The Odd One Out

He stared around desperately, trying to make eye contact with someone, anyone at all. But all that's in sight was a still picture of bowed heads, not a sign of movement except the frantic tapping of their thumbs on screens was made. The cold attack from the air conditioner hit his face like an avalanche, he shivered and held his arm up to block off the chill.

The train slowed its pace, he murmured a few excuse me's while getting some impatient glares and hasty shifts through the crowd before he reached the exit of the cabin. The doors slid open and he stepped out on the platform with a sigh of relief, he finally made his escape from the suffocating silence and the artificial temperature.

It was nice weather, least appreciated by most people, but he took on a smile and galloped delightfully under the cloudless sky where others would avoid by hiding into a shopping mall or staying at home. With the faintest idea of how his hike today was going to be like, he set off in a hurry, carrying a full rack sack and his hiking gear ready at hand.

The streets were empty, car parks were unoccupied and piles of dried up leaves were sitting solidly at every corner, long ago abandoned by janitors. He left trails on the road where the thick dust settled after his footprints.

It was half an hour later he saw the first few pedestrians, walking briskly with their heads down, eyes glued to the precious treasure on their hands, that is their phones.

More people walked by with the same posture, he frowned at modern people's obsession with technology, would their necks ever feel sore?

Not paying mind to his path, he stepped on something hard and rough. Staring down at the object, he kneeled to pick up the broken fragments of what seemed like the latest model of smartphone. The glass on the surface cracked and parts of the edges were missing, the lean thin case was now a crooked bent gadget.

'What are you doing with my phone?' An explosion of rage was heard in a woman voice, she was a tiny middle-aged lady with the face of a rat, who started stomping towards him.

'Is this your...'

'Give it back to me you son of a bitch!'

A couple of passerby stopped and observed this unusual encounter, a small crowd slowly formed itself in the middle of the avenue.

The tension built up and he felt sweat running down his back and neck, he handed out the broken phone on a trembling palm.

'You stepped on it?' The woman gasped with all her might, extreme hostility was dripping in her accusation.

'I... No, I didn't!' Stumbling through the right words, he panicked being in the center of attention, the disapproving looks on their faces were all targeted on this helpless prey.

'You can't deny what you just did! Pay me back what it costs!' Demanded the woman furiously, in the meantime more audience gathered around, some even started taping the argument with the camera on their phones.

'Yeah... Sure...' He was physically shaking against his own will now, the intimidation of their weapons held in hand was a tremendous threat to him, he lowered his head and let the humiliation pour down on him.

'500 bucks. Right. Now. ' her eyes were a piece of burning white coal, melting him bit by bit...

Pulling out from his pocket, he lost his grip on his wallet and it fell on the floor. A roar of laughter emerged from his surroundings and he felt like a circus clown, making a joke of himself on stage.

Couching cautiously, he picked up the wallet and was about to pay his debt, he kept his head drooped, careful not to meet anyone's eyes. Slipping 500 bucks out of his wallet, he was so not proud of giving in, a disgusted expression spread across his features.

Without saying anything more, the woman aggressively snatched the dollar bill out of his grasp and stomped away, and with that, the crowd dissembled like evaporating smoke.