The Crowd

The crowd surge forward. They all wear blue. Despite the uniformity, I pick out faces. Each expression is unique. I focus on a young man – his brown eyes are round and expectant. His childish complexion gives him a glow. I don’t want to see him dashed.

I find an older face, a woman’s face. The whole of her skin is a downward horseshoe and the years sit in its shape. I know she has felt that heavy kind of sorrow that drags on the body and shadows the soul. I feel for her, but I turn away.

I look for the links between bodies: arms touching, feet, just a step’s worth apart. I study movement and find the communal spirit to make progress, to follow. I raise my eyes and see the image of a man, projected on a white screen. He looks like a leader. I join the crowd.

K. S. Moore 2016

This piece of flash fiction was inspired by a picture of a group of people, which I found on the Internet.  The whole picture had a dark blue shade to it and it was nearly impossible to find any differences between the people.  It made me think about ‘crowd mentality’ and the human need to be with and move forward with others, also, the need to identify a leader, to look up to and follow a person or at least a set of values.  I wanted to capture a sense of aspiration, but highlight the lack of confidence or motivation to stand out from others.