We didn’t choose this routine. It quietly chose us. Press enter or click to view image in full size Created by the author You don’t notice it while it’s happening. Don’t you know? Nothing feels wrong enough to question. But by the end of the day, something feels… heavier than it should. Why don’t you question yourself? I was standing in a queue. Not a long one. I was behind six people. At the nearby grocery store. Everything normal. I had picked up a few things — apples, milk. And also something not required. As it usually happened, I convinced myself I needed. A man in front of me was scrolling through his phone as seriously as if it were a matter of life and death. Behind me, someone was doing the same. Even the shopkeeper had a second screen open beside the billing machine. I didn’t remember how I entered behind the scenes when I realized something strange. Bodies were there, but their minds were wandering. No one was actually there . We were all physically present. Same space. Same air.…