People watching at Kroger –
The unnamed woman’s face wrinkled as she stared off into the distance of the vegetable aisle. The sides of her eyes crinkling as if she’s had a lifetime of smiling. Leaving her with the subtle hints of age. The crow’s feet around her eyes could invite people in, as they seemed to make her approachable. But her eyes said something different. They were vacant and shadowed. Unassociated with the chaos around her. Despite the blue color that sounded her iris, her eyes seemed to dull in Kroger’s bright lights. The bags under them heavy with sleep, and her mascara slightly smudged beneath her right eye.
She wore a blue and white surgical mask, one commonly sold in grocery stores and gas stations. But her scrubs hinted that she wore it more professionally. Attached to her pocket was a name tagged, flipped around, so only visible was the blank white space.
Bodies attempted to push past her prone body. Yet, she never moved a muscle. Her body not even swaying despite the turmoil around her.
There was nothing in her hands, besides a single basket that rested limply in them. The green, standard Kroger container itself being empty despite the options of foods that surrounded her.
A man coughed nearby. Causing her eyes to slowly start to focus on the produce in front of her. The gears in her mind working as she shook her head back and forth and lazily cracked her neck.
She reached up and rubbed her eyes, hands slightly trembling, and came to the realization she had zoned out. Noticing the chaos around her, she turned around fast and walked to another aisle.
She never added anything to her basket.
Mackenzie Reese 
Leave a Reply