No One Noticed

By Kate Entis ‘20

VERSION 1
She was in the middle of a crowded area just sitting on the floor. Herds of people were flooding in around her, but she didn't care. It was difficult for people to notice her in her neat, dark clothing. Nothing about her directly jumped out at people, so they all kept walking into her. They were yelling at her as they tripped over her or kicked her mid stride, but all she could focus on was a small ant walking across the floor. She saved that ant’s life, repeatedly stopping people from stepping on its unnoticeably small body. Its thin, dark features blend seamlessly into the floor. She got a text from her sister telling her to come to the car. Before she stood up to leave, she delicately brought her finger, waving at it before her departure, until she pressed her finger into the ant with all the force she had. She stood up and cautiously made her way through the crowd to the parking lot.

She spotted her sister’s car and walked over to it, just nearly dodging multiple drivers who somehow could not spot her walking in broad daylight. She got into the car and her sister asked her if she had found anything cool to buy in the mall. Her sister had given her twenty dollars to shop for a birthday present for their mother, but she hadn’t even looked. She forgot why she went in there. She told her sister that she just couldn't quite find the right present. Her sister was obviously upset, but she would never show it. They would just have to come back tomorrow and live this same old day all over again. She was usually nice to her sister, but this disappointment made her want to explode. She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't contain herself. She burst into tears. She knew her sister would not want to deal with this, so she just turned away and stared out the window all the way home. Right when they got home she jumped out of the car and ran to her room. Only there, in her own private space, could she let out her disappointment in herself.

VERSION 2

She was in the middle of a crowded area just sitting on the floor. Herds of people were flooding in around her, but she didn't care. It was difficult for people to notice her in her neat, dark clothing. Nothing about her jumped out at people, so they all kept walking by her. They were yelling at her as they tripped over her or kicked her mid stride, but all she could focus on was a small ant walking across the floor. She saved that ant’s life, repeatedly stopping people from stepping on its unnoticeably small body. Its neat, dark features blended seamlessly into the floor. She got a text from her sister telling her to come to the car. Before she stood up to leave, she delicately brought her finger up to the ant, waving at it before her departure, until she pressed her finger into the ant with all the force she had. She stood up and cautiously made her way through the crowd to the parking lot.

She spotted her sister’s car and walked over to it, just nearly dodging multiple drivers who could not spot her walking in broad daylight. She got into the car and her sister asked her if she had found anything cool to buy in the mall. Her sister had given her twenty dollars to shop for a birthday present for their mother, but she hadn’t even looked. She forgot why she went in there. She was too captivated by that ant. She told her sister that she just couldn't quite find the right present. Her sister was obviously upset. Her sister would never want to outwardly show her disappointment, but there was a slight crack in her otherwise solid expression. They would just have to come back tomorrow and live this same old day all over again. She was usually nice to her sister, but this disappointment made her want to explode. She tried to hold it in, but she couldn't contain herself. A few tears forced their way down her cheeks. She knew her sister would not want to deal with this. She just turned away and stared out the window all the way home so that her sister could not see her. She tried to distract herself. She watched the trees and the houses blurring by, but her eyes stopped on the people. The people in the windows, cooking dinner for their family or watching tv, or the people in their yards, mowing the lawn or playing with their dogs. Those were the only things she could see clearly. The car stopped. She jumped out of the car and ran to her room. Only there, in her own private space, could she let out her disappointment in herself.

She tried to think of the ant crawling in her hands. She thought about all those people walking by it, not even caring if they end its little life. She cared, but that didn't matter. One person can't change the outcome. She wished that she could make them all care. She wished that they could all have those little legs crawling across their arms, just so they know that someone is there. She wished they could feel the tickle of their march in hundreds of neat lines across their skin. Then they would notice. Then they would care.

“Honey, it’s time for dinner,” her mother called up the stairs.

She was forced back into reality. She yelled down that she would be there in a minute. She looked down to see swarms of ants crawling up her legs. She brushed them off and trudged down the stairs to meet her family for dinner.

Photography by Sophie Stein ‘21