Across The Screen

Snippet

Jasmine stared at the blinking cursor, her fingers hovering over the keyboard. What was she supposed to say? A stranger from halfway across the world had just written to her, and yet, there was something about the message that made her smile. Simple, straightforward, a little awkward, but sincere.

"Hey Jasmine, I'm Ryan, from Alabama..."

She reread the opening line, imagining what his life was like in a place she had only ever seen in movies. Alabama. It sounded so far away, like another planet. And yet here she was, connecting with someone from the other side of the world in the middle of a global pandemic.

Jasmine sighed, glancing out the window. The rain was falling softly, the streets of Manila unusually quiet beneath the blanket of clouds. It had been months since she'd been out anywhere aside from quick trips to the grocery store. Her social life, like everyone else's, had become confined to her phone screen—calls with friends, video chats with family. But this? Writing to a stranger? It was new, and a little exciting.

She began to type, her words slow at first, unsure.

"Hi, Ryan. Manila's always loud, pandemic or not..."

As the letters flowed, she found herself telling him about the city—about how even in lockdown, the buzz of life never quite disappeared. She told him about the sound of jeepneys in the distance, the vendors shouting from street corners, the smell of fried bananas and exhaust that still lingered in the air.

She hit send before she could overthink it. There was something comforting about the idea of writing to someone so far away, someone she might never meet but could still share her thoughts with. It felt like a small rebellion against the isolation she'd been feeling for so long.

Hours passed before she received a reply.

"I've never been to a city like that. Alabama's quiet in comparison... lots of open skies and fields. It sounds like Manila has a life of its own."

Jasmine smiled. For the first time in months, she felt a flicker of connection—a spark of something she couldn't quite put into words. Maybe it was the novelty of it, or maybe it was just the fact that someone, far away, was listening.