Solitude | [eng]

01/21

After a sleepless night marked by dark memories and troubled dreams, Einar decided to spend the following day in his study. Despite the biting cold seeping through the windows and the icy wind howling through the trees, his study room in the forest house was a refuge of warmth and tranquility.Entering the room, Einar approached the sturdy wooden desk, illuminated by an oil lamp emitting a warm and welcoming light. He sat down on the padded chair and opened one of his favorite books. As he flipped through the yellowed pages, he let his mind immerse itself in the world of the story, transporting him to another time, another place, offering him a moment of escape from his reality.While reading, Eldur settled at his feet, warming the room with his faithful presence. His steady breathing and the soft snoring of the dog provided a reassuring background to Einar's work.Unfortunately, the distraction strategy didn't work for Einar, who, thinking about the past, began to stare at an empty spot on the wall. It seemed like he could still hear their voices, even though he didn't remember them well. It had been too long to remember the sound of their voices. He would give anything to see them again. Hot, stinging tears flowed from Einar's lifeless eyes, who seemed not to breathe; he stood still, only the tears running down his face.Although he knew it was a terrible idea, he decided to open the box of memories. It was a terrible idea, but he wanted to see their faces again, trying to remember the happy memories, the time spent together, the pleasant memories. Einar took out a small wooden box from the desk drawer, locked with a padlock. He took the key, which was always in the same drawer, and unlocked it. Inside were a series of photos. Einar took them out and began to flip through them one by one, looking for the ones that interested him, the ones that portrayed them. He found them. He began to stare at them, to study them, the composition, the features of the subjects. He tried to remember those moments, to remember the emotions that were perceived in those photos, but he couldn't. He couldn't feel, he couldn't empathize with those photos, he couldn't recognize them, it was as if they belonged to another life, to a life that was not his. The only thing he could think of was anything but happy memories; he kept thinking about that moment, about that day. Eldur noticed that Einar was not well, he approached trying to comfort him as best he could, and began to whimper. Einar hugged Eldur tightly in recognition —Thank you, Eldur, but don't worry, I'm fine — even though he knew deep down it wasn't true. He decided to distract himself again. So, he put away the photos, closed the box, and put it back in the usual drawer of the desk.Then he resumed reading his book.