The Pedestrian - Ray Bradbury

This is a short story about a lonely man who named Leonard Mead who had no one in this world. He loves to go out at night and stand at the sidewalk of an intersection and look down the street in all four directions. He would let his heart decide which direction he would go and and standing for a while, he begins walking his lonesome walk.

There was nights when he would walk for miles and not return home until midnight. One November night, it was chillier out than usual and Leonard was walking in a westerly direction. He regularly talked to the houses and asked what was on tv, or he would ask the house the time. He has been walking every night for almost ten years and has never seen anyone else walking

On this night, he was almost home when he heard a faint voice that told him to halt. He stopped and before he could say "but" the voice said "hands up or we'll shoot." He quickly discovered this was the police, but he thought to himself that he hasn't done anything wrong. The policeman asked for his name and Leonard told him. He then asked him other questions such as where he lived, and what his profession was with the light still on him and the gun still pointed.

He asked Leonard what he was doing out this late and he simply replied that he was walking. The policeman was puzzled and asked why he was walking. Leonard said it was for air and to "see". The policeman then asked why he couldn't get air from his house. The policeman continued to ask meaningless questions such as where he lived, and if he was married and continuously asked why he was walking.

The policeman ordered him to get in the back of the car, although reluctant Leonard obeyed and got in. He protested, but it didn't help. He asked the man where he was taking him and the policeman said to the "Psychiatric Center for Research on Progressive Tendencies." As they passed Leonard's house, he told the man that it was his house but no one answered. The car continued to move down the road. There was no more sound for the rest of that November night.