253

[This was an exercise for my writing class; it’s based on the online novel “253” by Geoff Ryman. The idea for this project was to write a short character description following Ryman’s format in 253 words. 253 is the number of passengers aboard a typical Bakerloo line train. Geoff Ryman describes each one of these fictitious characters, first in their outward appearance, then in terms of inside information and finally he writes about what she/he is thinking or doing. I highly recommend you go to: www.ryman-novel.com; it’s a fun read!]

Mr Blake Lewis

Outward Appearance
Round featured, with soft ‘mushy’ lips and a bulbous nose. Dressed to look ‘cool’ in an indie sort of way. He carries a used supermarket bag which he twirls around nonchalantly, but not really.

Inside Information
He’s an artist. A painter and student at the Royal Academy of Arts. His favourite subjects are electrical appliances.
Blake’s heart has never been broken, his breath never taken away.
What he is thinking or doing
In the bag is something precious; a secret perhaps.
Blake’s an only child. Born to non-demonstrative parents; “very English middle class” as his friend Paul once put it. He’s reserved, but his aloof demeanour makes his arty. He’s ashamed of his ordinary beginnings: couldn’t he have been the son of a rockstar, or a homeless man?
He uses stories like this to attract the ladies. They seem drawn to his detached persona, gluttons for disregard and punishment. He despises these women, exploits them for pleasure and abandon.
The theme for his next project at the academy is a woman’s love. His tutors have pushed him to explore unknown territory.
He left home today at 4am, headed for Smithfield’s meat market. It’s now 5:23, and in his bag is not what he had intended to buy. He set out to find a fresh cow’s heart as a starting piece for his romantic reverie. Instead, he chose lungs, deemed a more exact gauge of love. “For”, he thought in his cheesy poetic internal voice, “what’s more urgent and vital than oxygen”. He recognized this feeling as what he felt for Anne.