When I returned home, there was nothing left for me.

I stood in the middle of an unrecognizable street— the dull gray color of concrete stretching out as far as I could see. There was no grass. There were no trees. And there was no color, but that of the flashing signs atop the towering buildings.

A crowd bustled around me. Each and every one of their figures wore unfamiliar clothing. The once blue skies were now permanently overcast with dark clouds of smog, and rain poured unceasingly into the world below. I strode forward, entering a gated enclosure.

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Even though I had escaped my damnation, I found no salvation here.

I arrived at my destination, coming to a halt as my ragged clothing blew with the wind. My gaze landed upon a small monument of stone. I read the words inscribed on its surface. And all around me, these tiny monoliths uniformly littered the level ground, marking what was lost. Marking what I had lost.

I closed my eyes as I raised my head, turning away from the gravestones.

An eternity had passed for me; Earth had moved on. Nothing here remained.

And I was gone once again, searching for a place to belong.