cameo

He takes a deep breath, sighs a white cloud humid against the twin panes of his glasses.

In front of him multi-colored cars, SUVs of every size and shape, yellow taxis

weaving in between, zipping by, blaring horns..

Slowly coming to a standstill. Everything slows down..

People yelling, people whispering, people huddled in corners, people laughing, people crying, people standing across the street,

beside, in front, behind, all around..

“Walk”

30…29…28…27…26…

He starts across.

20…19…18…17…16…15…

A Pause.

7…6…5…4…3…2…1…

Then

He’s running back the way he came.

Weaving in between businessmen speaking into phones, couples holding hands, a guy walking his dog, that girl running with her headphones in…

Zipping by strangers huddled close on benches waiting for the bus, newspaper stands, hot dogs, cafés…

The offended shouts of unfamiliars as he brushes, bumps, barrels past them

in a headlong rush to—

A slight breeze and the familiar, echoing cling-clang of metal on metal precede its arrival. 

The crowd shuffles forward; pressing in, a deluge of expensive scents, greasy perfumes, sweaty colognes.

The sliding doors open and the concourse surges forward..

A fleeting glance over her shoulder—

“Stop”

But he doesn’t have time.

Warning yells

A woman’s scream

Suddenly falling into the grey clouds, descending into the rain, into the mist..

Rolling into

a windshield & the shocked face of a stranger..

A moment to groan, then a limp forward

a few kinks—minor.

He surges forward into the watching crowd.

Finally, one more block—

one more corner.

The horde has grown thicker.

One final push & then he’s through

to stairs descending into the earth..

steps sinking into solid ground towards his only idea of heaven within his hell.

The rain leaves a coat of mist on the steps—

a misplaced foot and—

Nothing but faces, nothing but masks. 

A glance to the left only shows more faces, more masks descending the stairway..

Briefcases, backpacks, ratpacks, burlap sacks, plastic bags, chinese to-go boxes..

The overwhelming feeling of being overwhelmed..

A waft of rain-cleansed air flows from the stairway,

but the masses push forward towards the conditioned-air. 

She takes a step forward—

He catches himself on the shoulder of a black business suit,

but then the suit collapses,

shrugs him off,

he catches the leather of a briefcase on the way down—

A step off of the platform—

The case snaps open,

the crowd parts before him,

papers float beside him, slowly falling towards the sloping stairway..

As he looses what’s left of his footing he spares a despair-filled glance towards the train. Time stops as their eyes connect through the windows of closed doors. She lets loose a tear—presses a hand against the glass.

Then time resumes and his body hits the steps, papers and rain falling slowly, softly, quietly 

beside him; in front of him; around him; upon him..

washing the dream away.

I have about a day and a half left at home then I’m finally heading back to Tech. 

YAY!