TRAPPED DESPAIR

 TRAPPED DESPAIR

 

Sam stands on the balcony of his apartment, peering out at the world beyond the invisible barriers that keep him confined indoors. The force field is faintly visible, an unreal force that flickers in the bright sunlight. The vast walking track, visible from his balcony, of the agricultural campus outside, once a place of freedom, exercise, and relaxation, now feels like a mockery and a taunt, its inviting greenery and open space just out of his reach. Sam presses his hand against the force field, feeling the resistance, a grim reminder of his imprisonment.

 

Now and then, he feels the urge to go outside, stretch his limbs, and get some much-needed exercise and fresh air. Inside, the apartment feels suffocating and like a cage. Every room, every piece of furniture, is a stark reminder of his failed attempts to escape. Telltale signs of his failed attempts at escaping lie around the apartment: pieces of machinery, tools, hammers, wrenches, rods, ladders, and ropes. He used all these items to break the force field, keeping him confined. The air inside the house was stale, and he desperately longed for some fresh air and sunlight.

 

Sam slumps on his couch in his living room, the overhead fan offering some coolness and respite. He gazes at the barrier and slowly accepts his surreal reality. An eerie silence envelops the apartment, broken now and then by the sounds of life outside. The world outside carried on as usual, oblivious to his plight. He felt forgotten by the world. The isolation sinks in and befriends him, and he resigns to his situation with a heaviness in the depths of his stomach and chest. Once full of determination, Sam's eyes now carry a tired and resigned acceptance of his fate.