Numbing Waves

Asphalt

The asphalt was hot enough to burn through skin,
Expose bone,
Melt ligaments.
The air was sweet,
the way freshly baked bread wafted through and danced its way around the tips of my hair.
Everything was gentle.
I leaned down to my canvas shoe and slowly untied the double knotted bow.
At first, when my foot slipped out, I'd considered perhaps I should not do this.
I stood on the baking asphalt with a shoe in hand and one leg propped in the air like a flamingo.
The hems of my skirt cooly fluttered on my thighs.
The sweetness in the wind had turned sour,
Wet stale bread dipped in soy sauce tasting.
The asphalt felt like it was melting the sole of my shoe.
Slowly the world was knocked off its axis and I felt a firm hand on my shoulder.
My breath was jagged but I never once moved.
You leaned down close to my ear.
I felt your warm lips gently brush against my skin.
"Dance."
I didn't move.
You were used to people being at your beck and call.
You thought you were royalty.
Your hand moved further down my back slowly and I felt my sweaty skin tingle under the new sensation.
One swift movement and I was knocked off balance and fell to the ground.
You pressed me deeper into the burning asphalt and found pleasure in my murderous shrieks.
I watched my skin slowly bubble and boil on the surface,
Felt the heat sink slowly deeper to my bones,
Cried as my intestines cooked under the smoldering flame of the asphalt.
When there was nothing left in me to scream, you gently picked me from the asphalt as if you were scraping gum off the street.
You brushed the tips of my hair away from my face,
Pulled the ends of my skirt down my leg,
Slipped on my canvas shoe back on my foot and double knotted it.
What used to be me was cradled in your arms and with your devilish smile you whispered,

"Love me."

This is what it's like to fall in love with D.G.