The Reaping

“The Reaping”

a short story

Gary Baker, October 2012

Nym shuddered. The well-dressed woman passed by without regard, phasing through him like a gust of wind. He rest his eyes on Lindsay with sudden fear mirrored over her features. "El," Nym began, reaching his hand out to her.

"No!" She swatted his hand away with physical ease and turned her back to him before realizing what had just happened. Her eyes then welled up with tears as she looked back over to him.

No one else seemed to even deign to notice as they passed with their daily haste and need to be on time or something similar. When at last the current of bodies lulled again, Lindsay spoke again in a mere whisper of horror. "Why me?" She trembled on the ledge overlooking a small copse of trees beside a duck pond just meters off, appearing cold despite the warming weather.