He allowed himself to feel angry, to let it show on his face, in everything he did. His face felt hot, and he felt the negative energy radiating out from his body in waves, affecting the people around him. He caught a glimpse of fear in the eyes of the people walking the opposite way, a risked glance and the hurried manner with which they moved on. He enjoyed it, and he fed off the perverse joy and the sense of power it gave him.
The strains of a melancholy song filtered into his ear, and his anger slowly dissipated, replaced by an overwhelming sense of emptiness. life is always hard, the song reminded him, and he slowed his walk to a hopeless amble, all fury spent.
He plodded his way to the mall, streams of people flowing and ebbing around him like the tide. Rushing and bending their way around him, heedless emotionless water. His eyes opened only so he could see where he was going, colours whirled around him but he saw nothing.
He saw...a man on a wheelchair, like him, marooned in the mass of people, a static island in the river currents, a stark figure of loneliness. Ignored by all, seen by none.
He moved slowly past a gesturing woman in her 40s, faint lines showing on her face as she held out flyers for him, oblivious to his lack of interest in her and the world at large. A few metres ahead he saw her colleague, a girl, young but older than him.
She looked right at him, her brown eyes studying him carefully. They locked eyes for a moment, and in her eyes he saw an understanding. He nearly stopped right there as they shared that small moment, the people around them oblivious to the change in him. After that moment which felt like forever, she gave him a considered smile and offered him a flyer. He took it.
He entered the shopping centre, he trudged up the stairs aimlessly, he wasn't too sure where he was going, he just knew that he had to keep moving. Just then another song started up, a song of encouragement, of empathy. Face tomorrow, tomorrow's not yesterday, the song urged him.
Pretty please, I know it's a drag,
He surrendered himself to the music, it was his only comfort now,
Wipe your eyes, and put out your head
Wish you could be happy instead
Closing his eyes he tried to remember, a different time, he couldn't really, but for a brief moment he saw a bright future, a future of hope.
There's nothing else I can do
But love you the best that I ca-
And that was it, he broke. Tears brimming, he finally fell, sinking to his feet in desperation. He cried, for all to see.
And the whole world stopped and stared.
