A/N: Written for the Diversity Writing Challenge, A56 – write a 400 word drabble.


Six Human World

It was almost silly to say he felt less lonely in a world that had only six humans in it than one filled with closer to six billion. But it was the truth. Though there were crowds, though the apartments were tightly wedged together and silence, true silence, was a non-existent thing, he'd been lonely. He was in crowds but not a part of them. The apartments were divided by walls and he didn't even know the people next door, let alone those on the other side of the complex. It was just him and his grandmother and mother and they were family. Family. Not friends. He hadn't had friends.

But in a world with only six people, there could only be friends, or enemies. And he'd been both. Sort of. But he was friends now and that was so special a thing he couldn't let go of it. He couldn't long to return, back to being a shadow that slipped through and was held up by a crowd that didn't see him, that didn't know him.

But it was different now. In a world with only six people, no-one could hide. Not for long. There were no crowds. Just individuals. Just six individuals. And six people could do what six billion could not. Connect. Communicate. Understand.

With six people, he couldn't drown in a crowd and in loneliness. It was not possible. Either he'd burn in enmity or he'd be wrapped soothingly in friendship. Or both. And he'd been both. The enemy, and then the friend. The lonely boy who'd become less lonely as a result.

And, in this world with six people, he wouldn't ever feel lonely again.

But after that? In that six billion one? Because a six person world wouldn't keep them forever. The crowds would file in between them, separate them. Maybe there were stronger bonds between others. Dragging them away. To different places. Bonds born from necessity would crumble. He would be alone again. Or maybe they'd stay firm, survive. Maybe they'd be six people, together, in that six billion people world. All of them lonely because six out of six billion was a pathetically small fraction, but they'd be together too.

Maybe, just maybe, that six billion people world wouldn't seem so lonely going back.

Maybe friendship was the sort of thing that could be shared with few and still eclipse the loneliness.