She falls, tripping to her feet as she is spat onto the sidewalk, her failing footsteps stealing the little confidence she had remaining.
As she regains her balance and lifts her head, she is hit by a million different colours all the same.
An explosion of light hits her eyeballs. Terrifed she closes her eyes against the invasion.
As her senses begin to pick up she becomes aware of ten thousand smells, each one more foul than the last.
She shudders and tries to shrink into her skin afraid that this awful beast will swallow her whole.
Grasping at any straw she can, she stumbles on her way, and the colourful smells flash by her oblivious of anything but their own paralysing noise.
The palms of her hands start to tingle as the dank heavy air falls around her, seeping though her clothes, through her clenched teeth
making her splutter and cough, as she seems to taste a hundred cigarettes all at once.
She stops this time.
Unable to carry this burden she begins to cry hopelessly, a gasp of desparation escapes her lips, she is to tired to find a way through this pain.
As she raises her head to wipe away the tears, a transformation overcomes the girl.
She regains composure, stands and straightens her clothes, a smile slowly spreading across her face.
She resumes her travel, this time with purpose, recognition and a spring in her step.
As she walks the colours come alive with the sweet taste of freedom, the air loaded with the musky scent of flowers caresses her.
The noises she feared so greatly a few seconds ago have become expressions of life and harmony.
She arrives breathless, flushed and exhausted at her destination, almost skipping into the building that awaits her.
She has finally found what she was looking for.
For now she chooses to
forget that tomorrow will bring the same
ordeal.
She doesn't think about yesterday, yesterday is
gone, and tomorrow, tomorrow may
never come.
I thought this node up, when walking to work this morning after nearly falling off the bus.