Marketplace Mind: Fantasy

The clot formed around him before he was even aware he was in danger. One minute, he was weaving his way through a crowded marketplace, and the next, he was in hostile territory, surrounded by the enemy. A shop wife turned to him with murder in her eyes. A butcher set down the steak he was carving and began walking towards him. A small boy let the wheel he was rolling fly away but kept the stick and swung it at him. He had known there was a danger in coming to crowded places, but he'd been so lonely, he'd persisted despite it. He'd needed food, too. He'd told himself that the overmind wouldn't be able to spot him if he just acted normal and kept the visit short; in the past, the overmind hadn't kept such close tabs on tpeople. Maybe it suspected that he was in the vicinity, hiding out--

Inspiration: "thrombosis" and probably some leftover plot bits from Talyn.
Story Potential: High.
Notes: An interesting setting. Group-mind, hive-mind, benevolent, malevolent...not enough done with that, and certainly nothing by me.