The Stranger Returns
The cold wind cut through my thin coat, making me shiver. I pulled it tighter around me, but it didn't help much. The streets were quiet tonight, and an eerie silence filled the air.
For the past few nights, I had been sleeping in an abandoned building. It wasn't much, but at least it was some kind of shelter. My stomach ached from hunger, but I wasn't ready to go back to the place I had left behind. Not yet.
Then, I saw him again.
The same man who had given me food before. He stood at the edge of the alley, his hands in his pockets, watching me.
My breath caught. I thought about turning away, pretending I hadn't seen him, but I was too tired, too cold, too lost.
He stepped forward, his movements careful, as if he didn't want to scare me. I took a step back without thinking. He noticed and stopped, raising his hands in a calming gesture.
"Easy," he said gently. "I'm not here to hurt you."
I didn't answer, just stared at him, my heart pounding. He wasn't threatening, but something about him unsettled me. Maybe it was the way he looked at me—not with pity, but with understanding.
"You remember me?" he asked.
I nodded. It was hard to forget someone who actually saw me.
"I run a shelter nearby," he said. "It's warm. You don't have to stay out here."
His offer hit me harder than I expected. A place to sleep. Safety. But it also meant letting down my guard.
"Why do you care?" I asked, my voice rough.
He sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair. "Because I've been where you are. Someone helped me once. I want to do the same."
There was something honest in his words. It made my chest tighten.
"What's your name?" I asked, stalling.
"Reyle," he said. "And yours?"
I hesitated. "Celeste."
He nodded. "Come with me. Just for tonight. If you want to leave, you can."
His voice was steady, patient. No pressure, no tricks.
Still, I hesitated. Trusting someone felt dangerous. But another sharp gust of wind tore through me, making me shiver violently.
Reyle noticed. "I know it's hard," he said. "But you don't have to do this alone."
The words hit deep. Being alone had become normal for me, a way to survive. Letting someone in, even for one night, felt scary.
But my feet moved on their own. A step. Then another.
Reyle didn't smile or act like he had won. He just turned and walked, letting me follow at my own pace.
The shelter was a simple building, old but strong. A sign above the door read: Haven Shelter.
Warmth wrapped around me as soon as I stepped inside. The scent of food filled the air, making my stomach twist. People sat at tables, eating, talking quietly. Some glanced at me, but no one stared too long. They understood.
Reyle led me to a woman behind the counter. "Marie, we have a new guest."
Marie, an older woman with kind eyes, looked at me. "You hungry, sweetheart?"
I hesitated. I had expected rules, suspicion, maybe even rejection. But Marie just smiled and handed me a bowl of steaming soup.
"Eat first. We'll talk later."
My fingers shook as I wrapped them around the warm bowl. The first sip burned my tongue, but I didn't care. It was real. It was something.
Reyle sat across from me. "You don't have to decide anything tonight," he said. "Just rest."
I swallowed hard, my throat tight. "I don't know how to do this."
"You don't have to," he said. "Not yet."
Something in me cracked—just a little.
I didn't know if I could trust him. I didn't even know if I could trust myself.
But for the first time in a long time, I didn't feel completely lost.
Maybe, just maybe, I wouldn't have to face tomorrow alone.