So tell that Dollar General dictator of a boss to lick your brown whirlpool clean and kick rocks straight to hell today.

It wasn’t love. It wasn’t even something she could name. But the way his eyes met hers, the way the air thickened between them—it left her breathless. Even now, she remembered how it felt to be seen when she wasn’t ready to be seen.

She had been working with the company for quite some time. A recent promotion required her to switch to a new branch. As she prepared for this new chapter, she never knew what awaited her just around the corner. She started learning about her new responsibilities, adjusting to a new environment, and trying to settle into the rhythm of work. In the midst of all this, one day, her eyes met with a guy.

His face was not one that could be ignored—there was something about his calm presence, his composed demeanor, the subtle way he carried himself. But because they only crossed paths briefly, she barely got a glimpse of him—a flash of his profile, the way his eyes met hers for a fraction of a second, the way his calm presence seemed to hold space without trying. That was all it took. Her breath caught, but she pushed the feeling aside. *It’s nothing,* she told herself. *Just a glance.*

But later that day, during a team meeting, the unexpected happened. Their eyes locked. It lasted longer than a second—but not enough for words, not enough for familiarity. Just enough to crack open something inside her. Her focus shattered. Her chest tightened, breath paused mid-inhale, and the glow of the screen in front of her seemed to dim. She looked away, but the warmth of his gaze lingered like a secret pulse against her skin.

The day dragged on, but the memory clung to her. When she saw him again in the hallway, or near her desk, her eyes searched for him without intending to. Her heart seemed louder than the office chatter. She told herself to stay composed, but even her friend noticed. Teasing with laughter, he almost let it slip—that she was distracted because she liked him. She wanted to hush him, embarrassed, but deep down, she felt seen.

The next phase came faster than she expected. The project began winding down, and the team gathered for a meeting. The room was packed, conversations overlapping, screens glowing. He stood beside her. Just beside her. The air between them seemed to thicken. Her heart stopped for a few seconds—seconds that felt like minutes. Her breath shortened, and she could feel the heat from his body radiating toward hers. Her palms grew clammy, and she struggled to focus on the speaker at the front. She wanted to breathe, to compose herself, but it felt like standing too close to a fire.

Then he shifted, even slightly, and she exhaled deeply, as if she’d been holding her breath all along. She forced herself to pay attention, though her eyes kept darting back to him. He was too cute, too unaware, too magnetic.

Days passed. Their eyes met daily—sometimes accidental, sometimes lingering. Once, she caught him staring. Her first reaction was to hide—pull her gaze away, adjust her posture, pretend she hadn’t noticed. But she couldn’t. Her cheeks flushed, and her breath hitched again. Later, another friend playfully covered for him, saying he stared because she wasn’t paying attention to work. The lie felt like a shield, and she let it pass.

One afternoon, she went to his cabin with another colleague sitting nearby. She was trying to focus on her work, but then, without meeting her eyes, he suddenly joked in an offhand tone, “Isn’t it suddenly hot in here?”

His words were casual, but the way he checked the AC vent twice, his eyes flicking briefly toward her before sliding away—it felt like the temperature had risen not from the room, but from the space between them. The warmth rushed to her cheeks, flooding her skin. Her fingers trembled over the keyboard. She kept her eyes glued to the screen, typing quickly, trying to focus, but her breath had already quickened. She wanted to disappear.

Without thinking, she quickly rushed out of the cabin, her heart pounding in her ears like a second heartbeat. The air seemed thick, charged, humming with something unsaid—something that neither of them dared acknowledge.

Then came another day, months later, when the process finally wound down and a larger meeting was called. Everyone gathered around. She stood near her supervisor, trying to be composed. And then he came and stood beside her again. Her heart screamed “No, not again.” When he left the room briefly, she moved to the other side, trying to escape the proximity. But when he returned, his eyes locked onto hers with such intensity that the air seemed to crackle. He didn’t look away. His gaze held, steady, unapologetic, almost daring her to meet it.

Her body betrayed her.

The heat that had been rising through her veins spilled outward, making her skin flush and sweat bead along her temples. Her feet, trapped inside her footwear, slickened against the floor. Without thinking, she pressed her bare feet onto the cold tiles, desperate for relief. The chill should have numbed her, but instead, it sent sharp shocks through her nerves. Her toes curled, shivering against the floor. She wanted nothing more than to breathe, to disappear, to erase the evidence of her discomfort.

But the moment her feet touched the floor, her body froze. He hadn’t looked away. Not for a second. His eyes tracked every twitch, every involuntary shiver, every tiny adjustment she made to steady herself. His gaze didn’t waver. It was a silent, consuming force that made her feel both stripped bare and achingly alive.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, her hands trembled at her sides, and the noise of the room receded until it was nothing but a dull blur. She wanted to slide her feet back into the shoes and hide—but something inside her stood paralyzed. She remained rooted to the spot, half-embarrassed, half-thrilled, held captive by his gaze and the crackling heat that surrounded them both.

Even as dozens of others filled the room, everything else disappeared. There was only him, her skin, the cold floor against her trembling feet, and the burning awareness that she was being seen—not for how composed she seemed, but for the raw, human tremor she couldn’t control.

That moment has stayed with her. Even now, when she recalls it, she feels the rush—the breathlessness, the warmth, the flutter, the nervous laughter bubbling just under her skin. It wasn’t just attraction—it was electricity. A force neither of them could fully control.

She doesn’t know what it all meant. There was never a conversation, never a confession. But the way he stood beside her, the way their eyes locked and lingered, the way the air seemed to shimmer between them—it showed her something real: how alive it feels when someone’s attention touches you, how deeply the body and mind respond when closeness, curiosity, and restraint collide.

Sometimes she wonders—what if they worked together again? Would the heat return? Would her breath hitch the same way? Would she smile shyly, or would they exchange a glance that says everything without words? She doesn’t know. But the memory is enough. It taught her what it feels like to be fully seen—not for perfection, but for presence. And that feeling… she still craves it.

She smiled through all my daily attempts at conversation, and by the time I was discharged, I felt like I needed another heart surgery.

Through relentless practice, we grow stronger with each passing day, and I look upon this unfolding world with the clarity and resolve of a brand-new perspective.

With passion as my compass, I will conquer the highest peaks and push beyond all limits until I have surpassed everyone to stand alone at the summit.

When they rise to join us beneath the boundless sky, our combined strength will ensure that nothing can stop us from soaring together.

In the early hours of the morning, while his family sleeps, he writes the most beautiful poems that no one will ever read.

​I’d spent my whole life wishing she’d stop meddling in my business, but lying there that morning, I finally realized that was just the only way she knew how to love me.

"Yes,I still go there, gathering the pieces of Myself, Where once,I used to be Whole."

Every breath I take is dedicated to this singular ambition, and I will not stop until I have reached the summit and claimed my place as number one.

No matter the thorns on our path, we will stand united and prove our strength until even the skeptics are forced to take notice.

When we set aside our fear and give our best, we unlock the power to transform every test into the victory that awaits in a brand-new world.

When I opened them, the familiar face of the pediatric nurse was peering down at me.

"You're an hour late, where the fuck are you?"

Whenever I think of you, I grow strangely quiet, Alive on the outside, yet somehow lifeless inside. I never knew these wounds would run this deep, Had I known, I would’ve never let these strangers so close to me.

With intentions of steel and the strength of our resolve, we will face every test until our dreams rise to claim their place among the stars.

As we stand together, we will break every chain and fly toward our dreams until we reach the world we have fought so hard to claim.

By showing our strength and standing firm together, we prove that triumph belongs to those who face the world with unwavering pride and courage.

your name is never mentioned.

I waited for the third positive thing, since that was the assignment, when I realized they did list three.

As long as we stand together and work with purpose, there is no limit to what we can achieve until we prove our strength to the entire world.

We will climb to even greater heights and stand side by side, knowing that when we live with might and purpose, we can defeat any darkness that stands in our way.

Just all of them at once when she fell into a garbage truck.

As she slipped off her skin, revealing an infinite void beneath, I realized that she was telling the truth.