I boarded the bus at 1:09 A.M. I had no distinct destination in mind, other than the transit center in the neighboring district. It was where diverse bodies from all over the city came and went.

I arrived there at 1:21 A.M.. There was no one there. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but the world felt like it was slowly contracting. It was getting smaller and more like a film set with each passing minute.

I sat on a bench, waiting for nothing in particular. I was only sitting so that I could properly fight against the pangs in my chest and the short breaths that resulted from these.

I sat there for a few minutes, until I heard the distinct rattle of a shopping cart. I looked up, and an old homeless woman was staring right back at me. She said “Don’t be so lonely, eh?”

I nodded, stood up, and gave her a couple of dollars. She smiled at me and nodded her head in thanks.

I walked over to the bus stop for route seventy-five and sat down, waiting for the next bus home.