Episode 110: Elevated Heart Rate

Terrastina wheels out her bicycle on an especially frosty morning and braves the chill with a ride through town. The sun is barely up but already there is traffic on the sidewalk and cars on the road trailing billowing white smoke. Many people wave at Terrastina. She waves back. Her face is red and her nose is running. Her hands feel like ice. She turns a corner, peddling hard, and takes in gulps of air. She passes crows hopping on lawns. A raccoon wobbles across the road. The mountain gleams next to her, catching the first sheets of sunlight.