Summary: The Pedestrian

Aarav Patel

Ms. Alkalay English: Block C 2/29/24 A continuation of the short story “The Pedestrian” No Escape; Or is There. The car moved down the empty river-bed streets and off away, leaving the empty streets with the empty side-walks and no sound and no motion all the rest of the chill November night. As Leonard Mead looked out of the window for the first time, he felt a shiver run down his spine. The sight that lay ahead of him was eerie and unsettling. The city, once bustling with life and people, is now hushed and creepy. The only source of light was a single window, glowing faintly in the dark like the glow of a distant star. “Welcome to the Psychiatric Center for Research on Regressive Tendencies,” echoed the metallic voice of the car. An odd
He looked about 6 ft, his head looked square and his legs stiff. All of a sudden, five other odd-looking creatures circled around Leonard. The message was clear, there was no escape. When the creatures moved into the light, Leonard could see they were not people, but robots. “Follow me,” the robot said as his sharp voice pierced through the silent night. The robot took Leonard on a stroll through the building as the gate followed behind Leonard, its metal sound scraping against the concrete ground. Leonard looked from his left to his right and saw people lying on beds and hooked up to wires. “Lay down in bed,” the robot said. Leonard could see no other option, so he laid down. He started to wonder what was in store for his future when a person dressed in green scrubs came into the room. “Name,” she said, he said. “Leonard Mead.” “What was your crime?” “Crime? I didn’t commit a crime,” answered Leonard, feeling as if somebody had told him the world was going to explode. She sighed in annoyance. “What was his crime,” she told the robot. “Mr Leonard Mead broke the curfew while taking a stroll around eight-thirty pm today,” the robot answered. This made Leonard even more bewildered. He did not know there