For an instant, a silence filled with dull claws. Then the thud, a yelp, the hollow thumping as the dog rolled under the bus. I watched the sound, a metallic heartbeat, traveling the length of concave floorboards, coming closer and closer to me until I wished I were deaf, until it vibrated beneath the soles of my shoes. Years later, there are still nights I see that dream approaching. When it reaches me, I let go, my bony elbows and knees rolling and rolling as it wraps around me choking and comforting like a blanket of exhaust.
Contributors retain all rights to their work.