She didn’t know why she stood here, at the edge of the road, her small frame caught between what she knew and what she couldn’t yet understand. The thought had crept in slowly at first, almost like an idle curiosity, but now it filled her mind completely: What if?
There was no real reason to move. The grass beneath her feet was soft, the world on this side familiar, safe. Yet, something within her stirred—a quiet compulsion, a call to venture across the rough strip of pavement that stretched out before her. It wasn’t a grand call to adventure, no bold declaration. Just a gentle pull, persistent and certain.
She had no answers, no clear rationale for this sudden urge to cross. And yet, the road beckoned, a boundary not so much between places, but between who she had been and who she might become. Perhaps that was why she couldn’t stay. The other side, with all its unknowns, felt more like a promise than a threat.
The first step came slowly, her foot tentative on the rough surface. The world hadn’t changed yet, but in her heart, something shifted. She moved forward, each step building on the last, and the distance between here and there began to collapse. The uncertainty that had once loomed so large shrank with every footfall.
By the time she reached the other side, she knew. It wasn’t about the road itself. It wasn’t about leaving behind the comfort of what she had known. It was about this moment—the crossing. The choice. The quiet triumph of doing something simply because it called to her, because it felt right.
For her, that was enough. The justification, the reasoning—none of it needed to be spelled out. And for years to come, those who had stayed behind would wonder aloud, debating among themselves why she had made the crossing. Some would admire her courage, while others would question her judgment, warning of roads too dangerous to travel alone.
But for those who truly understood her—and for herself—the answer was always clear. She crossed the road because she needed to, because some paths are meant to be walked, even if you’re not quite sure what lies on the other side.