I rarely left the serenity of My shadow lair, but on those unavoidable days when I needed to venture into the local bazaar, I would see her–the nest-necked girl. She could be seen amidst the hustle and bustle in her usual conspicuous corner holding a sign that read: "Please Help. Need Money for Eggs."

I would look out of the corner of My eye, and witness the foot traffic overlook her destitution, never stopping to lend a helping hand.

I admired her courage and grit. Rain or shine there she was, like a bird-shit-on statue that people disregarded in their daily lives–eggless, but never beaten.

And then one day she wasn't there.

And then the next day she wasn't there.

And the next.

I haven't seen the nest-necked girl in over 3 years, but I still expect to see her there at her corner every time I set foot in the bazaar, enshrouded with an indignant composure that only people who've suffered the horrors of life possess.