I'm sitting in darkness again, wrapped up in it like a comfortable blanket hiding my shape from the world. A world I no longer belong to, disconnected like the dead but still breathing, wandering. Darkness is like a shield, a trusted friend with whom I can let go of the mask, stop pretending to live. For while I'm still wandering this earth, my soul has died with them and all that's left is an empty shell and a broken promise. And still I wander, going through the motions at day but the night is mine for the darkness mirrors my soul. Quiet it lays over my heart, enveloping me in its gentle touch holding space for everything that's lost while I beckon Death.