PREY
by Victoria Nations

The fluorescents warn me
Teasing with flickering no one else can see
Rushing sounds in my head
Like
Hearing the ocean inside a shell
The vibrations push me
Threatening if I sway back and forth
To keep the seasick rhythm
So
I struggle to hold myself still
The air gets darker
Brightening the flashes
Sickening as a strobe
And
Somehow thudding
The weight presses
Squeezing air from my chest
Clamping down on my neck
And
Holding it at that awkward angle
I try to explain the claw points
Holding my fingers just so
Mixing up my words
So
I stop trying and wait for it to let go
My eyes squeezed shut
Hunched, one hand covering my head
The other fisted to my mouth
Like
That will make it forget me and move on