moving. can’t stop moving.
running away from that place that had us. held us. captive.
reaching out, our hands find one another through the thick black. and I am thankful. just so damn thankful.
the sirens sound, and they know we’re gone. now we have to move faster. he’s faster than I am, now he’s dragging me. the air burns my lungs, sends sharp rain to my cheeks. puddles splash under our boots, soaking our legs. we don’t have time to shiver.
adrenaline carries us now, let’s hope it lasts.

~~~
back in the cage, they had told me of the world. how it had changed. how we had done it. how it was our fault. we all had killed it, changed it to what it now was.
death. dying. disease.
pain. sadness. excess.
need. want. desire.

they had told me all.

but then he had come to my cage.
pressed me against the wall, and told me the truth.
lips to my ear, hands on my hips, his voice… visceral to my soul.

“it’s in the water, baby. it’s in the pills that pick you up.
it’s in the water, baby. it’s in the special way we fuck”

tired of the mind games, veins aching from being tapped daily.
we saw no need to stay…

~~~

ducked into an alley, we've been waiting.
waiting for the sirens to stop screaming at us.
waiting for the search lights to shut off.
waiting for them to give up.

cold is felt now.
shivering in the dark, his voice...

"it's in the water, baby. it's in the pills that bring you down.
it's in the water, baby. it's in your bag of golden brown."

keep moving.

chain-link crashes our hopes.
barbed wire cuts our hands.
dogs cry out our position.
armored suits slam us into the mud.
cold metal barrels dig into our backs.
he resists.
sweet pain shoots through his skin.
red life pours out of his stomach.

diving for him, my lips reach his ear.
"it's in the water, baby. it's in your frequency.
   it's in the water, baby. it's between you and me."