Suffering In SilenceA thick fog had shrouded the town in its cold and dreary embrace. It felt unnatural, giving to the townsfolk the sensation that nothing could thrive inside its miserable guts. The radiant sun that had blessed the town just a while ago couldn't penetrate through the mist with its holy and life-giving rays, and so the town was trapped in dimness, for not even their artificial lights managed to bring illumination to their dwelling. The fog was like a dormant grand beast, sitting on the town's chest and smothered it, because the air seemed to stay completely still, there wasn't even a single gust of wind to be felt. The haze also silenced all the noises and within the weak-minded, it felt like they had entered a spirit realm as a punishment for something they didn't even remember doing. Not many people believed in spirits or any other supernatural things whatsoever anymore, but sometimes even these nonbelievers were left to ponder whether there was something behind the strange happenings that couldn't be explained by logic. No matter what their stance was regarding the existence of spirits, the eerie gloom the fog had brought over their town made everyone wandering outside look like lost souls, condemned to seek something they would never find. The mist had transformed everyone into dark figures that were unable to recognize each other and would just drift through the haze like nothing mattered to them. However, there was one individual who was constantly like this, not just on this particular foggy day. Milanvi had lived in this town for years, but still, nobody could recognize him. He was like a ghost, sometimes wandering outside, but not interacting with anybody. He was so dull that nobody ever paid any attention to him. And that day was no different, not to him. But that day, he was one of the many, he was part of the town in a strange way, since everybody was like ghosts to each other. But every day Milanvi blended in perfectly and no one could tell that he was there, had been all along. Milanvi was a very quiet young man. He seldomly started conversations with anyone and even when he did, he tried his best to get out of the situation as fast as he could. He just didn't want to waste anyone's time; he wasn't worth it. He was a stranger to everyone and thus, no one would miss him, no one would wonder how he was doing. He was an unseen background character, not someone people could remember or care about. Just a bland man you would forget within the same day. And since there was no one who could be considered as part of his pathetic lonely life, there was no one who could help him. Maybe it was his own fault, being so wretched that nobody wanted to be around him. Milanvi was carrying a lot of anguish inside, sometimes it felt crushing. But being the oddly silent man that he was, screaming his pain was something he was unable to do, it was like a curse and his lips were sealed. Sometimes he wanted to call for help, reach his hand from the pit of misery where he was dwelling, but there was no one out there who was willing to listen or grasp his hand. In the end, Milanvi had accepted his role as a living ghost. He remained in his pit that was getting deeper and filled with black water so he could drown. From the outside, he was a regular young man you would expect to bypass in the streets. Maybe you would occasionally see him inside the apartment building where you lived, maybe pondering who he was. But since he was so plain, you wouldn't waste any more time thinking about him. He just kept to himself, not wanting to bother anyone. From the surface he looked calm, like the water of a pond. But from the inside, there was a relentless chaos, deep under that still and calm water. It was killing him from within, and yet, he couldn't ask for help. He had understood that he had failed every aspect of his life and there were no brighter days ahead. He had suffered all his life and that would never change. He was tired of it all, so very tired. People tend to go for walks when they want to calm down and clear their head, but in Milanvi, it had the opposite effect. His mind was a busy one, and if there was nothing for him to focus on, darkness would easily veil it. But even with this risk, he still possessed a particle of the will to just go outside instead of counting the shadows on his walls or being mesmerized by the television. On some days, he was glad of the sight of fellow people. But sometimes, he was afraid of them all, unable to stay out for long as he was filled with the desire to get back home, to safety. He would just sit there while his soul would rot, suffering in silence. This foggy day, it was strangely ordinary for Milanvi. He breathed in the still but fresh air, enjoying how it filled his lungs, even if the air would poison him. Under the cover of thick mist, he would dare to glance around more as he didn't have to worry about accidentally making eye contact with people. They were just dark figures, ghosts just like him, wandering around immersed in their own little world. The air was cold, but somehow Milanvi found it comfortable, giving him sensations of serenity and being strangely connected to the outside world. He had no particular destination set in mind as he strolled around the town of fog, he would just aimlessly go wherever his feet would take him. He didn't expect anything out of the ordinary to happen during his visit to the guts of the haze, he assumed this being just another mundane day in his life, but strange things tend to happen when you least expect it. Every form Milanvi saw in the fog appeared blurred and every sound was muffled, so he didn't think much of it when he saw a shadowy figure pass by near him. He assumed this was just one of the townsfolk. But then they bypassed him again, moving back and forth. This person's erratic behavior did catch his interest, even though he usually didn't want to pay too much attention to other people, not wanting them to feel uncomfortable because of him. But this entity here, they didn't seem… real. They didn't seem to be a human being. At first Milanvi tried to glance at them sneakily from the corner of his eye, not daring to look directly at them. But little by little he became more interested in this mysterious being and got courage to take a better look at them. By the first glance, the entity appeared as a human since it had the height of a tall person and because they were veiled in black, they didn't seem to differ much from the dark forms of the townsfolk that were walking around. But how this thing moved… There was something unnatural about it. They moved swiftly around despite not running and their limbs were twitching in a horrifying way. In Milanvi's opinion, it was like a glitch in a video game. The being was wrapped in black rags that concealed their whole body. This of course only highlighted the most notable feature they possessed; they were wearing a pure white mask, the only facial features it held were the eyes. Pitch-black, empty eyes that were crying blood. Milanvi wasn't sure how to feel about the strange entity that clearly wasn't human. Should he be terrified? Curious? Ignore them completely? Were they real or had he lost the last remains of his sanity? Did they happen to be a specter that had appeared only to him? No one else paid any attention to them. But was it because of the fog or because the entity refused to be seen by others, Milanvi wasn't sure. The entity moved around Milanvi, clearly having some sort of interest in him. But they made no sounds, so Milanvi couldn't tell what they wanted from him. At first, he had found their presence quite distressing, but as he continued to stroll in the mist, the creature started to seem more and more harmless. What a strange thing it is, the human brain. Milanvi was more afraid of fellow people than an unnatural entity. Even in Milanvi's mind this was pretty absurd. But despite the being's scary looks, they hadn't shown any signs of hostility. They just were there, fascinated by Milanvi, joining in his wandering around the town. They were a companion Milanvi hadn't expected to get, but surprisingly, he didn't really mind this even though he probably should have. But of course, the question was burning in his mind: what was this creature? What was their purpose, why did they appear to him today? He was afraid to open his mouth and ask these questions from the entity, because if only he could see them, he would seem pretty crazy in the eyes of the townsfolk. Milanvi remained quiet, walking forward with the strange being circling around him, acting normal just like he did every day. Perhaps it was his subconsciousness that had made the decision. Milanvi had somehow managed to walk to the small port the town had. He had this strange feeling inside, like he needed to be here. But why? The silence was hanging over the port just like it had done around the rest of the town, but in here, Milanvi could hear some noises that proved there was life inside the guts of the fog. He could hear the seagull's sad caw a few times, maybe it was trying to find somebody because it couldn't stand the loneliness anymore inside the mist. Then the bird's sounds faded away like an old man's memory. The only sound left behind was the waters that weakly crashed against the pier and the bottom of the boats that remained stationary, slumbering and waiting for the moment when they could fulfill their purpose once more. The port felt serene. Milanvi couldn't see anything except some of the dark forms of the sleeping vessels. The fog was leading into the nothingness. It gave him the impression that there was absolutely nothing beyond the curtain of mist. This town was trapped in the fog, cut from the rest of the world. Or maybe, if you took the risk and would get lost in the haze willingly, it would lead you to a new place. A better place, perhaps. Milanvi stared into the grey emptiness and wondered what could possibly lie beyond it. At this moment he also noticed that the entity had ceased their erratic movements. Milanvi glanced at the being, it was just standing there by his side, staring into the mist and its nothingness. It was a little strange to see them this calm. Did they feel the pull to this port as well? Slowly the entity shifted the gaze of its empty eyes at Milanvi. Because of the lack of facial features and being incapable of making sounds, Milanvi wasn't sure what they wanted from him. Then the creature raised their hand and held it in the air; a manner that suggested the creature wanted Milanvi to grasp their hand. For a short moment he pondered this, even though his response didn't linger in his mind for long. Was there anything left for him here? The answer was obvious. Wherever the creature was inviting him to come, it would be better than this. Milanvi grasped the entity's hand; it felt cold but the grip was strong. The creature's long thin fingers that had claws in them closed Milanvi's hand in their clutch, surprisingly tenderly considering their terrifying look. The being started to guide Milanvi towards the fog, walking along the pier. Only the sound of Milanvi's quiet steps could be heard. Once the man and the monster had come to the far end of the pier and there was nothing but water and mist ahead, the entity still encouraged Milanvi to step forward. The man had his doubts and fears, because what would happen once he would take the decisive step? But like a guardian angel, the entity urged him to let go and walk. Milanvi took a deep breath, his last one in the town of mist, and grasping tightly the creature's hand, he stepped over the last board of the pier and began to walk on the fog together with the entity. The sound of Milanvi's steps faded away. There was only silence. Hand in hand the man and the monster disappeared to the mist. Milanvi had been the silent unseen man all this time, so nobody would notice that he wasn't there in the background anymore. Eventually the thick fog that had veiled the town would fade away, and with that, so would the memories of Milanvi even existing. Behind him, he had left nothing but silence.headphonesgifgif