They surged at the fence line trying to get their piece of Ty. He felt a variety of hands tugging at his shirt, arms, anything they could grasp. The exploding flashes of cameras and the large lights set up by the networks were blinding.
Questions erupted from all corners along with the inevitable declarations of adoration. Everyone shouting about love. He tried to keep his expression blank, but couldn’t keep a smile from twitching at the corner of his mouth.
If they knew where his mind was, they’d be surprised. That’s what caused the hint of a smile. He wasn’t there with them. He didn’t see them. Instead, his mind was on the water. He was sitting on the weather-beaten wood of the deck, legs dangling off the side, watching as the summer sun burned its way down to the horizon.
It was so quiet there. The night sounds of the forest were beginning to creep in as the lapping of the waves began to take minds towards sleep, but there was no constant press of sound. It wasn’t the city. Instead of being lost in a mass of humanity, concrete and noise, one could get lost in the silence. It stretched on as far as the ear could hear. It’s why he went awayin his mind.
What surrounded him now was chaos. If his mind were present, he would have shook his head at the madness of it all. These people were vultures searching for footage to add to their unfounded hot takes or else trying to create their own 15 minutes of fame.
He didn’t want it to register. He couldn’t let it register. Ty was about to be judged by a jury of his “peers,” and if he thought too hard about them, he’d lose hope.
