The Moody Warlock's Ember Tower

She walks all day, every single day

Before work, I walk through a local shopping mall and order my usual coffee from a bright-eyed barista. There aren't many people around at this time - a few early-risen addicts leaning untidily on steel rails outside the chemist while waiting for Methadone; a jaded security guard who has taken to confiding in me about his anxieties and boasting about his sporting ability from decades lost; and a young woman who briskly walks the square of the mall every single day as though it's a full-time job.

She usually has a green shopping bag slung casually over a shoulder and often wears a fur-lined jacket, even when it's warm. Big wireless headphones are firmly attached to her ears and eyes are glued to the phone screen. Sometimes, she'll be eating a meat pie or bacon sandwich as she paces.

I guess she's getting fit and losing weight? Maybe the activity is a great distraction from life's problems? Maybe both? She's in her own world and rarely looks up.

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All words and photos by me, a human. Not by ai.

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