In His Wake

by Richard Rippon

He was given to ridiculous, overdramatic acts and this he did now, drawing a line in the dirt with the toe of his shoe. It made me think that this is what four years of study and employment in a bluechip company does for you; the total breakdown of common sense along with delusions of grandeur. "You must make a choice: either cross the line, come with me right now, or stay and find your own way," he says, like a politician might. Eyes dart from one person to another, then back to our nominal leader; who was going to commit, one way or the other? The last vestiges of sunlight, the chilled breeze and the rumblings from our collective stomachs seek to hasten a decision, but none arrives. "Look, the pizza place is this way, the curry house is down there... stay here and bloody freeze then;" he wanders toward his car, a small few of us shuffling in his wake.

6S

Richard Rippon lives in the North East of England. He has also appeared in Cautionary Tale and Mannequin Envy.