The hole in the world

The sun bleaches the earth
The towers of the city a short way on
Here the buildings squat in the light
Three and four floors
Some five
Glass
Bare barren earth by the road
Lifeless trees at regular intervals
Citizens moving across the concrete
Flat even stones
Pillars of steel
Illumination
Then a figure stops
Meters from where he stands he observes a man
Walking onto the road
A car passes through his body
He continues to walk
When he passes by the citizens they disappear
Then emerge again as they go
The man walks slowly
With no face
He walks along irregular lines
Ignoring the quiet rules of the streets
The citizens and the spaces they move through
The figure stares
Citizens touching him as they pass
Some few muttered words from their throats
He steps forward then
Walks towards the man
The sound of a car
Hesitation
He breaks sight of the man to observe the car as it passes on the street
Fears that when he looks back, the man will be gone
Crossing the road
The man remains
Moving over the pavement
The figure picks his way through the citizens
Slowly approaching the man
Stops in his path
The man steps through the body of the figure
Continues
The figure turns
Shifting of weight
Falls into step behind the man
After two steps the figure becomes aware of the sun
The shadows on the ground do not move
Even so tiny a halt can be felt
Raising his eyes to the back of the man’s head, he observes no figures in his peripheral vision
Walking slowly
He turns his head
Nothing
The brightness of the street lit by the sun
He hears his footsteps
The footsteps of the man
Even
Step
Step
Step
He continues to walk
Across the city in the irregular path of the man
Quiet save for an irregular breeze
Then the man stops
The figure stops
The man turns around
Blinks
— I see you.
A low, even voice
The figure pans his head
Observes the empty spaces
The reflection of the sun in a window
The tightening of the outer corners of the eyes
Tension in the muscles over the cheekbones
Then returns to the man
— | – You are a hole in the world.
Stillness
He stares
— | – I go from one place to another.
Stare
Blink
The man turns around
Begins to walk
The figure observes him
Slowly as he moves
Then turns to the side
Twisting of the body
Lower torso following
Then begins to walk
The sun doesn’t move
Footfalls are not a measure of time
The figure stops
Pans his head
Empty streets
Nothing
Then it is night