Lost in Night Shifts

I work nights at a factory and it's so lonely. The machines humming around me keep me company but they can't understand my silence. Lately, I've started this weird thing where I imagine someone older taking care of me, like a protector or a guide. It feels like I'm admitting something shameful when really, it's just... human to crave connection, even if it's imaginary. Tonight, while on break, I played out this fantasy with an older man comforting me, and it made the loneliness bearable for a moment. But then reality hit hard, and the factory lights felt colder than ever.