The cold night pressed down on Helen as she searched for cover in the desolate, oil-stained parking lot, with the threat of rain looming above.

If only someone could see how lost I am, she thought. A deep loneliness settled over her. The gritty tarmac was cold against Helen's skin as she sat, defeated. Hunger gnawed at her, a constant reminder of her fruitless search for shelter.

She hugged her knees to her chest, whispering "I'm so alone. I don't know what to do." The ghosts of her past danced in her mind as she sat. "How did this happen to me?" she whispered.

Lost in thought about where she'd sleep for the night, Helen was startled by a shadow that stretched across the parking lot from the other side.

"Hey, don't suppose you could spare some change, please I haven't eaten properly for a few days" Helen shouts begging to be noticed.