The gap between Joe’s growing desperation and the city’s unyielding pace widened, a stark reminder of the isolation that can exist amidst the chaos of urban life. One of the people who passed by was a young woman named Lisa. She caught sight of Joe lying on the sidewalk from the corner of her eye, his still form starkly contrasting with the frenetic activity around him.
The sight was jarring enough that she nudged her friends, drawing their attention to Joe. Her gesture was met with a quick and dismissive response from her companions. They glanced over but, finding no immediate relevance to their plans, were quick to brush off the scene as an inconsequential detail.