Rot

Their concerned faces stare at you like in dreams. Teeth fall out of your mouth. There are pains you daren't ask what they are; your body decomposes slowly, but not slowly enough.

We drove through the tunnel just as the sun was setting, and resurfaced in Battery Park where the buildings are so tall. As we made our way up the East side of the river, Brooklyn lay glowing in twilight, the bridges majestic and the skyscrapers of midtown vibrating in a welcoming hum. For a second I couldn't carry on the conversation. I just stared at each piece of this life sized puzzle, tried to memorize every square inch of the scene. I thought This is the only place I ever wanted to be and the thought of not being here seemed so impossible the future was made simple. My heart swelled with gratitude. We weaved back into the Midtown maze, gathered our things, carried on with our lives.

But not one corner of the image did I forget.