The Road Monologue
I can see it in their movements- her fingertips lingering on his arm, his eyes tracing the contours of her face, the way they walk leaning in towards one another, as close as they can be without touching. I can hear it in their voices- her tone, his inflection, the way they speak in unison, hardly acknowledging it, as though it’s a common occurrence. I can practically smell it on them- the stench of it clings to their clothes, seeps from their pores, staining the air around them with its toxicity.
This sickening abnormality, glaringly obvious, makes me want to avert my gaze, to turn my back, to feign ignorance, but I can’t. They stroll along the cobblestone pavement, oblivious, sneaking sidelong glances when they think no-one’s watching, entwining …show more content…
As the train jolts to a stop, they stand and make their way leisurely onto the station’s platform. Waiting a few seconds before trailing after them, I maintain a larger distance between us to prevent suspicions being aroused any further. The girl shoots a look over her shoulder, but manages to miss me amongst the crowd, her eyes sweeping over me without a hint of recognition. Her face slackens, warm relief flooding her eyes, the tension knotted between her shoulder blades loosening visibly.
In the sea of people, they stand apart from the rest, making them easy to surveil. They walk differently to the others- there’s an odd lightness to their steps, as if their feet never quite touch the ground, as though they’re not completely present in reality. Disconcertingly, they don’t follow the uniform lines of human traffic as all the others do.
They amble up the escalator and out of the station, and I follow suit. The air is cool now- the sun is a mere slit of champagne light on the horizon- and the boy drapes an insouciant arm across his companion’s shoulders, pulling her closer, whispering something in her ear. She laughs jarringly, taking me completely aback. Their blithe nature is bewildering. There’re several others around still. Why aren’t they being more
This sickening abnormality, glaringly obvious, makes me want to avert my gaze, to turn my back, to feign ignorance, but I can’t. They stroll along the cobblestone pavement, oblivious, sneaking sidelong glances when they think no-one’s watching, entwining …show more content…
As the train jolts to a stop, they stand and make their way leisurely onto the station’s platform. Waiting a few seconds before trailing after them, I maintain a larger distance between us to prevent suspicions being aroused any further. The girl shoots a look over her shoulder, but manages to miss me amongst the crowd, her eyes sweeping over me without a hint of recognition. Her face slackens, warm relief flooding her eyes, the tension knotted between her shoulder blades loosening visibly.
In the sea of people, they stand apart from the rest, making them easy to surveil. They walk differently to the others- there’s an odd lightness to their steps, as if their feet never quite touch the ground, as though they’re not completely present in reality. Disconcertingly, they don’t follow the uniform lines of human traffic as all the others do.
They amble up the escalator and out of the station, and I follow suit. The air is cool now- the sun is a mere slit of champagne light on the horizon- and the boy drapes an insouciant arm across his companion’s shoulders, pulling her closer, whispering something in her ear. She laughs jarringly, taking me completely aback. Their blithe nature is bewildering. There’re several others around still. Why aren’t they being more