My first thought was to run out of that house and never come back. My heart was racing, my hands trembling. But I stopped. I decided — enough fear. I needed to understand what that sound was and where it came from.

I slowly approached the next room and peeked inside. There, sitting on the floor, huddled together, were a woman and a child. Their faces were frightened, their eyes wide with terror.

— Don’t be afraid, — I said quietly. — I just wanted to find a place to stay for the night.

It turned out they were also looking for shelter for the night. They were fleeing from a husband, from violence, from fear.

I looked at them and suddenly realized: there are others, even more defenseless than me. And maybe now it was my turn — not only to fear for myself, but to protect them.

The house no longer seemed empty to me. It had become a place where fear and loneliness meet hope.