A young man slowly walked down the street, bustling along with everyone else that traveled up and down 23rd Street. They were nothing but blank faces, black hollowed eyes and shadows of gray that brushed against him. He was trapped in his head as he walked, worried and frantic as their eyes bore into him. To him they saw every flaw. He wasn't a tall man, average to say the least. His eyes weren't bright and alive, but a rather dark brown that reminded him of mud. The clothes he wore were already a year old and weren't even new when he got them. The jeans were baggy and hung loose on his waist, only kept up by a tattered leather belt. White sneakers were scoffed with dirt while the shoe strings were frayed at the ends and wet from the puddles of rain he had walked through.

Ambling along with the others he was only able to see the commotion ahead of him thanks to those in front trying to evade. A teenage blur ran through the crowd, shoving at a young woman in the process. The kid attempted to grab for her bag, but she managed to hang on. The cord snapped and teenager kept running, the broken purse lying close to her. The people continued to surge forward, moving around her like a river would to a boulder. And he watched it all happen right before his eyes.

His inner instinct drove him to walk faster, trying to get to her to help. But with each step he doubted everything he was doing and his intentions. Surely a nice man or kind woman would bend down to help her instead of allowing her to sit on the cold, damp ground. After all, he was just some kid out of school that was living life from job to job. He was nothing special in his own eyes. But as he got closer and the toe of his right shoe touched her purse, he acted outside of all the doubts. He bent down and scooped it up before holding out a hand to her.

She looked up at him with a surprised expression before smiling sweetly and allowing him to help her stand back up. He handed her the bag and she took it. Placing her bag on her shoulder, she brushed back her hair behind one of her ears. Her eyes looked into his and if only he knew of what she saw. Those deep brown eyes with the irises rimmed in a green so dark that it was almost black were like a forest to her. The rays of light darting around the clouds made the natural blond in his brown hair stand out, seemingly making it glow. The sun-kissed hands that had handed her the bag and brushed against hers was rough and calloused - yet gentle and kind all the same. She had paid no heed to his clothes, but sought out his face; looking for a smile. And although it was hidden from her behind nervousness she saw the smile in his eyes.

Brushing herself off, she stretched out her hand. He stared down at it for just a second before he took her hand, shaking it. As his gaze lifted and they locked eyes, she leaned forward, "Thank you that was very kind of you. I didn't expect anyone to stop."

Time froze and those that walked around them were muddy grays compared to their color. She wasn't a faceless person any longer. Her blonde hair curled about her shoulders clad in a deep maroon jacket. Black buttons met in the middle and covered the rest of her white blouse. A knee-length skirt the same color as her jacket hugged her slender legs ending in a pair of red heels. Her bright blue eyes vanished as she blinked and slid her hand away.

He smiled back at her in that last moment as she stepped to the side and strode around him. Even as she left his vision he stayed still, mind reeling, for she had opened the door to the fortress he had built up. All that remained for him to step out of it and take flight – just like a bird escaping its cage.