The Cold Edge of the Basin

Dear Delyara, I washed my face at 3:00 AM tonight, leaning over the porcelain sink and letting the freezing water shock my eyes awake. When I grabbed the towel, I caught my own gaze in the mirror. The lighting was terrible, casting deep shadows under my cheekbones until I looked completely unfamiliar to myself. I stood there gripping the cold edge of the basin, waiting for some feeling of connection to the face looking back at me, but nothing came. You can be lonely in a crowd, but being lonely when you are looking right at yourself is a different kind of terror.