I moved to the left and they matched my motion. I was busy watching their feet, but now that I make eye contact I see that they’re looking over my right shoulder. So that would be their next move.
“Oup,” I said as we drew closer.
I wanted to stay out of their way, but involuntarily I deked slightly to the right before I could stop myself. My mouth was an apologetic line, as I started to lift my left arm, and then correcting to my right, to indicate I was committing to this path. Are you committed to this path? I just want to get by, but appearing to commit might help with that - just pick a side and stick to it.
“Ou,” they said, eyes widening as we drew ever closer in the narrow hallway.
But they had already started to move towards the right side (my right, their left) of the hallway. One of their feet angled slightly inward, as if they were going to switch back to the left, but the other foot launched them decidedly onto the right track - and on a collision course with me.
I stuck my hand out like a blade, as if I were trying to slice into the thin space between their left shoulder and the side of the hallway. Even if I did try to squeeze by them, there was a cork board full a posted paper notices at the point where we would meet, so I would likely take that down with me as I went by. Go left no, then we’ll both go left. I should just stick to the right and they will eventually switch back - just like we’ve done the past three times.
This is silly, I thought, as we approached the point of no return. I started to move back to the left, just as their right foot angled in that same direction—
Mercifully, the building collapsed at this point, saving us both the embarrassment of colliding in the hallway. We did, however, end up spending the next eight hours trapped under rubble until rescue arrived. But that was a lot less awkward.