I sit in the park, alone. There is not a person in sight. The night’s rain pours onto my head. My pale hands reach up and they touch my neck, feeling the bruises forming.

I feel empty.

I look up at the dull, somber sky. I watch as a raindrop makes its way towards my face.

But it never hits me.

My sight of the sky is blocked by an umbrella being held above my head.

I look back down. A large man stands in front of me.

His eyes are vacant, yet they have more life in them than mine have ever had.

He is different to anybody that I have ever met.

But so am I.

One of his green, calloused hands reach towards me. The other remains holding the umbrella above my head.

He smiles down at me. A soft, kind smile. A small butterfly lands on his hand, before it flies to the floor and disintegrates into the grass. A pink flower appears in his place and it soon begins to multiply, until flowers cover the whole of the park.

I smile.

The rain begins to soften and calm; it feels welcoming.

I take the man’s hand, allowing him to pull me into a standing position.

He begins to walk me into the darkness.

For the first time, I feel peace.