trying hopelessly to communicate, but never really succeeding.

Lost in thoughts of yesteryear. Dreaming of days gone by. Trying to resurrect something that had died. Ideas, thoughts, and plans swirled in their head. That is nothing new. It is the same old song and dance. It is uncoordinated because the music is only playing in their head. I couldn't hear it. I could not see what they see. They didn't have the ability to share with anyone. The soundtrack of their life is playing on a loop. Over and over, repeating the same steps. 

I watch. I listen. The pitfall is coming. I can see it. I can sense impending danger just up ahead. Look out below! Watch your step! Steadily they go. Onward. They can't hear anyone. My heart aches.

The emptiness. The void has always been there. They are aware of it now. Creeping up when they least expect it. Clutching and pulling in every direction. Try as they might, they can't escape it.

The answer is not in a bottle. It is not in a hidden message. You do not have to solve a rhyme or riddle. If you will let go, it is plain to see. This fight cannot be won alone. It is bigger than yourself. Every fear, every failure, every mistake will be staring you in the face. What will you do? What will you say? If you cower and run, the void will only grow bigger. If you do not conquer it once and for all, it will consume you. 

What are you doing? It does not have to end like this. The pen is in your hand. You can change the course with a few strokes. In order to move forward, you must stop looking back. There is nothing back there but memories. Live in the here and now. There is a better way. What will you choose? It is up to you.

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It is sad when people who once were alive are now just existing. They are just a shell of themselves with the weight of the world on their shoulders. There is more to life than that. All of this (material wealth) will fade away. If people could just see what they are seeking is all an illusion.