An industrial area at night is a ghost town. Hollow and empty. Signs of the mundane life it lived through the day now just forgotten litter.
The freeway rumbles in the distance. The Friday crowds going to and fro. The hard workers crawling home to domestic bliss. The stressed out bliss they kept working those extra few hours to avoid. Heading in the opposite direction, the party people who rushed home early to buff and polish to hide the flaws and pad their self esteem. Both add to the rumble in equal measure and trepidation of what waits at their destination.
kitty ground her teeth, her mouth curled into pensive nervousness. A quick check of the phone to quintuple check the clock. A couple of deep breaths; a quick look in the makeup mirror; a taste of her upper lip and a bite of the lower one. Eyes lowered in determination as the car door handle is pulled firmly. The cooler air caresses her face and her upper thigh as it flashes between skirt and stocking. The car door thumps close behind her as she walks clip clop towards the pedestrian bridge.
The staccato steps play toward the metal structure hovering over the oblivious traffic. The smell of sulfur and burnt rubber gets stronger. The air gets heavier. The rumble rolls into a dull roar.
Sand grinds underfoot as kitty strides up the stairs onto the bridge. The cage surrounding the bridge makes the open air confining and each step echoes along the metal.
The headlights below show through the mesh. The metal barrier put there to stop things falling onto the tarmac and obstructing the rhythmic flow. In the past rocks, bottles, timber would occasionally rain down reeking destruction -- once a body fell. The cage now kept the travelers safe. Why did it make a walk across so ... uncomfortable? Half way across the traffic heading North she stopped facing the city flow. Hands up beside her face, fingers entwine in the mesh, solid stance, feet shoulder width apart. This is where she was supposed to stop. To stop and wait.
Her eyes were supposed to be closed but she kept them open. Watching, hearing, smelling the stream of vehicles below. The air was tepid and thick. She reviewed her instructions in her mind -- she had gone over them so many times. Right place. Right time. Right clothes. Right attitude.
Movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone moving across from the other side of the bridge. Unlike her clip clop of heels they are quiet, silent, purposeful. Now is the time to turn and go she thought. Anything could happen. The fingers hold her to the mesh not letting go. She couldn't close her eyes though -- that was the deal she was breaking -- not yet. Lights and movement below, breathing getting heavier. Mouth getting dry. Lips licked and saliva swallowed.
He moved closer and stopped casually leaning, his back to the mesh. "Close your eyes kitty" he said. She just stared ahead fingers gripping metal tightly. His body and face a blur as the racing metal below hypnotized her gaze.
His nails trace across the metal lattice to her left hand then trail to her wrist and along her arm slowly to her shoulder. The cars below roar past. Across her back to the other shoulder as he moves behind. She feels the heat from his body as he lingers past. He must have changed hands as his nails glide down her right arm to her wrist. Her body tense with anticipation.
Right hand envelopes right. Left envelopes left. She could feel him breathe. Deep slow breaths. Fingertips move up her arms light and barely moving the fine hair on her forearms. Up her arms almost tickling to her neck. Slow movements to her nape up to her hair. Fingers passing through dark locks. A caress of a cheek. A finger slides across her lower lip then outlines her jaw.
