I am heartless, but in this place where the warmhearted & empathetic souls become tarnished I feel whole. Pillars of society crumbling, the facade is revealed. I was alone in life before, but now I am here with the stranger forever... Their soul has long since evaporated from their being, they've forgotten this nasty place, but they have this aura, you can that tell they had soul, they had strength. As I examine the figure I grow frail. The fortitude of my brothers and sisters before me means nothing to me on this day. The sanctuary of our people is tarnished by greed and by lust. As I taste upon the forbidden nectar, I begin to realise that which I most fear, the sweetness has eroded into a chasm of bitterness. A dark trail reveals itself, beckoning my pursuit. The owl, keeper of the night, is nowhere to be seen. Not even the crickets reveal themselves on this sombre night. At last, death is near for a few, cobwebs absent of their architects, prey left to suffocate in the consuming fog. A dreary whisper from the fog is echoing in my skull, telling me to depart from this place. It's hushed tone is abrasive, clinging for the words in agony. However, I'm afraid to turn back, I've come so far and lost so much. My whole body is aching as my psyche erodes into trifle. Have I gone insane? I can't remember the last time I looked in the mirror, I can't remember the last time that I slept, I can't remember the last time I told somebody that I love them, and I can't remember why I'm here. An unfavourable crimson hue fills my vision as I move onward. The air smells of chlorine, like a swimming pool. However, the atmosphere is dry and cold. My mouth tastes of blood but my palette is fickle, my lips bloated and shredded like salted slugs. I was never meant to find myself in this forsaken place but the consequence is cultivated. All I see within the horizon is a looming fog and all I can hear is pained whispers which have no source. The soles of my feet throb on the cold concrete with each maladroit step. For a moment I think of the beach, I think of the grass, but the disgusting red hue is beckoning me. I fall to my knees in pitiful exhaustion yet again. Maybe if I had trained for this or if I had someone here to help me things would be different. My selfish thoughts evaporate as my vision escapes the red hue which illuminates my surroundings. It feels so familiar, like déjà vu. Monuments of magnificent structure are dotted about within reach, but with seemingly no purpose. There is strange text delicately chiselled into these strange concrete buildings which I can't comprehend. I briefly struggle to stand back up my feet trembling as I regain my balance. My decaying mind sputters with visions of my past. I focus on my first love, walking through the city streets together at peace. I yearn for the touch of another which has been vacant in my journey. However, my flesh is rotting with a stink abrasive even to the lowliest peasants. My decaying mind sputters with visions of my past. I focus on my first love, walking through the city streets together at peace. I yearn for the touch of another which has been vacant in my journey. However, my flesh is rotting with a stink abrasive even to the lowliest peasants. I know I won't feel true love like this ever again, not even after I've died and been reborn a thousand times. I am grateful for it so I do not mourn these times. One day these memories will fade away like the rest have. I pray I have the opportunity to meet you in the next life. I understand God has left me long ago and that my prayers will fall upon deaf ears. The idea that we'll ever meet again is absolutely naïve. My body trembles for a moment from the thought, but I regain my focus towards the warmth. As I squint my sight becomes fixated on the heat. The crimson hue pulsates, like a heartbeat in the void, pulling me deeper into this strange labyrinth. My steps falter, but I press on, driven by a desperate need to understand. The aura ahead is tantalising, warming my rotten flesh, a glimmer of hope in this dark desolate realm. The glow ahead leads me to a clearing. In its centre, a campfire crackles, casting dancing shadows upon the walls. Nearby lays a skeletal figure, its form eerily still. Despite its apparent lifelessness, the fire burns brightly, as if fuelled by forces beyond my own comprehension. For a moment, I feel at peace. The barren wasteland which surrounds me is quiet from within the embrace of the campfire. The tormenting whispers vacant, just me and the one who came before me. I understand why this mysterious stranger would want to die here, it is beautiful here. This destitute path is one which I have crossed countless times, across many lifetimes. There is bliss which comes from routine, understanding the truth, but it becomes monotonous. One day you become desensitised, your mind becomes brittle like the system which made you this way. My friends were only there for me when it was truly convenient to them. My skin covers my bone & muscle like flimsy foil wrap. The mask begs to slip away, but I still put a smile on my pink lips for ugly putrid husks of men. I wish I had water, since my lips are cracking now too. When the mask has been lifted, a smile becomes a really special thing though. A smile or any other natural facial expression, like an itch in your brain that exceeds to the exterior, for all to see your unfiltered emotion. Sitting at this clearing, I find myself unable to resist. I was alone in life before, but now I am here with the stranger forever... Their soul has long since evaporated from their being, they've forgotten this nasty place, but they have this aura, you can that tell they had soul, they had strength. As I examine the figure I grow frail. Their mere presence has given me a heightened sense of self, as I reckon that my destiny was paved by ignorance rather than ability. While this moment of solitude should come with some cognitive ease or spark courage, seeing the broad shoulders & wide hips of the figure makes me feel small - inferior to a corpse.