(miniflash story)

Every morning, Alina woke up with a weight in her chest.

She couldn’t explain it — something heavy pressed down on her, yet doctors said she was perfectly healthy.

She went to classes, laughed with friends, even posted “happy” photos online. But every evening, when she was alone, she would reach into her pocket and hold an invisible stone in her hand.

That stone was the thoughts she never shared. The worries she never voiced. The doubts she hid even from herself.

One day, she made a decision.

She walked into a therapist’s office and simply said:

“I’ve been carrying something heavy with me for a long time. And I think I’m ready to put it down.”

That day, she left the room with empty pockets.

The stone stayed behind — in the words that were finally heard.

Moral: We all carry our own stones. But sometimes, just speaking up is enough to let them go. You don’t always have to be strong in silence.