QUOTE : The sun blinds me for a moment, but as my eyes adjust and gaze at the bench across my house, I breathe a sigh of relief. Empty, just like always. My heart calms as I go into the kitchen to make myself a cup of coffee and prepare some toast. I eat with the television turned on; the noise of the people talking makes me feel more comfortable. Being home alone isn’t the greatest thing in the world … not when you’ve been living in silence for more than a month. It’s not normal, I know that. Normal people find company. They make friends. They invite people into their home and have dinners and parties. Not me. I’m the girl who mistrusts every living person on this planet. It wasn’t always this way, though … but like all people, my past shaped me into the person I am today. I’d rather be alone, hiding in plain sight. It’s the only way to remain safe.