Silent Screams: A Homeless Man's Journey to Rediscovering Life

By Rahshad E. Francis

"Silent Screams" is a heartwarming story of redemption and second chances, emphasizing the power of empathy and compassion in the face of hopelessness

• Language: English
• Publisher: BooxAi
• Release date: Aug 5, 2023
• ISBN: 9789655783414

Book preview

Chapter 1

The Screaming Man

It was a hot summer day in downtown Manhattan and I was walking to my office when I heard someone screaming at the top of their lungs. I turned the corner and saw a man, disheveled and dirty, standing on the sidewalk and shouting into the empty street.

At first, I thought he might be crazy, but then I heard his words. I'm dead, he was saying. I'm a ghost. No one can see me or hear me. I'm invisible.

I approached him cautiously, not wanting to startle him. Hey, are you okay? I asked.

He turned to me, and I saw the pain in his eyes. I'm not okay, he said. I feel like I'm dead. Like I'm not even here.

I asked him his name, but he just shook his head. I don't have a name anymore, he said. I'm nobody.

I didn't know what to say to him, so I just stood there and listened to him scream. It went on for several minutes, and then he suddenly stopped and looked at me. Why are you still here? he asked. No one ever stays.

I'm here because I want to help, I said. What can I do for you?

He looked at me skeptically. You can't do anything, he said. No one can. 

I felt a pang of sadness in my chest. This man was clearly in a lot of pain, and I didn't know how to help him. But I wasn't going to give up on him just yet.

Can I at least sit down and talk with you? I asked, gesturing to a nearby bench.

He shrugged and sat down. I took a seat next to him, and we sat in silence for a few moments.

What happened to you? I finally asked.

He looked down at his hands. I lost everything, he said. My job, my house, my wife. I didn't have anyone else. I've been on the streets ever since.

I'm so sorry, I said. That must be really hard.

He scoffed. Hard? It's unbearable. I feel like I'm already dead.

I didn't know what to say to that. How do you respond to someone who feels like they're already dead? I just sat there and listened as he poured out his heart to me.

As we talked, I noticed that despite his rough exterior, he had a certain vulnerability about him. He seemed like he had been through a lot, but he was still trying to hold on. I didn't know how I could help him, but I knew I wanted to try.

We talked for a while longer, and eventually, he seemed to relax a bit. He even cracked a small smile when I told him a silly joke. It was a small victory, but it was something.

As I got up to leave, he looked up at me. Thank you for talking to me, he said. No one ever listens.

I'll listen anytime you want to talk, I said.

He nodded, and I walked away, knowing that I had made a connection with a man who had felt invisible for far too long.

Chapter 2

The Homeless Man

Over the next few weeks, I saw the screaming man several times. He was always in the same spot, shouting into the void. I began to wonder about him and his story.

One day, I decided to approach him again.