the last glacial period

its been a while

she retreats
frantically, somehow moving forwards
on a treadmill
away from the images
gravitating towards them
expansion
a thread to carry her
pulling violently
connecting her unwillingly to somewhere
a contraction of the abdomen
a bouy, threaded to the ocean floor
a sea creature locked in a shell
oxygen binding to coral
carbon, digits and numbers
breathing hard
she forces herself forward