she pulled up and parked.

as she lit a cigarette, she thought about all the hours left in the day, and all the things left undone.

she thought about her neighbor, a strange cat lady, and how her ridiculous amount of cats made the building stink, and how her downstairs neighbor cooked meth in his kitchen, and how sadly ironic it was that a drug-addict was constantly slaving over the stove and always growing thinner.

she thought about the school children, and how some of them would go home to a nice, warm meal and a bedtime story, while others went home to a beating and an empty stomach, while still others went home and killed themselves while their parents were arguing downstairs or fucking down the hall.

she thought about the lovers in the cafes, and how they'd smile at each other across the table, maybe ask the waiter to take a picture of them, knowing he wouldn't notice how one of the boy's hands was still under the table, knowing the girl would keep her face composed for the picture while his fingers pushed aside her panties.

she thought how she'd never felt so lonely in her life, listening to the train whistle cry. she watched the sun begin to dip below the horizon and the full moon appear on the other side of the sky, hanging her tragic head.

she stubbed out her cigarette and reclined the seat. time to stop thinking, it was making her feel more down.

out the driver side window, a light was slowly starting to brighten. it got brighter and brighter, until it was blinding. she looked out the window, and the light caught the back of her pupils, making them redden like in a photograph.

she smiled, like having her picture taken, the flash going off. her final thought, the last one, was how beautiful it was to be caught in god's headlights.