Hypnotic Vision

Gray space. It's everywhere, enveloping the girl in a thick fog, like a mother soothing her child. Is the girl alone in this gray world? Yes... and no. Around her are other gray people. They are... but they're not. They don't speak. They rarely breathe. Each one is tightly sealed behind their own Wall. She's no exception—she has her Wall. A Wall of fear, shame, despair, pain. It's invisible, but it's always there. It moves with her. It's her refuge. It's her shield and armor. Thanks to it, she doesn't have to fear the dagger of cruelty and envy, treacherously stabbed in her back. She hides behind the Wall like a nestling in an eggshell, unable to survive outside its small home.

In fact, the Wall is her only home. She knows by name every builder who placed a brick within it.

One day, the girl despairs of gray life, of the gray people who inhabit this gray city of silence. With all her gray heart, she wanted to escape this desolate place. She was afraid. Very afraid. But she went. She turned her gaze to the gray horizon. The inhabitants only looked from behind their Wall. They said nothing. Each one was busy with their own gray affairs, paying no attention to others. They didn't shout, didn't try to stop her.

But even if the desolate city had begun to plead with her, she wouldn't have given in. She desperately wanted to break free from this gray hopelessness. This was her decision, her own, the first in her entire gray life.

With her head held high, tightly covered by the Wall, she left the desolate city.

She walked and walked... Nothing changed in her surroundings. Everywhere, the same gray emptiness. Doubts gripped her. Her faithful companion – fear – seized her. For the first time, she understood that there was no escape from this gray space. She turned. Gray space. There was no turning back. She had willingly left the oasis of peace, yearning to change her gray life. But she lacked the strength. She was lost. And lost... But she kept walking. She kept walking, hoping for a change in her miserable fate. She wandered in the depths of gray emptiness. She called out, screamed at the top of her lungs.

But only silence answered her. Silence, enveloping the gray space like ash from burnt branches of faith.

She repeated her cry, hoping for help. But again, no one spoke.

Then she finally understood the sad truth – you can't pull yourself out of gray hopelessness on your own. No one is

strong enough to reach the other side of the gray wasteland. You can only do this with someone by your side, someone to support you. Someone to lift you up when you fall. Someone who's yours alone.

She fell to her knees. She had no strength to walk, no strength to live. Gray tears streamed down her cheeks...

Somewhere near her, the sound of a piano rang out. Soft and soothing. She didn't know what to do. She tried to get up, but the Wall wouldn't let her. The Wall had almost always ruled her life, though she'd never realized it. It was in this desperate situation that the Wall betrayed her. Walls don't make good friends. They always seek the ruin of their owner. The girl cried and screamed, but the Wall remained unyielding. It demanded a bloody sacrifice for all those years of service. Meanwhile, the sound of the piano grew louder. The Wall trembled. At eye level, a crack appeared in the Wall. The sound of the piano was crumbling the Wall. Inexorably, mercilessly, just as the Wall had never shown mercy to the girl. The Wall shattered into a thousand fragments. This was its end. Then the girl felt incredible pain, tearing through her body. She fell helplessly onto her back. Without the Wall, she was defenseless. She felt exposed, naked, even though she wore a navy blue dress.

A wave of color washed over her. The gray expanse vanished, replaced by dark green, brown, and black. Yes, a lot of black.... She strained her eyes. She saw people leaning over her. She tried to read the expressions on their faces. Was it regret? Pain? Sadness? She wasn't sure. She simply stared at them. She stared steadily, with her glassy eyes. And she continued staring as the man in black slammed the lid of her coffin shut...