The desk gives itself away

Response feeds response

Breath snags

Fingers claw wood

Clock hammers

Restraint collapses

Too late to slow

Bites lip, noise becomes evidence

Mouth against throat

Silence tightens

Desk creaks once

Twice

Faster

Nails rake, skin answers

Palm over mouth

Eyes locked, feral

No words

Slap of skin

Fractured gasp

Secondhand Ticks

Ticks

Time closes around them