__
The sidewalk was empty.
Streetlights stood in a row.
A dim yellow glow.
The road beside it—
deserted.
Occasionally, a single car passed by.
Fast.
Then gone.
The sky was dark.
Not a star in sight.
The air was cold.
Seeping slowly through my clothes.
__
I kept walking.
My pace wasn't fast.
Not too slow either.
I reached into my pocket.
Pulled out my phone.
I checked the time.
1:00 AM.
The dead of night.
Silence.
No sound but my own footsteps.
Because someone didn't show up.
I ended up staying later.
I kept walking.
It was fine.
The pay would be double.
I stopped briefly at a red light.
Even though there was no traffic.
But.
It was all the same.
The light changed.
I walked on.
Taking on a two-person workload.
__
My steps felt heavier now.
My body ached.
My shoulders were stiff.
My back felt strained.
My hands felt slightly calloused.
My eyes were heavy.
Blinking took longer than usual.
I exhaled.
A thin cloud of vapor escaped.
