Placebo (part 2)

Standing outside, she rests her head against my shoulder.  I assess the rain.  A city like this is fit for strangers.  Looking down, I see an anchor reflected in the lights and puddles.  I feel seasick.  I wonder if there was something on her lips.  I’m imagining things.  Her lips aren’t pressed against my ear.  But, I can feel her breath.  I can hear the emotion.  I shake my head to clear the noise.  It’s painful.  I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut, willing everything away.  The raindrops are replaced with colored dots.  The lights are blinding. My head teeters and spins.  I feel nauseous.  The city is like a room full of empty faces. People you once knew but no longer recognize.  I feel her hand on my arm.  You walk through the room, but it’s like the room is walking around you.