I became sheltered in this room.

Sheltered away from the drama of the world, of my house, of my school.

A girl who couldn’t survive without human interaction for more than a minute now survived for weeks on end.

A voice so loud that it could be recognized from the other side of the school halls now became muted on Google Meet.

The endless cycle of waking up, opening this laptop, and working until I woke up with key imprints on the side of my face.

Friends faded, but the memories remained in my mind playing over and over.

Oh how the world had changed.

How family dinners turned into eating at my bedroom desk.

How meeting up with friends turned into even more screen time.

I lost my family, my old self, and my constant worry about how others perceived me.

I found myself, those who really cared, and true love.

All within these sheltered walls.