‘Looks like you’re strong enough to survive.’ He said to me as we lay down on the mat, watching the stars.

The night was windy, and the beach was crowded with people. Some were fishing. Some came with extended families, their kids digging holes in the sand and making sandcastles. The moon was full, and bright. It overshadowed the stars that were shining but yet I was still searching for it. I knew there was still there, just that their brightness; their light was just over shone for a night.

‘What’s surviving?’ I finally asked after 10 minutes after silence.

‘Well...’ he started off, hesitantly enough knowing I was in the mood to debate. ‘You look presentable. You’re smiling. You’re out. You’re not depressed.’

There was this light in the horizon, at the edge of the beach that intrigued me, was that a cruise ship? I remembered a random fact someone told me once about how the law about gambling didn’t apply on the people on the water.

‘That’s as far as you know.’ Then I smiled and pointed to a star that was finally uncovered by the dark cloud. It was going to rain soon. ‘Look, isn’t that pretty? I haven’t watched the stars in over 6 months. Isn’t it strange? That I stopped being your friend, then I stopped watching the stars. Do you think its connected?’

‘I think everything in the world is connected if you want it to be.’

I turned on my stomach, put my head on my hands and stared at him ‘Even me and him?’

‘Especially you and him. Don’t worry, Miza. You’ve doing great so far. Just another few more months and you’ll be out of here. Out of my life too. Is that what you want?’

I cock my head and look at him, then I turn back on my back and stare at the sky, searching. ‘I don’t know what I want.’