The Wall Between
293 Words
Charlie sat by the window, watching the rain streak down the glass in slow, steady lines. It had been a week since that awkward lunch with Maya, Zina, and the others—just long enough for her to feel the absence of their easy laughter. They waved when they passed, but the invitation had not come again.
Instead, she drifted through her days like a ghost, fading into the background during lectures, shrinking in group work, retreating to the quiet corners of the library where her notebook became her only conversation.
Her friends, Zina and the others, seemed to belong so easily. They shared tips about their upcoming placements, laughing about which wards were known for tough mentors, which ones were more relaxed. The words floated over Charlie’s head like a song in a language she didn’t quite speak.
Her own placement was just weeks away, a shadow growing larger by the day.
One afternoon, in the dim corridor outside the lecture hall, a poster caught her eye. The letters seemed to glow under the harsh fluorescent lights:
"Communication Skills Workshop – Sign Up Now!"
Her heart skipped. She stared at it, the noise of the corridor fading around her. Could this help? Or would she stand out even more if she tried?
That night, Charlie sat at her desk, a notebook open. The page stared back, empty, as her mind swirled with questions she couldn’t answer.
"How do I speak up when no one’s listening?" she wrote, the words heavy on the paper.
She closed the notebook with a sigh and lay back on her bed, watching the ceiling blur and shift with the glow of streetlights outside.
Tomorrow would be another day.
And maybe… just maybe… she would find her way.
- Writer
