Akshay Gupta
2026/04visual-writing

A creature inside me

I left my hometown 15 years ago. But never arrived anywhere else.

Numb with the loneliness I feel in a world so full of people, I turn my eyes away. My pupils disappear into the sides. And pop back up on the other end. I didn't know you could do that. Look inside yourself.

A pair of eyes stare back. A creature that looks like a younger me. His eyes hold helplessness. It enchants me. I stare into his eyes so deep I see his insides. Floating in there are three shapes.

A creature inside me - Painting by Akshay Gupta
A creature inside me, painting by Akshay Gupta
The darkness of his insides scares me. It's the first thing that moved me in a long time. The pain. It made me fall in love with him. I forget that my true feelings are hidden somewhere. In this space. Yet this damn creature is standing in the front. I'm frozen. His vulnerability so dramatic I can do nothing but stare.

This place was my final hope. And I can't escape it.
Published 2026-04-09
Last edited 2026-10-06