Lucas Van Houten

I gaze up into the infrared darkness of the late night sky. My arms pump up and down at my sides. My legs stride out forward, impacting the pavement at regular intervals. I breathe deeply.

As I travel through the dimness of an unlit neighborhood, my eyes flick side to side. When I reach the brightness of a major road, I take a right. At this time of night it is a barren wasteland of streetlights, concrete, and the foliage filling in the gaps, devoid of humanity but for the distant rumble of the highway. It's quite a peaceful scene.

Upon my arrival at the first intersection of my journey I encounter a slew of cars speeding through the orange ambiance of the streetlamps tracing the median. A true inconvenience when trying to cross the roadway in front of such a parade. I'm forced to stop and wait. In order to prepare to cross, I click the crosswalk button. I exhale. My eyes go out of focus. My calves tighten up. Leaning on the crosswalk pole, I sink into my thoughts.