My name is Anna Wolf and I am not crazy. I am free. Find me and I will take away your fear. I will set you free.

When she had enough copies of the letter, she set to posting them around her building. She posted one at the bus stop, one in the lobby of her former workplace, and one on a bench where her office met every day for lunch. She posted one on every telephone pole along the evening running path.

Anna was aware that it would be overlooked. The city would sit next to it, run past it, lean against it, and never know it existed. At first. Then a few would take notice. It was something new after all. A change. In this world, nothing ever changed. Just as she stood out as different, her letter would too.

It was only a first step, though. A few would remember bits and pieces, they would begin to question, but then the fear would draw them back in. To ignore the fear was to feel its full wrath. Without support, they would slink back to the safety of ritual. She had been there and she knew how terrifying it could be. She had to fight with them. She had to show them that change was possible and there was more to the world than the fear.

The best place to start was the office. They had already seen her change. They would be more willing to believe. She couldn’t actually go in the building. Too many people would notice her there. Instead, she hovered outside, waiting for quarter-past-twelve. The magic number that signaled lunch time.

She saw the first group of women exit the building, all with small paper bags guaranteed to hold turkey and swiss, dry, on whole wheat. How she despised that sandwich. She followed them across the street to their benches. They had yet to notice the letter. It wasn’t part of the plan or part of the schedule, so they didn’t care.

Anna had brought her own bag with her. Inside was tuna salad on pumpernickel toast. The smell hit the group first. Their nostrils filled with something pungent and unfamiliar, startling a few enough to glance around. Then they saw the bread. A rich, dark brown color. They heard the crunch as Anna bit into a corner. Celery and crisp, toasted crust.

Anna could see that heavy shadow of fear swallow the women. They immediately turned away and bit into their own, safe sandwiches. All but one, who continued to stare. Anna jumped on the opportunity and shifted closer to her.

“Would you like to try a bite? I have more here than I can finish on my own.”

The fear crept into the woman’s face. The anxiety rushed up her spine, the heat flushed her cheeks, the cold sweat dotted her forehead. But something else was there as well, holding the fear back. Curiosity.