There are so many things in this world that can crush you. When it gets hard enough to take your breath away, you hold even your smallest gasps and cry in silence.

That day was no different. I couldn't bear the dampness rising from my lungs any longer. It felt as if every thorn in the world was flying toward me. I crouched next to trash bags in an alleyway I thought would be empty, covering my nose and mouth as I sobbed. I heard small footsteps and looked up, thinking it was a stray cat, only to find a man standing there.

Since that day, I have entrusted myself to a certain religion.