Clenched fists, thumbs in, make room, then wrists turned inwards and work the hands out. there. You’ve done it before. Cars still raced underneath her infrequently, it had gotten colder and goosebumps stood out on her arms in sharp relief. Now the shakes come in earnest. She closed her eyes and let herself breathe deeply, lungs feeling big enough to let her hold it forever, she could feel her heart beating in her wrist, stealing fingers around to press against the pulse. Just get the thumbs out, pull, pull. Now the shakes come in earnest. Binge reading erotica until it seemed like her brain would melt. It took two buses to get to the highway, her curled up in the back seat, blinking against the fluorescent glare. Stumbling down the aisle, automatically thanking the driver, down the steps. No more than fifty metres away, a cop car, lights flashing. A car pulls over and she half sits, half falls into the seat, mumbles the name of her city.
