The pale morning sun filtered through my dorm window. It was 6 a.m. on my first day of university. I knew exactly where the metro station lay, what lectures I'd attend, and that nothing could go wrong.
And yet, I felt unsettled.
I didn't know a single soul here, and I ached for home: the gentle river that ran beside our house, my grandmother pressing fresh pasta by hand, the hum of my family gathered around the dinner table. Suddenly, my eyes stung with tears.
Not now, I told myself. This was exactly where I needed to be—a fresh start. And someday, I would return to them.
While packing my bag, I heard the stairs creeking. Was it Lorenzo?
That didn't matter anyway. I packed my bag and opened the door, revealing an empty staircase. The person that had just walked there now gone, caught up in their own life.
With with a relaxed gait, I walked in the direction of the metro station. I knew the number of the platform and my departure time, nothing could go wrong.
In a way of mocking me, the sunlight reflected in my watch, making me look at it.
7:45
The wires in my head turned. Sh*t. I only had 7 minutes left, which was not enough.
My feet started moving faster automatically, as if I was being chased. It felt like everyone was watching me, but nobody was. They were all focused on their own worries.
I reached the stairs of the station when I heard a voice call trough the speaker.
"The train to Piazza di San Marco, will now depart. Please make sure you don't leave any belongings at the station."
My heartbeat peaked. Not today, please.
When I sprinted onto platform 6, the doors were slowly closing, but I managed to slip through. I was panting loudly, disturbing the quiet whispers of the morning. Nobody seemed to even bother smiling. My heart stung with an unwelcome feeling until I catched someones gaze. It happened in the blink of an eye. I saw his feet slowly pulling away from between the last closing door. The one I managed to slip through, because of him. It was a detail no one had noticed.
His goal wasn't to be seen.
Yet I did.