Patrick Bernardo Gleeson

Baby Earthworms

The rain felt predatory, falling down in packs and nipping at his skin until it started to feel hot. The sensation brought him back from his daydream and remembering where he was he wiped the backs of his hands on his trousers, tucked his socks into his boots and tightened the collar of his coat. Clipping the rusted seal around his neck rendered him a little bit breathless, but it was a breathlessness he could cope with – a seared nape he could not.