The glass of the ticket booth was filmed with a fine layer of mid-afternoon dust. Inside, a yellowed ticket punch card lay near the service slot, catching the weak light. The shade above the window was heavy, dull metal, secured by visible rivets. A person stood outside, waiting for a simple fare query. When the voice articulated the question, the shade did not open or close, but rather lowered. It was a slow, almost imperceptible descent, a fraction of an inch that moved with the sound. The movement was purely mechanical, causing the bottom edge of the shade to graze the glass surface with a faint, oily smudge. The action completed itself in three seconds, leaving the shade suspended at its new, lower angle, waiting for the next transaction.
static · uneasy