Chapter 2- the anonymous listener

My sanctuary was my room, a small space cluttered with notebooks, half-written songs, and a guitar I only dared to strum when no one else was home. It was the only place where I felt free.

That night, as I stared at the ceiling, the urge to sing grew unbearable. I reached for my phone and plugged in my earphones. Opening the recording app, I pressed record and began to sing. The melody was raw, the lyrics tumbling out as if they'd been waiting for this moment.

When I finished, I uploaded the clip to a small, anonymous music forum I had stumbled upon months ago. It was the one place where I could share my voice without fear of judgment.

Minutes later, a notification lit up my screen. A reply.

"Your voice is incredible. Don't ever stop singing."

The message was from someone named Echo, a user I had interacted with a few times on the forum. Echo had always been kind, their words a balm to my insecurities. I typed back hesitantly.

"Thank you. I'm not sure it's enough to do anything with."

The reply came almost instantly. "It's more than enough. You just need to believe in yourself. The world needs to hear you."

A lump rose in my throat. I wished I could believe them.