Beautifully Focused

 Kiesha stepped out of her moms

 house

 with earbuds

 in her ears because she

 did not feel like hearing weirdos

 begging

 her for

 attention as she went

on her merry way. The sun greeted her

 like

 unpaid bill.

 Her neighborhood

 was quiet, but she knew it wasn’t

going to

 stay that

 way for long because

 the crackheads usually leave their

houses

 around 11:00

 am and it was 11:30am

Thirty seconds into her walk, she

 saw him:

 a creature

wandering toward her

like he really did not have anywhere

 to go.

 He had on a

 white muscle shirt

 but there were no muscles so there

 was a

sort of muscular

 confusion. He also

 had on cargo shorts that looked three

sizes

to big.He was

suspicious.


 Kiesha was seasoned in dodging

 sidewalk

dilemmas,

 When

 the creature spoke she

 gave him the same attention she'd

give a

parking

 meter: none.

In her mind, she

 imagined him back in his habitat—an open

 field

with tire swings,

chicken nuggets

 falling from trees, and a radio playing

Gregorian

chants

 remixed with trap beats.

 There, he could thrive. But not here.

Not with her.

Two blocks later, his cousin—a spiritual

 twin in

neon

 sneakers—made his approach.

This one had a Bluetooth headset and

spoke

entirely

 in recycled

 pickup lines.

  Kiesha didn’t flinch. She pictured

him in

 distant zoo exhibit

 labeled: “Male

Homo Distractus – Warning: Loud

Footwear,

 Low Insight.” 

She breezed past like a goddess in

sneakers.

That night, Kiesha curled into bed,

 proud of

her

 composure. But her

subconscious

had a script of its own. She dreamed

of a

stampede

—beasts with

 elongated arms and

designer tennis shoes chasing her

through

 Strip

Mall. They

 roared things like

 “Smile more!” and “You got a man?”

while

 juggling

 discount body

 oils and stolen

 candy bars.

She woke up mid-scream, tangled in her

blankets like

 they'd staged a mutiny.

 Breathing fast. But safe. Home. Alone.

 She smiled.

The

 creatures could chase her

 in dreams, sure. But in reality? She

had

the

 last laugh.

 And an electric scooter

 in the closet.

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