Everything’s gone awry, nothing’s working out. Well, it’s working out, but not at all how I dreamed it would. I can’t shake the feeling that life has cheated me. Everything seems fine, no real reason to be sad, but… Saturday morning. Sunlight persistently streams through the half-drawn curtains, as if shouting, “Wake up! Get up! It’s a joyful, warm, wonderful new day!” But I don’t believe it. I don’t want to get up. I’ll turn to the wall, hug my pillow, and dwell on my failed life. Though, to someone else, it might seem quite successful. I have a fiancé …

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about myself and my life. And I must admit, I’m not pleased with the results of this reflection. Yes, I’ve achieved a great deal. But I’m missing the most important thing—a family. I never thought I’d suffer from loneliness. In fact, until today, I hadn’t even admitted it to myself. I’ve always considered myself an emancipated woman. A feminist. But lately, when I look around, it seems like everyone around me is part of a young family with small children. Wait! Am I jealous? Come on, girlfriend, let’s analyze your life once and for …

– Why do you need this headache? – grumbled the neighbor, Aunt Grace, indignantly. – You’re city folks, you have no idea what a house in the countryside is like! Hauling water, chopping firewood, stoking the stove. – Aunt Grace… – Shoveling snow in winter, cleaning up mud in spring… Irene only smiled. Aunt Grace was a straightforward, no-nonsense woman. She had spent most of her life in the countryside, intimately familiar with the charms of rural, labor-intensive living. After her husband’s passing, she moved to her daughter’s place in the city and couldn’t stop marveling at the ease of …

William was in no hurry. The day was splendid. The sun blazed with a summer-like warmth. In the park, under the shade of a maple tree, he settled onto a bench. Closing his eyes, he sat quietly for a couple of minutes. The workday was behind him. He could finally unwind. Cooking dinner tonight didn’t appeal to him. The weekend stretched ahead. Mentally, he scanned the nearby cafés. His favorite was the cozy “Lotus.” The food there was delicious. The menu wasn’t extensive, but the service was quick. And, if he felt like it, he could always take food to …

Mary couldn’t fall asleep for a long time. Tonight, the familiar bunk felt especially uncomfortable and rigid. The barracks were stifling, filled with a repulsive smell—something thick and suffocating. She had never encountered such a stench in the free world. She desperately wanted to stand under a hot shower, scrubbing her skin raw with a soapy sponge to wash away the events of the past few years… Against her will, Mary began slipping into memories again… Doing so was agonizing… and in her current circumstances, even dangerous. Before her eyes, several newly arrived inmates had crumbled under the harsh reality …